Freemium
OCR.best
Free web OCR that pulls editable text out of images, PDFs and scans in 20+ languages, with no signup.
FreemiumBeginnerWebiOSAndroid
Overview
OCR.best pulls the text out of an image, a PDF or a scan and hands it back as text you can edit. It reads more than 20 languages, including Japanese, Arabic and Turkish. It takes HEIC, AVIF, TIFF and PDF, plus a photo from your camera or an image URL. The result copies to the clipboard or downloads as .txt or Word .docx. It reads handwriting as well as print.
It runs in the browser, and there are iOS and Android apps. Basic use is free with no signup, capped at 3 images per submission and 5 MB per file, with ads and a captcha. Premium raises both caps and drops the ads and captcha. It also converts faster and unlocks formatted text. It is sold as a subscription, billed monthly or yearly.
Key features
✓Extracts editable text from images, PDFs and scans
✓Reads more than 20 languages
✓Exports as plain text (.txt) or Word (.docx)
✓Copies the result straight to the clipboard
✓Accepts PNG, JPG, WEBP, GIF, TIFF, BMP, HEIC, AVIF and PDF
✓Batches several files in one submission
✓Upload from your camera or paste an image URL
✓Keeps the original formatting on premium plans
✓Reads handwritten notes as well as printed text
✓Free with no signup for basic use
When to use
Use OCR.best if:
- You want to pull editable text out of a screenshot, a photo of a document, or a scan.
- You need the text recognised in one of 20+ languages.
- You want to download the result as a .txt or .docx file, or copy it to the clipboard.
- You have an unusual input like HEIC, TIFF, AVIF or a PDF that you want read.
- You want a free tool with no signup for occasional, small jobs.
When NOT to use
Skip OCR.best if any of these describe you:
- You need to convert many pages or large files at once for free. The free tier takes 3 images per submission and 5 MB per file, and more needs a premium plan.
- Your source is messy handwriting or a complex table layout, where OCR is least reliable and you will need to proofread heavily. Compare tools in our image-to-text list.
- You need an output that preserves the exact page layout, since it exports plain text and Word, where formatting comes out only approximately.
- Your documents are confidential, because files are uploaded to a server to be read.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, for basic use, with no signup. The free tier allows 3 images per submission and files up to 5 MB, and it shows ads and a captcha. Premium raises those to 50 images and 10 MB, and converts faster with no ads or captcha. It also saves your conversion history and unlocks formatted text. It is billed as a subscription, monthly or yearly, with tiers that differ in how much you can put through.
It supports more than 20 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Arabic, Turkish and Italian, among others.
You can copy the result to the clipboard or download it as a plain text file (.txt) or a Word document (.docx). Keeping the original formatting needs a premium plan. A free conversion returns plain text with no formatting.
It supports handwritten notes, but OCR is most reliable on clear printed text. For messy handwriting or unusual fonts, expect to check and fix the output before you rely on it.
It accepts many types, including PNG, JPG, JPEG, WEBP, GIF, TIFF, BMP, HEIC, AVIF and PDF. You can also upload straight from your camera or paste an image URL.
Yes. OCR.best offers an image-to-text app for Android and iOS. The iOS app is free. The website also works on a phone and has a camera upload option.
Files are processed on the vendor's servers. The vendor states it does not store your data and deletes images after conversion.
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