Do you have images that you want to convert to text? Luckily, translating images into words can be done more effectively. To quickly and simply convert images into editable text forms, there are many applications available for this purpose. The technique, called Optical Character Recognition (OCR), smoothly transforms photos into text.
There are many possibilities. It can be challenging to select the best image to text converter. How do you choose the best image to text conversion tool for your needs? This post will teach you about 5 of the greatest tools for converting images to text in 2024.
Let’s get started.
What Is OCR Technology?
Optical character recognition is a specialized technique that allows information to be extracted from images. Thanks to this technology, a machine can read text that has been written on an image, check it against a database, and display it in document format.
We might be accurate if we claim that OCR technology has greatly facilitated data extraction from pictures and scanned documents. As time goes on, this technology advances, making data extraction more user-friendly and effective.
We’ll mention some OCR software that you can utilize for this purpose in the section that follows. Reading the information provided here will help you understand when and why to use these tools.
Top 5 Best Image to Text Converter
There are hundreds of options available for us when searching the internet for ways to extract text from images. Which one is ideal for use as an image to text converter is the primary question.
Let’s examine each tool in the following list and learn how to use it by exploring it.
1. Image to text
Image to text is a tool that helps you extract text from images. You can upload your image and get the text in just a few seconds. The image to text tool supports the most common image formats like JPG, PNG, BMP, and GIF. To use the tool, you just need to upload your image and click the ‘Submit’ button.
The image to text converter will process your image and give you the text. Then you can download or copy the text to your clipboard. Please note that the website may not be 100% accurate, so you may need to check the text for errors.
Pros:
- You can use the service for free without any charges.
- The website is user-friendly and easy to navigate.
- The service supports the most common image formats like JPG, PNG, BMP, and GIF.
- The image to text converter will instantly process your images and seamlessly provide the text in digital format.
Cons:
- The service may not be 100% accurate, so you may need to check the text for errors.
2. SimpleOCR
As its name suggests, SimpleOCR offers basic OCR features—in addition to image-to-text conversion—in an easy-to-use interface that lets you turn typed documents into text. Once the image to text conversion is complete, SimpleOCR allows you to save your file in either the DOC or TXT format.
It isn’t totally free, though. This tool offers an unrestricted 14-day trial period for machine print and handwriting recognition.
Although SimpleOCR is designed to handle multi-column documents, it is unable to handle documents with any complexity involving columns. Nevertheless, SimpleOCR is a useful tool.
Pros:
- As the name suggests, this program’s primary feature is built-in optical character recognition, which is essential for extracting data from scanned PDFs.
- This is useful for correcting spelling errors in files you’ve processed, such as when converting scanned PDFs.
- SimpleOCR employs a highly precise conversion technique to guarantee that the formatting and layout of the source and converted files are the same.
- One benefit for developers who want to include OCR in their apps without having to pay any money at all is the availability of a free OCR SDK.
Cons:
- Unlike some solutions, SimpleOCR does not allow you to copy and paste specific data.
3. ABBYY FineReader
ABBYY FineReader is known for its accuracy and extensive feature set. The application recognizes tables, graphs, and other intricate formatting elements. It also converts text using AI and machine learning techniques.
Professionals who need high-fidelity conversions for legal, scientific, and other technical documents love this tool. For developers looking to include OCR capability into their apps, it also provides an API. Despite being a premium service, ABBYY FineReader Online is well worth the money because of the high caliber of its conversions.
Pros:
- Superb precision and care for details
- Acknowledges complex formatting
- Accessible API for integration
Cons:
- More costly than some rival brands
- Possibly excessive for simple OCR needs
4. Online OCR
Online OCR is a free online service that allows users to extract text from PDF or image files in more than 46 languages. It offers a simple and intuitive interface, and the converted text can be downloaded in seconds or minutes.
The platform supports various input and output formats, including PDF, Tiff, PNG, and BMP. It also provides advanced features. These include bulk conversion, language selection, and output format selection.
Pros:
- Free to use.
- Supports more than 46 languages.
- Easy-to-use interface.
Cons:
- Limited customization options.
- No offline version is available.
5. Adobe Acrobat Online
Adobe Acrobat Online now has OCR capabilities. It focuses on PDFs—known for being challenging for text extraction. The OCR tool in Acrobat is made to effortlessly manage the complexities of PDFs, including text contained within images.
The service is a powerful tool for anyone who regularly works with PDFs. However, it is a component of Adobe’s broader suite and requires a subscription. It integrates seamlessly with other Adobe products. This makes it the perfect option for designers.
Pros:
- Focuses on the PDF format
- High precision and Adobe Suite integration
- Interface that is easy to use
Cons:
- Needs to subscribe
- Mostly concentrated on PDFs, less flexible with other formats
Conclusion
In 2024, numerous tools facilitate converting images to text using Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
Online OCR is free, and supports many languages, but lacks customization and offline use. Image to text provides user-friendly OCR but at a cost and struggles with low-quality images. Adobe Acrobat Online focuses on PDFs with high precision but requires a subscription and favors PDFs over other formats. Consider accuracy, cost, and format needs when choosing among these top image-to-text converters.
