OCR Scanner

Extract text from scans — free & private

Text-native PDFs are read instantly with 100% accuracy. True scans go through OCR in 12+ languages, with confidence scores and searchable-PDF export. Nothing is uploaded.

Open the tool — it's free Files never leave your device
No account needed No watermarks 100% in your browser

How it works

Three steps, under a minute, completely private.

1

Drop a PDF or image

Scans, photos, and digital PDFs all work.

2

Extract

Text-native files are read instantly; scans are OCR'd automatically.

3

Copy, download, or make it searchable

Export .txt, copy per page, or rebuild the scan as a searchable PDF.

Why PDFLift oCR Scanner is better

The tools are free, unlimited, and your documents never touch a server.

Smart extraction

Detects real text layers and reads them with 100% accuracy.

14 languages

English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and more.

Searchable PDFs

Keep the scanned look but make text findable with Ctrl+F.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between extraction and OCR?

Extraction reads text already embedded in the PDF (instant, exact). OCR reads the pixels of a scan — used only when there is no text layer.

How accurate is the OCR?

On clean scans at 3× resolution, typically 95%+ word accuracy, with a confidence score shown per page.

Can I make a scanned PDF searchable?

Yes — after OCR, click "Searchable PDF" to rebuild the file with an invisible text layer.

Try OCR Scanner now — free

Fast, private, and no sign-up required.

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