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OCR.space

ocr.space

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Spec score 9.0 #3 of 35 in PDF API Software

What it is

OCR.space converts images and PDF documents into editable text through an online OCR service and API, and can create searchable PDFs. The web service accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, and PDF files without registration; its free web uploads are limited to 5 MB per document. The API returns extracted text in JSON and supports images and multi-page PDFs. It offers three OCR engines: Engine 2 is the default, while Engine 3 supports handwriting, tables, and more than 200 languages. An `isTable` option is recommended for receipts, invoices, and other table-structured documents. The free plan is free, with 25,000 monthly requests and a searchable-PDF watermark; Engine 3 has an additional 2,500 conversions, but cannot produce searchable PDFs. PRO costs $30 a month, PRO PDF costs $60 a month, and Enterprise starts at $999 a month. OCR.space Local runs offline in self-hosted environments; its license price is available from sales.

Spec sheet

What it does
OCR.space converts images and multi-page PDFs into editable text, JSON results, or searchable PDFs through a web interface and API.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Product
OCR.space converts images and PDF documents into editable text through an online OCR service and API, and can create searchable PDFs.Read 30 Sep 2026 · ocr.space
Privacy
The privacy policy says uploaded documents are deleted after processing, while generated searchable PDFs remain available for up to 60 minutes for download.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Support
Support is provided through email, contact forms, FAQs, and a community forum; the FAQ says PRO customers receive priority technical support.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Headquarters
Heidelberg, GermanyRead 23 Sep 2026 · ocr.space
API documentation
Documentation includes GET and POST endpoints, parameter tables, response formats, searchable-PDF options, Postman collections, and code samples.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
API inputs
The API accepts remote URLs, multipart file uploads, or Base64-encoded images and PDFs.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
API output
The OCR API returns extracted text results in JSON format and supports image and multi-page PDF parsing.Read 30 Sep 2026 · ocr.space
API outputs
API responses are returned as JSON and can include parsed text, processing status, and word-coordinate overlay data.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Availability
The FAQ says the service is available 24/7, while the free plan has no uptime guarantee and PRO provides a 100% monthly uptime guarantee.Read 30 Sep 2026 · ocr.space
Cloud data handling
Uploaded documents are deleted after processing; searchable PDF downloads remain available on OCR servers for 60 minutes before deletion.Read 30 Sep 2026 · ocr.space
Company headquarters
The official about page lists the company's office at Zollhofgarten 2, Heidelberg, Germany, while Crunchbase lists Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, Germany as headquarters.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Company identity
OCR.space identifies itself as a service of a9t9 software GmbH.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Company registration
CompanyHouse records a9t9 software GmbH's German registration entry on 27 October 2016 with €25,000 stated capital.Read 14 Oct 2026 · companyhouse.de
Company size
Crunchbase lists a9t9 software GmbH as a private company with 1–10 employees.Read 14 Oct 2026 · crunchbase.com
Copyfish extension
The related Copyfish extension extracts text from images, video, and PDFs and runs in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox on Windows, macOS, and Linux.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Copyfish licence
Copyfish is published under the GPL open-source licence, while it uses OCR.space's API for recognition.Read 14 Oct 2026 · chromewebstore.google.com
Editorial assessment
iTechGuides gives OCR.space an editor score of 6.6/10 and positions it as an affordable general-purpose OCR API.Read 14 Oct 2026 · itechguides.com
Engine 3 limits
Engine 3 does not currently produce searchable PDFs, and its free plan includes 2,500 Engine 3 conversions in addition to the 25,000 Engine 1/2 conversions.Read 30 Sep 2026 · ocr.space
Funding information
Crunchbase shows a9t9 software GmbH as private but does not expose a verified founded year or usable funding total on its public profile.Read 14 Oct 2026 · crunchbase.com
GDPR
OCR.space states that its servers are located in the European Union and that the service complies with GDPR; a data-processing agreement is available to PRO PDF and Enterprise customers.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Image preprocessing
Users can enable orientation detection, automatic rotation, and enlargement for low-DPI images.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Integrations and examples
The API page provides examples for Postman, cURL, C#, iOS, Java for Android, Node.js, Python, C++/QT, Ruby, and JavaScript.Read 30 Sep 2026 · ocr.space
Licence: OCR.space
An independent software directory describes OCR.space itself as proprietary software that is free to use.Read 14 Oct 2026 · opentoolvault.com
Limit: file and page caps
iTechGuides highlights that the free tier limits files to 1 MB and three PDF pages, while the PRO tier retains the three-page PDF limit.Read 14 Oct 2026 · itechguides.com
Limit: handwriting and stylized text
Koncile reports degraded results on handwriting, old documents, and highly stylized fonts, and says table output is formatted text rather than spreadsheet-ready fields.Read 14 Oct 2026 · koncile.ai
Multi-page OCR
The web service supports multi-page documents and multi-column text recognition.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Notable news: blog move
OCR.space announced on 16 September 2026 that new team blog posts and release notes would move to its OCR API forum.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Notable news: handwriting
A 22 April 2026 OCR.space post announced Engine 3 handwriting recognition covering more than 200 new OCR languages.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Notable news: language expansion
A 23 March 2026 post announced support for more than 200 new languages in Engine 3.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
OCR engines
The service provides Engine 2 as the default general-purpose engine and Engine 3 for higher accuracy, handwriting, tables, and more than 200 languages.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Offline operation
The on-premise edition is described as running fully locally without contacting the internet and uses the same API parameters as the hosted service.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Praise: ease of use
Koncile's independent test describes OCR.Space as easy to access, free, and usable without installing software; its web workflow requires uploading a file and starting recognition.Read 14 Oct 2026 · koncile.ai
Praise: ordinary document accuracy
Koncile reports that its tests were responsive on standard printed documents and generally accurate on clear, well-scanned pages.Read 14 Oct 2026 · koncile.ai
Rating on Chrome Web Store
4.0 out of 5 from 998 ratings for the related Copyfish extensionRead 14 Oct 2026 · chromewebstore.google.com
Rating on G2
0.0 out of 5 from 0 reviewsRead 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Receipt scanning
The interface includes a receipt-scanning mode for OCR processing.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
SDK examples
Official examples cover cURL, C#, ASP.NET, Delphi, iOS, Android Java, Node.js, Python, C++/Qt, Ruby, JavaScript, PHP, Swift, and Objective-C.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Searchable PDF
OCR results can be exported as searchable PDFs with visible or hidden text layers.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Searchable PDFs
The API can create searchable PDFs, but its free tier adds an “Generated by OCR.space” watermark.Read 30 Sep 2026 · ocr.space
Security and compliance
OCR.space says it is GDPR compliant, and a signed GDPR data processing agreement is available at no additional cost to PRO PDF and Enterprise users.Read 30 Sep 2026 · ocr.space
Self-hosting
OCR.space Local can run the API and searchable-PDF software on a PC, data center, AWS AMI, or Microsoft Azure.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Table and receipt OCR
The API has an `isTable` option recommended for tables, receipts, invoices, and other table-structured documents.Read 30 Sep 2026 · ocr.space
Table recognition
The interface offers table recognition and can return table text in structured formats.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Web access
The online OCR interface works without registration and accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, and PDF files.Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Web OCR
The online OCR service is free without registration and accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, or PDF files, with a 5 MB per-document limit.Read 30 Sep 2026 · ocr.space

Plans and prices

Free Free 25,000 requests/month · 1 MB files · 3 PDF pages · searchable PDF with watermark Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
PRO $30 a month monthly; cancel anytime 300,000 requests/month · 5 MB files · 3 PDF pages · 100% uptime SLA or money back Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
PRO PDF $60 a month monthly; cancel anytime 300,000 requests/month · 100 MB+ files · 999+ PDF pages · searchable PDF Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
Enterprise $999 a month starting at; contact sales custom requests · 100 MB+ files · 999+ PDF pages · custom OCR fine tuning Read 14 Oct 2026 · ocr.space
OCR.space Local Price not published One-time payment; contact sales for license pricing Self-hosted on-premise software · same features and API parameters as PRO PDF · runs locally and offline Read 30 Sep 2026 · ocr.space

Every OCR.space plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • API returns extracted text in JSON.
  • Engine 3 supports handwriting and more than 200 languages.
  • `isTable` supports table-structured document processing.
  • Uploaded documents are deleted after processing.
  • Local option runs offline.

Limits

  • Free plan limits files to 1 MB.
  • Free searchable PDFs carry a watermark.
  • Engine 3 does not produce searchable PDFs.
  • Free plan has no uptime guarantee.

Who it suits

OCR.space suits people who need to extract text from images or PDFs, including table-structured documents. Its API and Local option also suit developers or organizations that need integration or offline deployment.

OCR.space in depth

Read the full write-up

OCR.space turns images and PDFs into editable text through a browser service or API, with a self-hosted edition for offline use. It suits developers and teams that need OCR in automated workflows, especially when table extraction or local processing matters. Its free quota is substantial, but small file and page caps make the paid tiers important for larger documents.

Overview

The no-registration web tool accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, and PDF files, while the API returns extracted text in JSON and handles images and multi-page PDFs. The API can also create searchable PDFs. OCR.space is based in Heidelberg, Germany; its service is available 24/7, but only paid PRO plans carry a 100% monthly uptime guarantee.

For offline processing, OCR.space Local runs on a PC, in a data center, or in virtualized and cloud environments such as AWS AMI and Microsoft Azure. It operates without contacting the Internet, which makes it the relevant option when documents must remain on infrastructure under your control.

Key features

The API's three OCR engines provide a choice of recognition capabilities. Engine 2 is the default; Engine 3 adds handwriting, tables, and support for more than 200 languages. Engine 3 cannot currently create searchable PDFs, so choose another engine when searchable output is essential. For table-structured material such as receipts and invoices, the API's isTable option is recommended.

Searchable PDFs put extracted text behind the page image, making documents searchable. The free tier adds an “Generated by OCR.space” watermark to these PDFs. Engine 3 has a separate free allowance of 2,500 conversions, in addition to 25,000 Engine 1/2 conversions.

Uploaded documents are deleted after processing, while searchable PDF downloads remain on OCR.space servers for 60 minutes before deletion. The company says it is GDPR compliant; a signed GDPR data processing agreement is available at no additional cost to PRO PDF and Enterprise users. API examples cover Postman, cURL, C#, iOS, Java for Android, Node.js, Python, C++/QT, Ruby, and JavaScript. Support is available by contact form and email, with a community forum monitored by support staff and OCR developers.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and allows 25,000 requests per month, but caps files at 1 MB, PDFs at 3 pages, and requests at 500 per day per IP. Searchable PDFs carry a watermark, and uptime is not guaranteed. It is a useful way to try the API or handle modest, short documents, but the per-IP daily ceiling and small file cap can constrain shared or document-heavy use.

PRO costs $30 a month on monthly billing, with a yearly pre-paid option at a 20% discount. It raises the monthly allowance to 300,000 requests and the file-size cap to 5 MB, while retaining the 3-page PDF limit. A 100% monthly uptime guarantee and priority tech support make it a better fit for production API use, though not for long PDFs.

PRO PDF costs $60 a month, also with monthly billing and a yearly pre-paid option at a 20% discount. It includes 300,000 requests per month, files of 100 MB or more, PDFs of 999 or more pages, a 100% monthly uptime guarantee, and priority tech support. This is the practical upgrade for large documents; it doubles PRO's monthly price rather than its request quota.

Enterprise starts at $999 a month, with a quote required. It offers custom request volumes, files of 100 MB or more, PDFs of 999 or more pages, custom OCR fine tuning, and conversions limited only by hardware capacity. It is aimed at high-volume deployments that need tuning beyond the standard tiers.

OCR.space Local is a one-time purchase with custom pricing through sales. It offers the same features and API parameters as PRO PDF, self-hosted on-premise software, and offline operation. It fits organizations that need local processing rather than a hosted service, but its cost depends on a sales quote.

Platforms

OCR.space supports web, API, Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows, alongside self-hosted deployment. The range suits both browser-based use and integration into software across desktop and mobile platforms.

Who it's for

OCR.space is a strong fit for developers who want an API with multiple language bindings, teams extracting tables or handwriting, and organizations that need searchable PDFs or offline deployment. It is less suitable when even routine PDFs exceed three pages on Free or PRO, when Engine 3 searchable PDFs are required, or when a free searchable PDF without a watermark is essential.

Pros and cons

Pros: The free API quota includes 25,000 monthly Engine 1/2 conversions and a separate 2,500 Engine 3 conversions, giving developers room to evaluate several OCR modes.

Pros: PRO PDF supports 100 MB+ files and 999+ page PDFs, with a monthly uptime guarantee and priority support.

Pros: OCR.space Local runs offline and mirrors PRO PDF features and API parameters, offering a hosted-service alternative for local deployments.

Cons: Free and PRO both limit PDFs to 3 pages, so multi-page work quickly points to the substantially more expensive PRO PDF tier.

Cons: Free searchable PDFs have a watermark, and Engine 3 cannot produce searchable PDFs at all.

Cons: PRO's 5 MB file limit is restrictive for larger scans, even though its request allowance is 300,000 per month.

Alternatives

OCR API Software and PDF API Software are useful starting points for comparing tools by category. Choose Tesseract OCR if a free, Apache-licensed open-source OCR engine across desktop, mobile, and self-hosted platforms is a better fit. Veryfi Invoices OCR API is an alternative for invoice-focused processing, with a Starter plan at $500 a month and a $500/mo minimum commitment. EasyOCR is another free option for desktop and self-hosted platforms. Regula Document Reader SDK offers a 30-day trial with 2,000 transactions and no feature limits before custom licensing. Amazon Textract AnalyzeExpense is an API alternative with a three-month AWS Free Tier for new customers, covering up to 100 pages per month. docTR is a free open-source Python library for those who want a Python 3.11-or-higher OCR library installable with pip, Git, or Docker. PaddleOCR offers an Official API Free Tier with a daily parsing limit of 20,000 pages. Asprise OCR SDK is another paid SDK option with free trials.

Verdict

Choose OCR.space if you need an OCR API with broad engine capabilities, a sizeable free request allowance, or an offline self-hosted route. Its strongest paid case is PRO PDF, which removes the small-PDF bottleneck and adds reliability terms; look elsewhere if you need Engine 3 searchable PDFs or cannot justify that tier for longer documents.

Verdict

OCR.space offers web OCR, an API, and an offline self-hosted option. Check request, file-size, page, and searchable-PDF limits against your needs; PRO starts at $30 a month.

Where Specifiction places it

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