Finding the best OCR software of 2022 can be an exciting prospect, but it’s also an overwhelming one. There are so many different options out there, each with its own benefits and drawbacks, and it can be hard to choose the right one. Today, we’re going to help you make that choice by taking a look at some of the top OCR software on the market right now and discussing their features and benefits. With our help, you’ll be able to find just the right software to meet your needs, no matter how complex they may be!
Step 1 – Select a platform
Free versions allow you to try out the software for a trial period, usually between one and three days. The most popular free version is Tesseract. There are limitations to how many scanned pages can be processed in this type of software; there is a limit of around 1,000 pages or 10 MB that can be uploaded onto the server in TEXTRACT.
While it’s not always available, there is also an open-source OCR platform called Align&Relate (alignandrelate.ca) where users can upload any file they need converted into editable text. This takes an average time of 45 minutes per page on both Linux and Windows operating systems. With these options, converting your documents into digital text has never been easier! Whether you want to convert large batches or single documents, the best OCR software for you depends on what your needs are.
Step 2 – Select an app
Overshadowed by their contemporaries, PageTurner has steadily made a name for themselves in the world of optical character recognition. With innovations like instant translation, automated metadata tagging, and full-text export, PageTurner has crafted a polished product that will only get better as time goes on.
However, it’s also worth mentioning that this software can be downloaded onto a mobile device as well. In addition to English, they support French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish and Russian languages. If you need an app with excellent design features to boot then I recommend taking a look at Paperless Document Scanner.
There are three versions available – free (with limitations), paid ($4.99) or Pro ($8.99). What sets this app apart is its ability to scan entire books rather than just one page at a time – something not possible with any other application out there! With speeds up to 3x faster than the competition, PDF to Text Converter is worth looking into if you’re trying to extract text from large documents.
For example, if you have a 100 page document that contains 10 words per page then that’s 1000 words. Theoretically, it would take 2 minutes with PDF to Text Converter while it would take 30 minutes using another program.
If your needs are more basic then I recommend Documents & Data Extractor which offers a variety of extraction options including language detection and scanning multiple pages into individual files. One downside is its lack of compatibility with iOS devices but it can be used on PC/Mac computers which may make up for the difference! Finally, my last recommendation is Starshine Recognition.
It’s a little pricey compared to the others but the amount of customization options that come with it might make up for it! Beyond things like margins and lighting adjustments, Starshine Recognition gives users complete control over font size and color along with annotations. You could even upload your own graphics in order to customize them however you want!
Step 3 – Look for advanced features
After you’ve narrowed down your options, check to see if the software has any advanced features that would better suit your needs. For example, while they might not be necessary for some users, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a feature that many businesses depend on. They allow for data conversion from images to text in just seconds. You can save all sorts of document formats, extract PDFs into editable documents and make corrections with ease.
Plus, if you need help or have questions about the software itself, many companies offer customer support teams to answer any queries you may have during installation or use. One important thing to note when choosing an OCR program is how it will affect the original formatting of your document. Some programs remove formatting as part of converting files; others try to maintain it by copying over as much information as possible. Which one works best depends on what you are looking for.
Some software offers more extensive scanning abilities, including optical character recognition, which automatically identifies characters and converts them into digital text format so they’re easily searchable and retrievable later. You can also search by handwritten text, even if it’s messy or barely legible—allowing you to find exactly what you’re looking for even if it was handwritten years ago!
Step 4 – Read reviews
OCR Software is a vital part of the tech world today. Whether you’re scanning an important document or turning one page into multiple pages, OCR software can make that happen easily. There are plenty of options out there to choose from, so it’s important to do your research before purchasing an OCR software package. Luckily for you, we’ve done the research for you. Take a look at these reviews and find the best option for your needs. We hope this has been helpful!
Step 5 – Check on updates
Regularly check for software updates that add new features, fix bugs, or solve compatibility issues. And do not forget to run anti-virus scans as well as a registry cleaner. Here are the best paid OCR software options for you: Nuance PDF Converter 10, PaperPort 14 Pro, Primo FineReader 11 SE. These great programs convert paper documents into digital formats such as .DOC, .DOCX, .JPG or PDF.
They also allow users to scan their own hard copies and access them remotely. There is a free trial version available for most of these products so you can see if they will work with your needs before purchasing it outright. The following are some useful features offered by these products: document conversion capabilities; editing features; file management capabilities; scanning capabilities (included in all).
Step 6 – Try it out
In short, free software is less capable than paid software. At the same time, the price difference between free and paid options may be quite large. Therefore, you should use this equation when deciding which type of software to go with: P=F/(D+F). Where P is price per page; F is quality factor (higher means better accuracy); D is difficulty in editing/digitizing each document; and F stands for quality factor on digitizing documents. For example, say you want to start a small business by scanning legal documents into PDFs to sell as part of your service offering. You are going to spend an hour per day scanning 30 pages at $10 per hour.
If you scan using 3M’s TextBridge SE, it will cost $3.50 per page. However, if you scan using Nuance’s OmniPage Professional 18, it will cost about $0.06 per page – saving you almost 90%! That being said, depending on how much more difficult it is to work with one over the other – that could change what ends up being more economical for your situation.