OCR.space vs Scanbot Data Capture SDK

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.

Scanbot Data Capture SDK provides modules that extract key-value pairs from structured documents, with the aim of replacing manual data entry with automatic capture. Modules cover credit cards, checks, vehicle identification numbers, OCR, text patterns, EHIC cards, German medical certificates, and ID cards. Credit card capture reads the card number, cardholder name, and expiration date for Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Check capture reads MICR details such as check, routing, and account numbers, with support for US, French, Kuwaiti, Australian, Indian, Israeli, UAE, and Canadian formats. The SDK supports Android, iOS, Linux, web, and Windows; listed languages include JavaScript, TypeScript, C, Java, Python, and Node.js. Scanbot says processing happens on-device and offline, usage statistics are not collected, and the SDK cannot access customer scans. Its annual license includes technical support, updates, and feature upgrades. Pricing is on request, generally starting at $2,500 a year for simple use cases, and depends on capture requirements and the number of apps or domains. A free 7-day evaluation trial is available, but its license is not for production apps.