Free-OCR.net
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Free OCR online for images and PDF files.

Free-OCR.net converts images and scanned PDFs into editable text. Process two files without an account, review the OCR confidence signal, and export TXT, Markdown, Word, JSON, or CSV.

File preview
OCR settingsOptional controls
Recognition settings

Send a scan from your phone

Scan the code, choose or photograph a document, and this page will continue automatically.

QR code for the temporary phone upload link

Creating a one-time pairing...

The pairing expires after 10 minutes and accepts one upload.
  • Two guest files included
  • Confidence feedback included
  • Four download formats

Files expire after 60 minutes

Know what the OCR result will contain

Free-OCR.net returns editable text and review data. It does not hide limits or promise to reproduce a document it cannot rebuild.

Accepted input
PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, WebP, BMP, and TIFF up to 20 MB. Standard PDF OCR handles 25 pages, while the long PDF workflow accepts a selected range of up to 100 pages.
Controls
Use automatic English and Chinese handling or choose an installed local model, then set image cleanup, page layout, and an optional PDF page range.
Review signal
Use local word positions and confidence to find text that deserves attention. Confidence does not prove correctness.
Exports
Download TXT or Markdown for reading, JSON for result metadata, and CSV for local word-level diagnostics.
Output boundary
The service extracts text. It does not create a lookalike Word file or add an invisible text layer to the original PDF.
Storage choice
Process two files without an account for short-lived local results, then create an account to continue and keep saved exports for 30 days.

Start with the OCR job in front of you

This homepage is the general-purpose runner for an image or short scanned PDF. Move to a dedicated route only when the source or required output needs different controls.

Run standard OCR here

Upload one ordinary image or a scanned PDF of up to 25 pages, adjust recognition settings if needed, then review and export the returned text.

Use a source-specific workbench

Open Image to Text for mixed document images or PDF to Text for page-range extraction from a short scan.

Compare specialized OCR tasks

Use the directory when you need a text layer, table reconstruction, formula markup, form fields, contact data, or another output beyond general text.

See what OCR changes and what it leaves behind

The source remains a page image. OCR adds a usable text representation that can be searched, reviewed, copied, and exported. The practical explanation of how OCR works shows where recognition and reading-order errors enter the pipeline.

Scanned document becoming editable text through optical character recognition
Source imageCharacter recognitionReviewable text and structured data

Accuracy is a workflow, not a percentage on a landing page.

OCR accuracy depends on source quality, layout assumptions, recognition, and human review. Our OCR methodology explains the local confidence signal, structured output, and fallback path so you can interpret the result.

Inspect our methodology →
300 dpi
practical scan baseline
4 exports
TXT, JSON, CSV, Markdown
0 claims
of impossible perfect accuracy

From pixels to reviewable text

Every stage solves a different problem. That is why the interface exposes the decisions that materially change the result.

  1. Prepare

    Correct orientation, normalize contrast, and reduce light scan noise while protecting character edges.

  2. Segment

    Choose automatic, single-block, or sparse-text layout assumptions to match the actual page.

  3. Recognize

    Wallpapers Document OCR returns the primary structured text when configured. Tesseract supplies local diagnostics and a working fallback.

  4. Review

    Inspect low-confidence text and verify names, numbers, dates, and consequential fields against the source.

Learn what changes the answer

Choose a topic by the decision you need to make: understand OCR, improve the source, manage document structure, or protect sensitive data.

Browse every guide →
Document image passing through OCR and becoming text lines and structured data

OCR basics

Learn how optical character recognition turns images into text, how OCR confidence works, why errors happen, and when human review is required.

Comparison of a skewed document with an accurately aligned OCR scan

OCR accuracy lab

Improve OCR accuracy with practical guidance on scan resolution, focus, lighting, contrast, rotation, layout selection, and result review.

Handwritten lines converted into clean text with one uncertain result

Document workflows

Build practical OCR workflows for scanned PDFs, screenshots, handwriting, receipts, invoices, tables, archives, and accessible documents.

Document moving through temporary OCR processing toward automatic expiry

Privacy & safety

Evaluate online OCR privacy, file retention, remote processing, sensitive-document risks, and when a controlled offline OCR workflow is safer.

Illustration of a document moving through a remote OCR service and local result expiry

Know where a document goes before you upload it.

Free-OCR.net removes its local working copy after processing and expires local guest exports. When remote OCR is enabled, the provider receives a processed copy and documents private long-term storage. Use the online OCR privacy checklist to decide whether sensitive, regulated, privileged, or third-party documents belong in an approved offline workflow.

How files are handledUse the upload checklist →

Free online OCR questions, answered plainly

These answers describe the current tool, its real limits, and the review work that still belongs to you.

Is Free-OCR.net free to use?

Yes. You can extract text and download TXT, Markdown, Word, JSON, or CSV without an account. An account is optional and keeps saved exports for 30 days. Compare guest and account storage.

Which files and PDF sizes can I process?

Upload PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, WebP, BMP, or TIFF files up to 20 MB. A PDF run can process one page or a range of up to 25 pages. Choose the matching OCR tool.

Can I paste an image instead of choosing a file?

Yes. Copy a screenshot or image, then paste while the OCR uploader is open. PDF documents still need to be chosen or dropped into the uploader. Read the screenshot workflow.

Can OCR detect the document language automatically?

When structured document OCR is available, Automatic reads English, Chinese, or a document containing both without asking the user to choose first. It transcribes the visible language and does not translate it. The current model does not promise reliable identification or recognition for every other language. Read how language handling works.

Does OCR preserve the original document layout?

Free-OCR.net provides two Word outputs. The layout-preserved DOCX keeps each source page as the visible page and adds hidden searchable OCR text. The editable DOCX rebuilds recognized content for editing and may reflow complex columns, fonts, handwriting, or spacing. Compare text and searchable PDF output.

How can I improve an OCR result?

Start with an upright, high-contrast source near 300 dpi. Match the cleanup and layout settings to the page, then verify names, dates, amounts, identifiers, and low-confidence text against the source. Use the accuracy checklist.

What happens to a file after OCR?

Local guest files and exports expire after 60 minutes. Signed-in exports expire after 30 days. If remote OCR is enabled, the uploader identifies the provider path and links to its retention details before processing. Review file handling and retention.

Can OCR read handwriting?

Clear, print-like handwriting may produce a useful draft, but connected cursive and personal letterforms are less reliable than printed text. Treat handwriting output as a transcription draft that needs review. Understand handwriting limits.

A fresh path through the OCR library

These six useful starting points rotate every day. Use the full sitemap whenever you want to browse every public tool, guide, method, and policy.

Open the full sitemap →

PDF to Text

Use PDF OCR when pages are scans rather than selectable text, then review reading order one page at a time.

OCR accuracy lab

A useful accuracy workflow identifies whether information was lost during capture, preprocessing, layout detection, or recognition before trying another tool.

JPG to Text

JPG OCR works best on square, well-lit camera captures where compression has not softened small character details.

Document workflows

The best route depends on the next task. Search, visual reference, structured processing, accessibility, and accounting review need different outputs and checks.

Latest OCR articles

New, dated guidance from the editorial publishing queue.

Read the OCR blog →

Extract the text. Keep the judgment.

Start free, review the confidence, and download the format your next step actually needs.

Upload a file here →

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  • Continue processing OCR files
  • Keep future exports together for 30 days
  • Return to saved results from your private dashboard
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