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OCR PDF

Make a scanned PDF searchable and its text selectable.

About OCR PDF

OCR PDF makes a scanned PDF searchable by recognising the text in each page image and placing it invisibly over the scan. The result looks the same but lets you search, select and copy. Recognition runs on your device with a model the browser downloads once; the document itself is never sent anywhere.

  • Search a scanned book
  • Copy text from a scan
  • Make old documents findable

How to OCR PDF

  1. Drop the scanned PDF

    Up to 500 MB. Clear, straight scans give the best text.

  2. Run recognition

    The first run downloads the recogniser to your browser. After that it is kept on your device and works without a connection.

  3. Save the searchable PDF

    Download a PDF with a text layer, or go on to PDF to Word or PDF to Markdown to get the text out.

Why your file never leaves your device

Most online tools upload your file to a server, work on it there, and keep a copy for a while. Thryve PDF does the work inside your browser instead, with code that runs on your own device, so there is no upload, no copy on a server and nothing to delete afterwards. Close the tab and the file is gone from memory. It also means the tools keep working on a slow connection once the page has loaded.

Questions, answered

Which languages does OCR support?
English. Printed text in a clear scan works best; handwriting and heavily skewed scans are recognised less reliably.
Does OCR change how the PDF looks?
No. The scan is kept as it is and the recognised text is added as an invisible layer over it, so you can search and select without seeing any change.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The PDF is opened and processed inside your browser tab, on your own device, and the result is saved straight back to it. Thryve has no server that receives files.
Is it free?
Yes. This page gives 10 free exports every rolling 30 days, with no account. Thryve Pro, $9.99 once with no subscription, removes the limit on every Thryve PDF, Photo, Media and Invoice page.
Do I need to sign up?
No. Drop a file and start. An account is only needed to buy Thryve Pro, so the licence can follow you between devices.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, in Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox on Android and iPhone, as well as on Windows, Mac and Linux. Since the work happens on the device, a large file takes longer on a phone than on a laptop.

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