OCR, short for Optical Character Recognition, is a technology that helps convert a scanned PDF file or image into a searchable document. For example, suppose you have a paper receipt from a grocery store that includes an extensive list of items purchased, and you need to record all the items in your computer.

Now, to do that, you need some really good OCR software applications, and that’s exactly what this article is all about. These software can either acquire the source printed documents as images from scanning devices, or you can input your own document images to be converted into editable text. Well then let’s not beat around the bush, and get to the 5 best OCR software. ABBYY FineReader When it comes to Optical Character Recognition, there’s hardly anything that comes even close to ABBYY FineReader. Loaded to the brim with an insane amount of powerhouse features, ABBYY FineReader makes extracting text from all kinds of images a breeze. Despite toting and extensive list of features, ABBYY FineReader is super simple to use. It can extract text from almost all kinds of popular image formats, such as PNG, JPG, BMP, and TIFF.

And that’s not all. ABBYY FineReader can also extract text from PDF and DJVU files. Once the source file or image (which should preferably have a resolution of at least 300 dpi, for optimal scanning) is loaded up, the program analyzes it and automatically determines different sections of the file having extractable text. You can either have all of the text extracted, or choose only some specific sections. After that, all that you need to do is use the Save option to choose the output format, and ABBYY FIneReader will take care of the rest. There are numerous output format supported, such as TXT, PDF, RTF, and even EPUB. The output text is perfectly editable, and text from even the most content intensive documents (e.g.

Those having multiple columns and complex layouts) is extracted flawlessly. Other features include extensive language support, numerous font styles/sizes, and image correction tools for files sourced from scanners and cameras. In a nutshell, if you want the absolute best OCR software out there, complete with extensive input/output format and processing support, go for ABBYY FineReader.

Platform Availability: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP; Mac OS X 10.6 and later Price: Paid versions start from $169.99, 30 days free trial available 2. Readiris On the hunt for an extremely powerful OCR software that’s heavy on features, but doesn’t really take a whole lot of effort to get started with?

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Take a look at Readiris, as it just might be what you need. A professional grade application, Readiris has an extensive feature set that’s largely identical to the previously discussed ABBYY FineReader. From BMP to PNG, and from PCX to TIFF, Readiris supports quite a few image formats. Other than that, PDF and DJVU files can be processed just as well. Images can be sourced from scanner devices, and the application also lets you set custom processing parameters to source files/images, such as smoothening and DPI adjustment, before analyzing them. Although Readiris can process lower resolution images just fine, the optimal resolution should be at least 300 dpi. Once analysis is done, Readiris determines text sections (or zones), and the text can be extracted from either specific zones, or the entire file.

The extracted text is editable, and can be saved in numerous formats, such as PDF, DOCX, TXT, CSV, and HTM. What’s more, Readiris Pro’s cloud saving feature lets you directly save your extracted text to different like Dropbox, OneDrive, GoogleDrive, and then some more. There are also a healthy number of text editing/processing features as well, and even barcodes can be scanned. All in all, you should use Readiris if you want robust text extraction/editing features in a simple to use package, complete with extensive input/output format support. However, Readiris does falter a little bit when it comes to processing documents with complex layouts like multiple columns, tables, etc. Platform Availability: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP; Mac OS X 10.7 and later Price: Paid versions start from $99, 10 days free trial available 3. FreeOCR If you’re looking for a simple and no fuss OCR software with decent text recognition capabilities, look no further than FreeOCR.

While it may not be overloaded with all kinds of fancy features, it still works extremely well for what it is. Based on the extremely popular, Google backed, FreeOCR is extremely easy to use. It can obtain printed documents scanned via scanners, and also lets you upload images having textual content. Not only that, it can also extract text from heavily formatted multi page documents. You can have the application extract either all of the text from the input PDF/image, or define a specific chunk of text. Conversion speeds are pretty good, and the converted text can be either saved in formats like TXT and RTF, or exported directly to Microsoft Word.