Free online PDF tool
Recognize text in scanned PDFs with OCR
Turn scanned paper documents and image-only PDFs into searchable text. PdfWiseAI uses Tesseract.js to perform optical character recognition directly in your browser, detecting text from scanned pages and producing a plain-text extraction.
Use OCR PDFHow it helps
A straightforward way to work with your document
The OCR engine runs entirely in your browser. Each page is rendered at 2× resolution for better recognition accuracy, then processed by Tesseract.js. The output is a page-by-page text report. If the PDF already contains selectable text, the tool notifies you and skips processing to save time.
The recognition runs in your browser. The scanned PDF is not uploaded and no account is required.
Three simple steps
How to use OCR PDF
- 1
Select a scanned PDF (image-based, no selectable text).
- 2
Choose the document language for best recognition accuracy.
- 3
Run OCR and download the page-by-page text report.
Professional use cases
When to use this tool
This workflow is useful for legal teams assembling exhibits, finance staff preparing statements or tax records, healthcare offices organizing administrative documents, and anyone handling files that should not be copied to an unnecessary conversion server.
PdfWiseAI creates a separate result and leaves the source unchanged. Review page order, image quality, visible content and the output filename before sharing the generated file.
Privacy verification checklist
Check the workflow before using sensitive documents
- Use a harmless sample file first and confirm the expected output.
- Prefer local transformations when no AI analysis is needed.
- Follow your organization’s security, legal and records policies.
- Keep originals until the generated file has been reviewed.
Local processing reduces document transfer, but it is not a certification of compliance with HIPAA, attorney-client duties or another regulatory framework.
Frequently asked questions
OCR PDF FAQ
Which languages are supported?
English, French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Italian.
Does it work on text PDFs?
If selectable text is detected, OCR is skipped to save time. Use the PDF to text tool instead.
Is the PDF uploaded?
No. OCR runs entirely in your browser.
How accurate is the OCR?
Accuracy depends on the scan quality. Clean, high-resolution scans of printed text usually reach 95 percent or better. Lower-resolution scans, faded text, or unusual fonts reduce accuracy. Always review the extracted text before reusing it.
Is OCR free and private?
Yes. OCR runs entirely in your browser using on-device recognition, so the file is never uploaded and no account is required. Recognition models download on first use and are then cached by your browser.
What file size can OCR handle?
OCR accepts PDFs and images up to 60 MB per file. Because the recognition work happens locally, very large documents are also bounded by the memory available to your browser tab.