OCRmyPDF

Name: OCRmyPDF
Brand: OCRmyPDF

Add searchable text to scanned PDFs

softwarePDF ToolsPDFOCR Document Management

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Our Verdict

Best for

Small teams and individuals with clear scans.

Skip if

Those with low-quality or extremely large PDFs.

What is OCRmyPDF?

OCRmyPDF adds an OCR text layer to scanned PDF files, making them searchable. The original page images are kept intact and the recognised text is placed underneath them, so the document looks unchanged while its contents can be searched, selected and copied. It runs from the command line using the Tesseract OCR engine.

SpecificationsAI-estimated

deploymentDesktop App

open source✅ Yes

github stars34,290

api available❌ No

support optionsGitHub Issues, Community Forum

primary languagePython

Key Features of OCRmyPDF

Adds an OCR text layer to scanned PDF files, making them searchable

Uses the Tesseract OCR engine, with support for over 100 languages

Keeps the original page images intact while adding the text layer underneath

Optimises and compresses the output PDF, often making it smaller than the input

Produces PDF/A output suitable for long-term archiving

Deskews and cleans up crooked or noisy scans before recognition

Runs from the command line and scripts well for batch processing

Available as a Docker image alongside native installs

Use Cases for OCRmyPDF

Searching Scanned Documents

Use OCRmyPDF to add searchable text to scanned documents, making it easier to find specific information.

Copying Text From Scans

Select and copy text out of a scanned page instead of retyping it by hand.

Archiving to PDF/A

Produce PDF/A output suitable for long-term document archiving.

Batch Processing Scanned PDFs

Use OCRmyPDF from scripts to add searchable text to many files at once.

Pros & Cons of OCRmyPDF

Pros

Free and open source
Easy to use and install
Supports over 100 languages through the Tesseract engine
Preserves the original layout and formatting of the PDF

Cons

May not work well with low-quality scans
Can be slow for large PDF files
Command-line only — there is no official graphical interface

Frequently Asked Questions

What is OCRmyPDF?

OCRmyPDF is a tool that adds an OCR text layer to scanned PDF files, allowing them to be searched.

Is OCRmyPDF free?

Yes, OCRmyPDF is free and open source.

What OCR engine does OCRmyPDF use?

OCRmyPDF uses the Tesseract OCR engine, which recognises over 100 languages.

Does OCRmyPDF have a graphical interface?

No. OCRmyPDF is run from the command line, which makes it well suited to scripting and batch processing.

Pricing Overview

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Free

Detailed plans are not listed. Visit the official website for pricing information.

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