OCR PDF
Turn a scanned PDF into text you can select, copy, and search. Choose from 13 languages, then save a searchable PDF that looks identical or copy the plain text. It all runs in your browser, so your files stay private.
100% private. Your files are processed entirely in your browser and never uploaded.
Why OCR your PDF with frisqoo
100% private
Every page is read on your own device, inside the browser. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
13 languages
From English and Spanish to Arabic, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
Searchable PDF
Get the same document back, looking identical, but now fully selectable and searchable.
Or plain text
Prefer just the words? Copy them out or save them as a .txt file.
Unlimited & free
No page cap, no file-size limit, and no watermark.
Any device
Runs in any modern browser on phone, tablet, or computer, even offline.
How to OCR a scanned PDF
- Add your scanned PDF by dropping it in the box above, or tap to browse.
- Pick your document language, then choose OCR PDF for a searchable file or Plain text to copy the words.
- Tap Run OCR and wait while each page is read, then download the searchable PDF or use Download .txt to save the text.
Everything runs on your device, so your document stays private, even with no internet once the page has loaded.
Languages you can read
Pick the language that matches your document before you run it, so the words come out right:
- English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch
- Russian and Arabic
- Hindi
- Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, and Korean
That is 13 languages in all. Choosing the right one makes a real difference to accuracy, especially for accented and non-Latin scripts.
OCR PDF or plain text: which should you pick?
Choose OCR PDF when you want to keep the document exactly as it looks but make it searchable, for filing, sharing, or archiving. The original page image stays untouched and an invisible text layer is added behind it, so nothing shifts. Choose Plain text when you only need the words themselves, to paste into an email, a document, or a spreadsheet, or to save as a simple .txt file.
How accurate is the OCR?
On a clean, well-lit scan, accuracy is high and most pages come through with very few errors. On blurry phone photos, faded print, tight or decorative fonts, handwriting, or skewed pages, mistakes creep in, as they do with every OCR engine. Always proofread anything important. Using the sharpest scan you have and selecting the correct language are the two biggest things you can do to improve the result.
Which PDFs actually need OCR?
OCR is for PDFs where the words live inside a picture: scans from a copier, faxes, and photos of paper. If you try to select text in one of those and nothing highlights, it needs OCR. If your PDF was exported from a computer and you can already select its text, you do not need OCR at all, PDF to text will pull the words out directly.
Is it safe to OCR sensitive documents here?
Yes. Many free OCR sites upload your files to their own servers to read them, which is a real privacy risk for contracts, medical records, and IDs. This tool reads every page right inside your browser, so your document is never uploaded, stored, or seen by anyone else. Close the tab and nothing is left behind.
What to do after you OCR
Once your PDF is searchable, the rest of the toolkit is one click away. Shrink a heavy scan with Compress PDF, combine several files with Merge PDF, drop or reorder pages with Organize pages, or add notes and signatures with Edit PDF. To turn pages into images instead, use PDF to JPG.
Can I OCR a PDF on my phone?
Yes. This tool works in any modern browser on iPhone, Android, tablets, and computers, with nothing to install. Add a scan or a photo of a document, pick the language, tap Run OCR, and the searchable file or text saves straight to your device.
Common ways people use OCR PDF
- Making a scanned contract or lease searchable so you can find a clause fast.
- Copying the text out of a receipt, invoice, or form to reuse elsewhere.
- Turning a photographed page of a book or article into editable text.
- Archiving old paper records as searchable PDFs you can actually search.
- Pulling a quote or reference out of a scanned report or research paper.
FAQs about OCR PDF
Do my files get uploaded?
No. Your PDF is read right here on your own device, inside the browser. The pages never leave your computer, so even private scans and IDs stay private.
What is OCR, exactly?
OCR (optical character recognition) reads the words printed inside a scanned page or photo and turns them into real, selectable text. It is what lets you copy, search, and highlight words that used to be locked inside a picture.
Which PDFs actually need OCR?
Scans, faxes, and photos of documents, where the words are trapped inside an image. If your PDF already has selectable text, you do not need OCR; use PDF to text instead, which is faster.
Which languages can it read?
Thirteen: English, Arabic, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Hindi, Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, and Korean. Pick the one that matches your document for the best results.
Should I choose OCR PDF or Plain text?
Pick OCR PDF when you want the same document back, looking identical but now searchable and selectable. Pick Plain text when you only need the words, to paste elsewhere or save as a .txt file.
How accurate is the text?
On a clean, sharp scan it is very good. Accuracy drops on blurry photos, faint print, handwriting, unusual fonts, or skewed pages, so always proofread important text. No OCR engine is flawless, on-device or otherwise.
Does the OCR PDF keep the original look?
Yes. It keeps the original page image exactly as it was and adds an invisible text layer behind it, so the document looks unchanged but every word is now selectable and searchable.
Can it handle a multi-page scan?
Yes. It reads every page in turn and shows progress as it goes. A long document simply takes a little longer, since all the work happens on your own device.
Does it work offline and on a phone?
Yes. Once the page has loaded, the reading runs entirely in your browser, so it keeps working with no connection, on iPhone, Android, tablets, and computers alike.
Is my document really private?
Yes. Many OCR sites upload your files to their servers. This one does the reading on your device, so nothing is sent anywhere, which makes it safe for contracts, records, and personal documents.
What if the result has mistakes?
Re-run it with the correct language selected and the sharpest scan you have. For plain text you can fix any misreads after copying; for a searchable PDF, the original image is always preserved underneath.
Is it free?
Yes. No sign-up, no watermark, no size limit. It works the same on phones, tablets, and computers in any modern browser.