FastHan / PDF Tools / OCR PDF Online Free
OCR PDF
OCR PDF Online Free
Read text from a scanned PDF or photo — real OCR, in your browser.
100% private — processed in your browser
Your files are processed locally in your browser with JavaScript. They are never uploaded to a server. You can verify this yourself: open your browser DevTools, go to the Network tab, and watch — no file data leaves your device.
How to OCR a scanned PDF
A scanned PDF is a photo of a page, not text: you cannot search it, copy from it, or edit it. OCR — optical character recognition — reads the letters out of the image and turns them back into text. This tool does that with the Tesseract engine, fully in your browser: drop a scanned PDF or a photo of a document, pick the document language, and get a .txt file back.
Each page is read in order, with a page marker between pages, so you can still tell where each part came from. The result opens in any text editor, and you can search it, copy from it, or paste it wherever you need the words.
Two honest limits. First, OCR guesses letters from pixels, so it makes mistakes on blurry, tilted or faint text — always check the result, especially names and numbers. Second, it reads printed text only: handwriting is not supported. The first use downloads the OCR engine (about 7 MB) and the language file (about 1–4 MB); both are then cached in your browser, so later uses are fast. PDFs are limited to 20 pages per run.
Everything runs in your browser, so the document never leaves your device. There is no daily limit.
How to use this tool
- 1Drop a scanned PDF or a photo of a document.
- 2Pick the document language, then press Read text with OCR.
- 3Preview the text, then download the .txt file.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the OCR?
On a sharp, straight scan of printed text it is usually very good. On blurry, tilted or faint pages it makes mistakes, and it cannot read handwriting at all. The result shows an average confidence score — a low score means you should check every word.
Which languages are supported?
English, Bahasa Indonesia, Spanish, French and German. Pick the language of the document before you start: the wrong language makes the result much worse.
Why does the first use take a while?
The first use downloads the OCR engine (about 7 MB) and the language file (about 1–4 MB). Both are then cached in your browser, so later uses start fast.
Can I OCR a photo of a page taken with my phone?
Yes — photos work the same as scans. Lay the page flat, fill the frame, and use good light; a tilted or dark photo makes the text harder to read.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. OCR happens entirely in your browser. Your document never leaves your device.