8 Greatest 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, may obtain and work on them for quite a lot of enterprise choices every single day. 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 may change to the free OCR software program to arrange and handle challenge information for crew collaboration.

Let’s take a look at the listing of the 8 greatest free OCR software program to make doc scanning, modifying, 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 based mostly on genuine person critiques. Our market analysis analysts and writers spend weeks testing options in opposition to a number of standards set for a software program class. We provide you with unbiased software program evaluations – that is the G2 distinction! We didn’t settle for fee or alternate hyperlinks for product placements on this listing. Please learn our G2 Analysis Scoring Methodology for extra particulars.

8 Greatest Free OCR Software program in 2024

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

These OCR person critiques come from G2’s greatest OCR software program class web page. Please notice that within the context of this listing, distributors providing a trial are thought of free.

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

• Course of digital pictures of varied file sorts 
• 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
• Manage 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 critiques might have been edited for readability. 

Laserfiche, a doc creation and storage device, digitizes your whole 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 appropriate 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 could be shared throughout groups.

What do customers like greatest:

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

– Laserfiche Evaluate, Heidi H. 

What do customers dislike:

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

– Laserfiche Evaluate, DIANNA D. 

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 provides on-line OCR  to course of massive volumes of paperwork.

The software program additionally helps current 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 greatest:

“I discovered FineReader’s free model to be a one-stop all-in-one device when utilizing PDF. To begin with, I just like the clear interface and the way straightforward it’s to make use of. It’s my go-to device every time I want 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 initiatives, and seeing its seamless integration into the device appears like a recreation changer for me. I simply love the OCR evaluation a part of the device.”

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

What do customers dislike:

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

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

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 response to the person’s discretion.  It additionally automates document-based workflows throughout groups to extend transparency and visibility.

TextIn is thought for clever picture and doc processing and may analyze, type, and classify information throughout a number of industries. 

What do customers like greatest:

“I like that it could 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’ll edit utilizing filters. I additionally like with the ability to save pictures in numerous file codecs.”

– TextIn Evaluate, Aarifah B. 

What do customers dislike:

“It typically crops abruptly as an alternative of cropping the required web page. It at all times places the watermark emblem 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 an alternative of textual content.”

– TextIn Evaluate, Dev A.

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

What do customers like greatest:

“We respect a number of qualities of Ephesoft. Particularly, the software program is a superb and user-friendly means to assist us arrange and interpret information that was much less helpful in its earlier format. The platform additionally saves money and time by robotically figuring out all file sorts 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 crew as a result of it may be adopted shortly with out requiring specialist data or expertise.”

– Ephesoft Evaluate, 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 help employees. Lastly, it takes substantial effort to maximise the answer’s potential, and the time required to replace can shortly add up.”

– Ephesoft Evaluate,  Shanil Ok. 

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

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

What do customers like greatest:

“Because of Nanonets we have been in a position to digitally course of complicated invoices and affirmation orders. The AI’s self-learning capabilities have been probably the most outstanding characteristic for us – with the mannequin enhancing persistently as extra information was supplied.”

– Nanonets Evaluate, Nadim A. 

What do customers dislike:

“The mannequin coaching at first could be a bit tedious and arduous to visualise correctly, particularly for giant and complicated recordsdata, similar to monetary statements from suppliers from a number of nations. However as soon as every thing is about up, it’s nicely definitely worth the coaching time.”

– Nanonets Evaluate, Charles E. 

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 robotically 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 greatest:

“The very 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 strategy to permit for modification of the UI and the way information is processed by means of Rossum was the true promote level. My firm has very particular wants, and the power to scale the UI up or down on the fly is unimaginable and simple.”

– Rossum Evaluate, Connor S.

What do customers dislike:

“Rossum could be improved by studying find out how to 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 strategy to tilt the grid to learn orders which might be misaligned, that will be appreciated.”

– Rossum Evaluate, Steven S. 

Base64.ai is an ML-powered information extraction and automation device that generates editable stories and tables from massive paperwork. Base64.ai intelligently captures information and labels it internally to create newer paperwork. This simplifies enterprise workflows and hurries up 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 greatest:

“The superior AI fashions have enhanced efficient adaptation to new doc format and information extraction from totally different varieties. It permits my crew to make well timed choices from dependable insights obtained from extracted information. I’ve been in a position to implement many initiatives inside the set timelines resulting from correct information that I acquire from totally different information sources.”

– Base64.ai Evaluate, Ruth C.

What do customers dislike:

“There are downtime incidents which have disrupted information workflows, affecting the complete information pipeline.”

– Base64.ai Evaluate, Andrew S. 

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 provides OCR tutorials for novices to study extra.

DocuClipper may scan and seize multi-page invoices and bodily textual content recordsdata containing essential banking or bank card information.

What do customers like greatest:

“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, not like different software program that I’ve used for related functions. General, it’s a very intuitive, user-friendly software program. It’s extremely really helpful if you’re working with PDF statements. I haven’t explored it totally, however to date, it is nice.”

– DocuClipper Evaluate, Javeria Z.

What do customers dislike:

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

– DocuClipper Evaluate, Stephanie Ok. 

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 arduous copies to an digital output format, providing you with the facility to regulate information in response to 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, prospects, or a brand new accomplice, 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