OCR PDF — turn scanned PDFs into searchable text
Upload any scanned PDF and our free OCR PDF converter recognizes every page in 20+ languages — then exports a searchable PDF and a clean text file. Nothing is uploaded; everything happens on your device.
Drop a scanned PDF to OCR
or click to browse — your file never leaves your browser
Up to 25 MB per file
Why use NinjaPDF for OCR
100% private
OCR runs in your browser using WebAssembly. Your scans never reach our servers.
20+ languages
Recognize English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Hindi and more.
Searchable PDF output
Get a PDF that looks identical to the original — but with a real, selectable text layer.
No queues, no limits
Skip the waiting rooms of online OCR services. Process unlimited pages for free.
Safe for sensitive docs
Perfect for legal contracts, medical records, IDs and financial statements.
No sign-up, no watermark
Open the page, drop your file, download the result. That’s it.
How to OCR a PDF in your browser
- 1
Drop a scanned PDF into the upload area above — or click to browse.
- 2
Pick the document language so the OCR engine uses the right model.
- 3
Click Run OCR. NinjaPDF renders each page and recognizes the text locally.
- 4
Download a searchable PDF or a plain .txt file. Your original file is untouched.
NinjaPDF OCR vs. typical online OCR
| Feature | NinjaPDF OCR | Typical online OCR |
|---|---|---|
| Files uploaded to a server | No — runs locally | Yes |
| Daily page limit | Unlimited | Often 5–25 pages/day |
| Languages supported | 20+ | Varies |
| Searchable PDF output | Included free | Often paywalled |
| Watermark on output | None | Common on free tiers |
| Sign-up required | No | Usually |
OCR PDF — frequently asked questions
What is OCR for PDF?+
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) turns the pictures of text inside a scanned PDF into real, selectable and searchable text. NinjaPDF’s OCR runs entirely in your browser — your file is never uploaded.
Is the OCR PDF tool free?+
Yes. NinjaPDF’s OCR PDF converter is 100% free with no daily limits, no watermarks and no sign-up required.
Are my scanned PDFs uploaded to a server?+
No. NinjaPDF runs Tesseract OCR locally inside your browser using WebAssembly. Your scanned contracts, invoices and IDs never leave your device.
What languages does the PDF OCR support?+
The OCR engine supports 20+ languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi and more.
What output do I get?+
You get two downloads: a plain-text .txt file with the recognized text, and a searchable PDF that looks identical to the original but lets you search and copy the text in any PDF reader.
Will the searchable PDF look like my original?+
Yes. NinjaPDF places the recognized text as an invisible layer underneath the original page image, so the appearance is preserved while making the text searchable.
How long does OCR take?+
OCR runs locally on your machine. A typical page takes 2–6 seconds on a modern laptop. Larger PDFs can take a few minutes — but everything stays private.
How accurate is the OCR?+
Accuracy is typically 95%+ on clean, high-resolution scans. Choose the correct language for best results, and re-scan low-quality originals at 300 DPI when possible.