GNU Ocrad vs Prizmo

GNU Ocrad is a free OCR program and library for Linux and self-hosted use. It reads PNG and PNM images and produces recognized text as 8-bit bytes or UTF-8. Its layout analyzer can separate columns and text blocks on printed pages. Ocrad runs as a standalone console application or as a backend for other programs. Documented options cover image transformations, layout detection, character recognition, text filters, and an OCR results file containing structured recognition details. The software uses ISO 10646 internally, with character-set selection through the --charset option. The manual recommends characters at least 20 pixels high and says 300 dpi scanning usually reaches a suitable size. It also notes sensitivity to character defects and difficulty adding recognition for new characters. The project describes Ocrad mainly as a research project, with algorithms that may change in later releases. Latest releases are available through GNU mirrors, while older and testing versions are hosted on Savannah.

Prizmo scans and edits documents and business cards on iPhone, iPad and Mac, then uses OCR to make their contents available as text. Its on-device OCR supports more than 30 languages; Cloud OCR supports 139 languages and handwriting recognition. Editing tools include perspective cropping, cleanup, brightness and contrast adjustments, edge repair and flattening curved pages. Exports include searchable PDF, TXT, PNG, JPEG and Microsoft Word DOCX, with options for PDF compression and password protection. On iPhone and iPad, uploads can go to iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV or folders available through Apple Files. Those apps also support Apple Shortcuts and x-callback-url automation, while the Mac app includes Prizmo Remix for scanner workflows. Accessibility features include VoiceOver, spoken capture guidance and scene descriptions, and text-to-speech reading. Free versions are available on Mac and iPhone/iPad, with limited text access and watermarked exports. Cloud OCR needs an internet connection and a separate Cloud Plan subscription; the listed plan starts at $0.99 per month. The maker says most operations happen on device and cloud OCR data is deleted after processing.