8 Finest Free OCR Software program in 2024

Are you and your small business nonetheless drowning in paperwork? Precise bodily paperwork? It’s 2024. Let’s change that.  

Your paperwork nonetheless maintain worth. You, together with employees and stakeholders, would possibly obtain and work on them for quite a lot of enterprise selections daily. By switching to a free optical character recognition (OCR) software program device, you’ll be able to convert non-parsable or post-data format paperwork into editable file codecs and construct an organized information repository.  All this with out paying one other bill!

Companies also can change to the free OCR software program to organize and handle mission information for workforce collaboration.

Let’s take a look at the checklist of the 8 finest free OCR software program to make doc scanning, enhancing, and digitization straightforward and handy.

How can we choose and consider OCR software program on G2?

At G2, we rank software program options utilizing a proprietary algorithm that considers buyer satisfaction and market presence primarily based on genuine consumer evaluations. Our market analysis analysts and writers spend weeks testing options towards a number of standards set for a software program class. We offer you unbiased software program evaluations – that is the G2 distinction! We didn’t settle for cost or change hyperlinks for product placements on this checklist. Please learn our G2 Analysis Scoring Methodology for extra particulars.

8 Finest Free OCR Software program in 2024

OCR software program supplies companies with all-in-one doc assist and administration companies. It permits customers to scan, search, edit, and modify photos and convert them into editable paperwork. 

These OCR consumer evaluations come from G2’s finest OCR software program class web page. Please observe that within the context of this checklist, distributors providing a trial are thought-about free.

To qualify for inclusion on this class, software program should:

• Course of digital photos of assorted file varieties 
• Seize information from scanned PDFs and convert them into Phrase paperwork
• Determine and parse non-editable plain textual content and convert it into editable textual content
• Set up digital recordsdata both on-premise or within the  cloud 
• Supply engine compatibility throughout Mac, iPhone, Linux, Android, and Microsoft Home windows

This information was pulled from G2 in 2024. Some evaluations might have been edited for readability. 

1. Laserfiche

Laserfiche, a doc creation and storage device, digitizes your complete paper path. It’s been a pioneer in offering enterprise content material administration companies to create, edit, modify, and share content material throughout inner and exterior stakeholders. Laserfiche comes with suitable OCR integrations you could deploy to your present content material infrastructure. 

Laserfiche helps digital recordsdata and automates doc scanning and processing in order that paperwork may be shared throughout groups.

What do customers like finest:

“We love utilizing Laserfiche. It’s a particularly secure storage alternative for worker and donor recordsdata that aren’t to be accessed by anybody unnecessarily. We’ve got employees that use this every day for his or her position. Implementing and administering it is extremely easy, particularly when employees by chance make modifications they didn’t imply to. Buyer assist is great after we run into one thing that we have now a troublesome time supporting ourselves with.”

– Laserfiche Evaluation, Heidi H. 

What do customers dislike:

“Non-responsiveness on direct emails. No follow-up by sure workers. No customizable views on the monitor. I need to transfer to the cloud, however I do not need to lose performance. Cloud or prem, options must be the identical – at all times. Do not make us select.”

– Laserfiche Evaluation, DIANNA D. 

2. FineReader PDF for Home windows and Mac

FineReader PDF for Home windows and Mac converts PDFs into file codecs like .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .txt so you’ll be able to add, parse, edit, and retrieve textual content. It additionally gives on-line OCR  to course of giant volumes of paperwork.

The software program additionally helps present scanned paperwork and converts them into machine-readable textual content. As soon as parsed, you’ll be able to retailer paperwork securely in your cloud storage or on-premise.

What do customers like finest:

“I discovered FineReader’s free model to be a one-stop all-in-one device when utilizing PDF. To start out with, I just like the clear interface and the way straightforward it’s to make use of. It’s my go-to device at any time when I would like so as to add a digital signature to my paperwork in PDF format. I additionally like the truth that I can classify my paperwork, as this helps me in organizing my confidential paperwork. As an IT skilled, I’ve had earlier expertise utilizing ABBYY FineReader OCR answer in tasks, and seeing its seamless integration into the device looks like a sport changer for me. I simply love the OCR evaluation a part of the device.”

– FineReader PDF for Home windows and Mac Evaluation, Sreyas V.

What do customers dislike:

“In some instances, utilizing Abbyy’s PDF to Dwell PDF conversion might have a nasty impact on the doc print high quality (decision) and its file dimension.”

– FineReader for Home windows and Mac Evaluation, Yohai C.

3. TextIn 

TextIn processes and aligns texts from non-editable file codecs into an easy-to-understand and correctable file format. This doc customization and alteration device captures, extracts, and modifies textual content recordsdata in line with the consumer’s discretion.  It additionally automates document-based workflows throughout groups to extend transparency and visibility.

TextIn is understood for clever picture and doc processing and might analyze, kind, and classify information throughout a number of industries. 

What do customers like finest:

“I like that it may scale back the quantity of paper that it’s important to carry round – you’ll be able to simply scan every thing. I additionally like that it auto-crops the picture and you may edit utilizing filters. I additionally like having the ability to save photos in numerous file codecs.”

– TextIn Evaluation, Aarifah B. 

What do customers dislike:

“It typically crops abruptly as a substitute of cropping the required web page. It at all times places the watermark brand on the backside of the web page. It doesn’t enable optical character recognition, and within the pdf file, it saves the web page as a picture as a substitute of textual content.”

– TextIn Evaluation, Dev A.

4. Ephesoft

Ephesoft gives database automation and administration companies for companies utilizing synthetic intelligence (AI). The top-to-end file automation promotes workforce collaboration, mission administration, and team-wide doc accessibility. Ephesoft works on mushy copies of PDF recordsdata and extracts vital information from the textual content. It additionally has a number of add-ons like kind indentation, textual content alignment, and quotation assist.

Ephesoft Execs	Ephesoft Cons
AI-driven doc processing	Irritating consumer interface and navigation
Pure language processing (NLP) algorithms for contextual understanding	Restricted doc verification assist
Knowledge customization from import recordsdata	Cluttered information validation workflows

What do customers like finest:

“We respect a number of qualities of Ephesoft. Particularly, the software program is a superb and user-friendly approach to assist us manage and interpret information that was much less helpful in its earlier format. The platform additionally saves money and time by mechanically figuring out all file varieties and processing strategies, which reduces the necessity for human intervention. We’re additionally followers of how adaptable the interface is; we have made a number of modifications to make it work higher for our wants. All this makes Ephesoft a beneficial asset to our workforce as a result of it may be adopted shortly with out requiring specialist information or expertise.”

– Ephesoft Evaluation, Stephanie W. 

What do customers dislike:

“It is slower than different on-line classification and extraction instruments. Additionally, a number of options that Ephesoft advertises are discouraged by its skilled companies and assist employees. Lastly, it takes substantial effort to maximise the answer’s potential, and the time required to replace can shortly add up.”

– Ephesoft Evaluation,  Shanil Ok. 

5. Nanonets

Nanonets assist scan, add, edit, re-scan, and re-save paperwork in an organized repository. It gives AI automation to autocorrect doc textual content and spotlight inconsistencies in content material. Nanonets additionally has an intuitive cell app that lets you scan, save and edit PDF paperwork with ease immediately from cell gadgets. Its giant storage capability and quite a few doc enhancing and formatting options make it suitable throughout platforms.

Nanonets’ clever AI automation supplies companies to 34% of Fortune 500 firms.

What do customers like finest:

“Due to Nanonets we had been in a position to digitally course of advanced invoices and affirmation orders. The AI’s self-learning capabilities had been essentially the most outstanding function for us – with the mannequin bettering persistently as extra information was supplied.”

– Nanonets Evaluation, Nadim A. 

What do customers dislike:

“The mannequin coaching at first could be a bit tedious and onerous to visualise correctly, particularly for big and sophisticated recordsdata, similar to monetary statements from suppliers from a number of nations. However as soon as every thing is ready up, it’s effectively well worth the coaching time.”

– Nanonets Evaluation, Charles E. 

6. Rossum

Rossum’s (previously Elis) AI-assisted information extraction device captures invoices. This platform may also help accounting and bookkeeping professionals refine their workflows. Customers can import PDFs or scans of invoices, and Rossum mechanically extracts the related information right into a structured format with out the necessity for templates. Knowledge can then be conveniently validated inside the interface, and exported for additional processing utilizing one of many device’s software program integrations like  Netsuite or Quickbooks Desktop Professional. 

What do customers like finest:

“One of the best factor about Rossum is the saved keystrokes. I imply, that is the entire level of this. From a developer perspective, Rossum’s pretty open method to permit for modification of the UI and the way information is processed by Rossum was the true promote level. My firm has very particular wants, and the flexibility to scale the UI up or down on the fly is unbelievable and simple.”

– Rossum Evaluation, Connor S.

What do customers dislike:

“Rossum may be improved by studying how one can learn Excel paperwork, and typically the repeated behaviors we educate Rossum are ignored. Rossum can be restricted to studying “straight” strains of information. If there was a option to tilt the grid to learn orders which can be misaligned, that will be appreciated.”

– Rossum Evaluation, Steven S. 

7. Base64.ai: automated doc information extraction

Base64.ai is an ML-powered information extraction and automation device that generates editable stories and tables from giant paperwork. Base64.ai intelligently captures information and labels it internally to create newer paperwork. This simplifies enterprise workflows and accelerates transactional processing between purchasers and distributors.

Base 64.ai additionally verifies and validates textual content earlier than transferring it into a distinct format. It ensures that the the worth and authenticity of the textual content are maintained.

What do customers like finest:

“The superior AI fashions have enhanced efficient adaptation to new doc format and information extraction from totally different types. It permits my workforce to make well timed selections from dependable insights obtained from extracted information. I’ve been in a position to implement many tasks inside the set timelines as a consequence of correct information that I get hold of from totally different information sources.”

– Base64.ai Evaluation, Ruth C.

What do customers dislike:

“There are downtime incidents which have disrupted information workflows, affecting your entire information pipeline.”

– Base64.ai Evaluation, Andrew S. 

8. DocuClipper

DocuClipper summarizes textual content from PDF recordsdata and inserts it into WORD paperwork. It helps a number of file variants like .png, .jpg, or different picture recordsdata and reads inline textual content. A number one OCR device, DocuClipper is straightforward to make use of and in addition gives OCR tutorials for newbies to study extra.

DocuClipper also can scan and seize multi-page invoices and bodily textual content recordsdata containing vital banking or bank card information.

What do customers like finest:

“I used DocuClipper for changing my purchasers’ financial institution statements and bank card statements to Quickbooks On-line format recordsdata. It was very clean and correct, in contrast to different software program that I’ve used for comparable functions. Total, it’s a very intuitive, user-friendly software program. It’s extremely advisable in case you are working with PDF statements. I haven’t explored it absolutely, however to this point, it is nice.”

– DocuClipper Evaluation, Javeria Z.

What do customers dislike:

“It could be nice to have a pay-as-you-go plan for smaller companies that do not want it repeatedly however nonetheless want it for infrequent tasks. I do not want it sufficient to warrant the price of the annual plan. I wanted DocuClipper for one mission and needed to pay the month-to-month payment after which cancel the subscription. I do not want this system a lot, however once I do, it is available in very helpful and saves me a ton of time.”

– DocuClipper Evaluation, Stephanie Ok. 

Comparability of the perfect free OCR software program

To get a take a look at which OCR device most closely fits your doc workflows, try our comparability desk and consider your parameters.

Software program	G2 score	Free plan	Paid plan
FineReader PDF for Home windows and Mac	4.8/5	Free Trial	Customized
Laserfiche	4.7/5	Free Trial	Begins at $50 monthly
Nanonets	4.5/5	Free Trial	Begins at $0 monthly to $999 monthly
Ephesoft	4.5/5	Free Trial	Customized
Rossum	4.4/5	Free Plan	Customized
TextIn	4.4/5	Free Trial	Customized
Docuclipper	4.8/5	Free Plan	Begins at $39 monthly
Base64.ai	4.9/5	Free Trial	Customized

Free OCR software program: Continuously requested questions (FAQs)

How precisely does free OCR software program acknowledge numerous fonts and handwritten textual content?

Free OCR software program makes use of machine studying and synthetic intelligence to enhance accuracy, even with handwritten textual content. Nevertheless, the accuracy varies primarily based on the standard of the enter picture and the sophistication of the OCR algorithm. Lok for OCR software program with excessive accuracy charges and sturdy preprocessing capabilities to deal with various information varieties.

How effectively does free OCR software program combine with different present doc administration programs?

Most fashionable free OCR software program is designed to combine seamlessly with widespread doc administration programs (DMS) and doc creation software program. This integration permits for the automated importing, processing, and organizing of paperwork. Earlier than buying, be sure that the OCR software program helps the APIs or connectors required by your DMS. Integration capabilities considerably improve workflow effectivity by automating doc processing and decreasing guide information entry.

What are the highest listed OCR software program on G2?

The highest-listed OCR software program on G2 is Adobe Acrobat, FineReader PDF for Home windows and Mac, Rossum, and DocuClipper.    

Is free OCR software program secure to make use of? Does it compromise information privateness?

Free OCR software program is encrypted software program that permits entry by way of safe authorization. It authenticates customers by way of their genuine account and a one-time generated password that provides extra safety layers to your app. Additional, it prevents unauthorized customers from making modifications to your file by producing a password Unicode that locks sure paperwork.

Construct your digital ledgers

Free OCR packages create a clean transition from onerous copies to an digital output format, providing you with the ability to regulate information in line with organizational requirements. They eradicate the trouble of paper payments and invoices and automate your information for easy processing. Whether or not you’re working with distributors, clients, or a brand new associate, your transactional data needn’t be scattered into stacks of paper. 

 Find out how free PDF editors can allow you to transform, edit, and modify PDF docs from a non-editable to editable format and ease your work hassles. 

Edited by Aisha West