OCR PDF Online — Extract Text from Scanned PDFs in 45+ Languages
Extract text from scanned PDFs and images using advanced OCR technology with intelligent language detection. Convert non-searchable documents to searchable PDFs with invisible text layer, or export as plain text, hOCR, or TSV — all in your browser.
Most online OCR tools upload your scans to a server. LocalPDF is different—it runs the entire Tesseract.js engine locally in your browser. This means your sensitive documents (contracts, medical records, or invoices) never leave your device, ensuring 100% privacy and HIPAA/GDPR alignment without sacrificing accuracy.
Why Choose Our PDF OCR Tool?
Complete Privacy
Your scanned documents never leave your device. Cloud OCR services upload sensitive files to remote servers. LocalPDF runs Tesseract.js locally for maximum privacy.
Intelligent Language Detection
Advanced 6-method detection system automatically identifies document language from 45+ supported languages including English, Russian, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian, and more. Analyzes filename, special characters, geographic keywords, and actual content using the Franc library.
True Searchable PDFs
Unlike simple text extraction, LocalPDF creates genuine searchable PDFs with an invisible text layer overlaid on the original image. Search engines and PDF readers can find text while preserving the exact visual appearance of your scanned document.
Multiple Export Formats
Export results in 4 different formats: Plain Text (.txt) for simple editing, Searchable PDF for archival, hOCR (.html) for machine processing with bounding boxes and confidence scores, or TSV (.tsv) for spreadsheet analysis.
No Internet Required
Once loaded, OCR works offline. Perfect for confidential documents like contracts, invoices, or medical records that shouldn't be transmitted.
No Page Limits
Many online OCR tools limit free users to 10-50 pages. With LocalPDF, process PDFs of any length without restrictions.
Worker Optimization
Intelligent worker management reuses language models instead of reloading them, making multi-page OCR and language switching significantly faster.
Free Forever
No paid tiers, no credits system. OCR as many documents as you need in as many languages as you want without hitting usage caps.
Key Features
How It Works
100% Private Sandbox: Your files never leave your device. All processing happens locally in your browser's secure memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is the OCR text recognition?
Our tool uses the latest Tesseract.js engine, which provides high accuracy for standard fonts and clear scans. Accuracy depends on the image resolution and clarity. We recommend scanning at 300 DPI for best results.
Which languages are supported?
We support over 45 languages, including English, Russian, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, and many others. Our system can also automatically detect the dominant language of your document.
Is the OCR processing private?
Yes. Unlike most online OCR tools, our processing happens entirely in your browser using Web Workers. Your documents are never sent to a server, making it ideal for processing confidential data.
What is a 'Searchable PDF'?
A searchable PDF contains an invisible layer of text placed exactly over the original scanned image. This allows you to search, highlight, and copy text while keeping the document's original visual appearance.
Technical Architecture: How it Works
Zero-Knowledge Architecture
Our system is designed so that your data is never seen by anyone else. Processing happens in the browser's secure memory space.
WebAssembly Performance
We use high-performance WebAssembly modules to achieve desktop-grade PDF processing speeds directly in your web browser.