OCR Online – Free Text Recognition Tool
ScanText offers free OCR online that runs in your browser. Extract text from images without installing software, creating an account, or uploading files to a server.
What is OCR?
OCR stands for optical character recognition. It analyzes the pixels in an image, identifies letter and word shapes, and converts them into editable text. Online OCR makes this capability accessible from any modern device with a web browser.
Why use OCR online?
- No downloads or installations are required.
- Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile browsers.
- Keeps the workflow simple: choose an image, extract text, copy or download.
- Useful for quick one-off conversions without opening heavy desktop software.
What can you extract with OCR online?
Online OCR can read typed and printed text from photographs, screenshots, scanned pages, receipts, labels, and notes. It also supports Urdu, Hindi, and Arabic scripts. Handwritten text may be partially recognized, but results are less reliable than with clear printed type.
How to get the best OCR results
- Start with a high-resolution image.
- Use even lighting and avoid glare or shadows.
- Keep the text straight and fill the frame.
- Crop out distractions and focus on the words you need.
Supported image formats
This online OCR tool accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG, and WEBP files up to 12 MB. If your file is not supported, convert or export it to one of these formats before uploading.
Privacy
Because OCR runs in your browser, your images are not sent to an application server for processing. You can use the tool without creating an account, and the extracted text remains in your session.
Online OCR vs. desktop OCR
Desktop OCR software can be powerful, but it often requires installation, licensing, and local storage. Online OCR is simpler: open a browser tab, upload an image, and extract text in seconds. For most everyday documents, photos, and screenshots, browser-based OCR provides enough accuracy without the overhead of desktop software.
Frequently asked questions
Is online OCR free?
Yes. ScanText provides free online OCR for common image formats.
Does online OCR work on mobile?
Yes. The tool is designed for modern phone and tablet browsers.
Can I extract text from handwritten notes?
Handwritten text may be partially recognized, but results vary widely. Clear printed text works much more reliably.
Is my data saved?
ScanText does not provide an image upload endpoint or permanent image-storage service. Processing happens in your browser.
What is the difference between OCR online and desktop OCR?
Online OCR runs in your browser with no installation, while desktop OCR requires software installation. For most everyday tasks, online OCR is simpler and faster.