7 Best OCR Software: Free & Paid (2024)

Find the best OCR software to convert images to text. Discover our top picks based on features, accuracy, and pricing to meet your needs.
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Key Takeaways

Choosing the right OCR software (acronym: Optical Character Recognition) or “optical character recognition” (ROC in French) is crucial if you want to scan a physical document.

OK, but what is OCR software?

OCR software converts text images into online documents that can be scanned and machine-readable.

Historically used for transferring paper documents - passports, business cards, bank statements, etc. - it is a common word processing method for scanning text with software so that it can be edited on a computer.

The best OCR software allows you to scan and archive any image document into an editable PDF.

Stats - qu'est ce qu'un convertisseur OCR
Stats - what is an OCR converter software

Computers now assist humans and vice-Versa

Today, this software can be combined with translation software To return the document management And the cloud storage quick and easy for individuals and businesses.

Let's move on to the list of software in this article.

List of the best OCR software

Here are my top picks for the best OCR (or OCR in French) software to use this year in this article:

1. Nanonets.

nanonets - Reconnaissance optique de caractères (OCR)
OCR software

Nanonets is an online OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software based on artificial intelligence (machine learning) that simplifies the extraction of digital text from paper files or images (such as BMP, PNG, JPG, JPEG).

The software is particularly useful for those who need to extract information from various files on a regular basis.

Features

  • Increased productivity: Elimination of repetitive tasks such as manually entering text from paper files into Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, ERP or databases. This allows users to spend more time on more important tasks.
  • Validation : Verify the text extracted from your online files. The AI-based system learns (machine learning) and improves with use, ensuring higher levels of accuracy.
  • Capturing what's needed: Use of AI-based OCR technology (machine learning) to capture only relevant text from all types of files or documents
  • Text organization: Keeps the text file clean and organized on a cloud platform, allowing custom workflows to be created and repetitive tasks to be automated with a converter
  • Integrations: The OCR software integrates with ERP such as Salesforce, Netsuite, Yardi, Entrata, Dynamics, and databases such as MySQL, PostGres, MSSQL, etc. The Nanonets Zapier connector also allows you to import data from various online software and export the captured text to other applications like Quickbooks, FreshBooks, Google Sheets, etc.

Pricing

  • Free trial: Users can test the product for free to see if it meets their needs.
  • Pro: $499 per model per month
  • Enterprise: Customized rates are available based on your needs.
nanonets Reconnaissance optique de caractères (OCR)
Get started with Nanonets today.

Nanonets is an effective online OCR tool that uses artificial intelligence to accurately and efficiently extract data from documents as well as files (text documents and images: type BMP, PNG, JPG, JPEG).

With features such as increased productivity, data validation, capture of relevant document data via optical character recognition (OCR), data organization, and integration with other online software, it offers a comprehensive solution for data extraction.

2. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

adobe acrobat pro - Reconnaissance optique de caractères (OCR)
OCR software

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is an online OCR tool for those looking to transform the way they manage scanned and PDF files.

Features

  • Conversion and editing: Converts scanned files into editable PDFs, creates smart PDFs, converts a PDF file to Microsoft Office and JPG, recognizes and adapts text and font.
  • Managing pages: Allows you to add comments, reorder, combine files, and perform functions such as rotating, deleting, and cropping pages.
  • Sharing and collaboration: Sharing protected files for feedback and comparison, removing passwords from protected PDF files, and collecting feedback from multiple people in a single file.
  • Mobile application: Manage the PDF pages of a document from a smartphone with Acrobat Reader mobile and Adobe Scan to scan files, receipts, whiteboards into a PDF file.
  • Customization: Reuse PDF pages from different files, add form fields and links to PDFs.
  • Electronic signature: Request signatures, add your own signature, transform physical forms into fillable PDF files through scanning.
  • Compliance with ISO standards: Converts PDFs into compliant files with a wizard or profile, validates PDFs according to PDF/X, PDF/VT, PDF/A, or PDF/E output format criteria.

Pricing

  • Free trial: Start with a 7-day free trial of Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.
  • Acrobat Pro DC: Costs $14.99 per month and includes all of the features mentioned above.
  • Acrobat Standard DC: Available at $12.99 per month, it allows you to create, edit, and sign PDFs.
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC - Reconnaissance optique de caractères (OCR)
OCR tools (or OCR system in French)
Try Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is much more than just an online OCR tool.

It is a complete OCR solution for managing, editing, sharing, and securing your PDF files online, while offering you the flexibility to work on different devices thanks to its mobile application.

Plus, with flexible pricing options and a free trial, it's easy to determine if this online OCR software is the right choice for your needs.

3. OmniPage Ultimate by Kofax.

omnipage - Reconnaissance optique de caractères (OCR)
OCR software

OmniPage Ultimate is a must-have online OCR application for anyone looking to convert all of their paper documents into digital format, without the hassle of traditional scanners and tools.

It's a user-friendly online OCR application that easily processes the most complex files, turning online forms and PDFs into editable files, which you can then edit, archive, and share.

However, it is important to note that this OCR software is only compatible with the Windows system.

Features

  • Automatic conversion: Sends converted PDFs to pre-programmed workflows and converts single or batch PDFs into searchable files with the eDiscovery Wizard.
  • Precision and automation: Ensures high OCR accuracy, reproduces files in multiple formats, and schedules batch processing of files from emails or folders for real-time processing.
  • Integration with scanners: Compatible with all types of scanners, including mobile scanners.
  • Mobile file capture: Captures text from a smartphone camera to convert images (such as PNG, JPG, JPEG) into text.
  • Language recognition: Supports over 120 languages to edit, process, and store files globally.
  • OmniPage Server: Accelerates the processing of files for data analysis and archiving, useful for regularly managing large quantities of files.

Pricing

  • Free trial: Start with a free 15-day OmniPage Ultimate trial.
  • Single cost: OmniPage Ultimate is available at a one-time cost of $499.
Omnipage Ultimate - Reconnaissance optique de caractères (OCR)
Optical character recognition (OCR software)
Try OmniPage Ultimate

OmniPage Ultimate is a solid choice for those who need a reliable and comprehensive OCR (or OCR system in French) tool that can handle batch processing in real time.

With a wide range of features, including support for over 120 languages, integration with all types of scanners, and a free 15-day trial period, it offers a complete solution for file conversion and management.

4. ABBYY FineReader PDF 16.

finereader - Reconnaissance optique de caractères (OCR)

ABBYY FineReader PDF is a comprehensive PDF solution that uses AI-based OCR (or OCR in French) technology to create and optimize all types of PDF files.

It's not only useful for scanning, retrieving, protecting, and sharing files, but also for collaborating on different types of files in the same workflow.

Features

  • PDF forms: Complete fields on scanned paper and PDF forms, including digital signatures.
  • Splitting PDF files: Separate large PDFs into shorter files and save chapters separately.
  • Removing hidden information: Eliminate hidden data in PDFs to avoid accidentally sharing confidential information.
  • Password protection: Set different levels of password protection for PDFs.
  • Digital signature verification: Verify integrity and authenticity by verifying the digital signature.
  • PDF conversion: Convert PDFs to various editable formats, such as Microsoft Excel, Word, etc.
  • PDF file division: Divide PDFs by page count, file size, or bookmarks.
  • MRC compression: Reduce the size of PDFs by up to 20 times.
ABBYY FineReader PDF 15 - Reconnaissance optique de caractères (OCR)
Optical character recognition (OCR)

Pricing

  • Standard: $199 in a single payment.
  • Businesses: $299 in a single payment.
  • Volume licenses: Based on quotes (for large organizations).
  • Optical Character Recognition (OCR): Start with a free 7-day ABBYY FineReader PDF trial.
Start with a 7-day free trial of ABBYY FineReader PDF.

In summary, ABBYY FineReader PDF is a versatile OCR tool for managing PDF files, offering features that go beyond simple file conversion.

Its ability to correct sentences, annotate files, remove hidden information, and manage digital signatures makes it a smart choice for those looking for a comprehensive optical character recognition (OCR) software.

5. Google Document AI

SimpleOCR Free OCR Software - Reconnaissance optique de caractères (OCR)
Optical character recognition (OCR)

Google Document AI is a document processing solution offered by Google Cloud, including an optical character recognition (OCR) tool. Built using machine learning technology, OCR software makes capturing text from documents incredibly simple. It can perform OCR on various types of documents, such as PDFs, PNGs, BMP, and JPEGs, for your forms, driver's licenses, or contracts.

Features

  • Text capture: Google Document AI OCR makes it easy to capture text from a variety of documents.
  • Types of documents: Support for multiple document formats, including PDF, PNG, BMP, and JPEG.
  • Various applications: Can be used for forms, driver's licenses, contracts, and more.
  • Machine learning technology: Uses machine learning technology to make text capture more efficient and accurate.

Pricing

  • Google Document AI pricing varies according to the specific use and needs of each user.
  • For a cost estimate, visit the Google Cloud website.

Google Document AI is a powerful solution for document processing that makes text capture simple and effective thanks to its OCR tool based on machine learning.

With support for multiple document formats, it offers much-needed flexibility for various applications.

6. Tesseract

Tesseract - Reconnaissance optique de caractères (OCR)
Optical character recognition (OCR)

Tesseract is an open-source optical character recognition (OCR) software under the Apache license.

It is not only a text conversion tool, but it is also capable of analyzing the layout, processing hOCR position information, and supporting multiple image formats thanks to the Leptonica library.

Features

  • Search for Lines: Recognizes slanted pages without misalignment, maintaining image quality.
  • Baseline Adjustment: Uses a quadratic spline to precisely adjust baselines in documents, including curved lines.
  • Word recognition: Reduces inaccuracies by identifying words in scanned documents.
  • Text Organization: Organize text blocks into aligned lines.
  • Compatibility: Runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.
  • Recognition of Difficult Texts: Recognizes and rectifies small capitals and unclear spaces.
  • Training for other languages: Can be trained to detect other scripts and languages.
  • Linguistic analysis: Uses linguistic analysis to determine the most likely words based on characters.
  • Detecting Proportional and Non-Proportional Words: Detects proportionally spaced and monospaced words.

Pricing

  • Free: Tesseract is open-source software and completely free.
Discover Tesseract now

Tesseract is a versatile and powerful OCR software that offers a range of advanced features to meet your text conversion and image spam detection needs.

Its OCR ability to recognize over 100 languages and to be trained to recognize others makes it an indispensable OCR tool for all users, regardless of where they live or what language they speak.

7. Amazon Textract.

Amazon Textract - Reconnaissance optique de caractères (OCR)
Optical character recognition (OCR)

Amazon Textract is an innovative machine learning service that makes it easy to extract text and non-text data from scanned files.

Features

  • Extracting Forms: Automatically detects key values in files.
  • Predefined schema: Allows you to extract all data in rows and columns using a predefined schema.
  • Automated File Processing: Allows you to create automated processing flows to process data and text without human intervention.
  • Accessibility: Available as an online OCR tool and can be downloaded from the command line.
  • Compatibility: Works on the web, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Amazon Textract feature diagram
Optical character recognition (OCR)

Pricing

  • Detect API File Text (OCR): $0.0015 per page.
  • Analyze Document API for Pages that contain Tables: $0.015 per page.
  • Analyze Document API for Pages with Forms: $0.05 per page.
  • Analyze Document API for Pages with Tables and Forms: $0.015 + $0.05 per page.
  • Free Offer: Up to 1000 free pages for conversion, using the Detect Document Text API, and up to 100 pages per month with the Analyze Document API for the first three months.
Check out Amazon Textract now

Amazon Textract is an indispensable OCR tool for anyone looking to extract structured (text, tables, etc.) and unstructured (image) data from scanned files efficiently and accurately.

What is optical character recognition (OCR) software?

comment fonctionne les outils ROC
Example: How does the word processing of a sales receipt work

In an increasingly digital world, optical character recognition software (OCR or OCR system in French) is an essential tool that simplifies data processing by transforming different types of files into editable and searchable data.

  • File Transformation: Conversion of scanned files, PDFs, texts, and images into coded data for processing.
  • Text Recognition: Identifying and converting texts in various file formats into editable and searchable data for users
  • Combining Software and Hardware: Use of specialized optical readers or circuit cards to read or copy texts.
  • Use of AI: Use of artificial intelligence for intelligent character recognition, identification of languages and writing styles.
  • File Transformation: Conversion of hard copies into editable and searchable digital files.
  • Archiving and Processing: Conversion of hard copies into digital documents for archiving or data processing.

In summary, OCR technology (or OCR system in French) is crucial in today's digital world, facilitating the archiving, editing, and search of files, and thus making our daily lives and our work more efficient and organized.

What are the uses of OCR in different industries?

Optical character recognition (OCR) technology is crucial in the digitalization of today's businesses, facilitating various processes across multiple sectors.

Fichier image ou texte en base de données
Technology: Image or text file in database
  • Banking industry: The OCR function makes it easy to extract essential information from checks, mortgage applications, and payslips for reliable transactions.
  • Insurance industry: OCR technology contributes to the automation of claims processing, making the process faster and more efficient.
  • Legal sector: The OCR function allows the digitization of affidavits, judgments and wills, thus optimizing document management.
  • Health sector: The OCR function facilitates the scanning of medical reports, x-rays, and hospital records, facilitating the management and payment of insurance records.
  • Customer-oriented applications: The OCR function facilitates self-service registration in the tourism sector and the exchange of vouchers in retail.
  • OCR versatility: OCR technology is useful for scanning documents, converting images to text, and automating processes.
  • Business benefits: Businesses use OCR to extract data from PDFs, convert receipts into actionable information, and more.

In conclusion, OCR technology is a versatile and indispensable tool for modern businesses and their users. These solutions offer considerable advantages in many sectors, by facilitating document management, process automation, and information exploitation.

Summary.

As we've seen in this article, you may need to scan printed or handwritten documents with OCR software, whether you're running a business or working online.

Fortunately, you can accomplish this word processing task quickly with an OCR function.

If you are looking for software with simple OCR technology with standard features, I suggest the software Google Docs, Tesseract and SimpleOCR.

And for the exclusive scanning function of business documents such as invoices, you can try Rossum.

I suggest you opt for Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, as it proves to be the best OCR software for comprehensive PDF solutions.

In short, the OCR function is an essential tool for companies looking to digitize their content and automate the management of their documents with software.

It is particularly useful for optimizing processes by transforming physical documents into usable digital data.

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