Why can't I select text in my scanned PDF?

A scan contains an image of the page, not text. OCR recognizes the characters in that image and produces real text you can select and copy.

How accurate is OCR on scanned PDFs?

On clean scans in the correct language, very accurate. Quality drops with blur, skew and unusual fonts — proofread before relying on the output.

Is this really free without an account?

Yes — OCR here is free for everyone including guests, within fair per-plan limits. It is never paid-only.

Can I get Word or a searchable PDF instead of text?

Yes — OCR to Word and Searchable PDF Maker produce those outputs from the same recognition.

Scanned PDF to Text

A scanned PDF is a photograph of words — you cannot select, search or copy them. Free OCR reads the scan and hands you the actual text. Free for everyone, including guests, within per-plan limits.

Free Encrypted Deleted in 1 hour

1Upload
2Configure
3Download

Drag & drop your file here

or click to browse · Up to 15 MB

Select file

Accepted: PDF

256-bit SSL encrypted No sign-up to start Auto-deleted in 1 hour

Your files are processed temporarily and deleted automatically — there is no general cloud storage. File deletion.

How to scanned pdf to text

Simple steps — no software to install.

1
Upload the scanned PDF
Any scan — office scanner or phone-photographed pages.
2
Pick the language
Matching the document language matters most for accuracy.
3
Run OCR and download
Get the recognized plain text; give it a quick proofread.

Why use our Scanned PDF to Text

Secure & private

Files are encrypted in transit and deleted automatically after processing.

Fast results

Optimized processing returns your file in seconds.

Free to start

Core tools are free with daily limits — no install required.

Works anywhere

Runs in your browser on any device, anywhere in the world.

Why copy-paste fails on scans

There is no text in a scan to copy — only pixels. OCR (optical character recognition) analyzes the page image, recognizes the letterforms, and reconstructs the text so ordinary copy, search and reuse work again.

Getting the best recognition

Choose the correct document language, use the clearest copy of the scan you have, and prefer straight, well-lit pages. Clean 300-DPI office scans recognize near-perfectly; blurry phone photos recognize worse. Always proofread the output.

Text output, specifically

This page's output is plain text — ideal for pasting, scripts and analysis. If you want a searchable PDF or an editable Word file from the same scan instead, those OCR outputs are one click away. Files are processed temporarily and deleted automatically — there is no general cloud storage.

Free for everyone, incl. guests
Plain-text output for reuse
Many recognition languages
Per-plan limits, never paid-only
Files auto-deleted