OCR PDF
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Optical Character Recognition (OCR) turns images of text, such as a scanned page or a photographed document, into machine-readable characters you can search, copy, and edit. Instead of a flat picture of words, you get the actual text back, which is what makes a scanned archive findable and reusable rather than just viewable.
At a Glance
3 or 6 Credits
Per Scan
Google Gemini
Engine
Auto-detected
Languages
25 MB
Free File Limit
Key Facts
LittlePDF OCR PDF performs text recognition using Google Gemini, so the file is sent to the OCR service over an encrypted connection, processed, and we keep no copy.
Unlike LittlePDF's in-browser tools, OCR sends the file to an AI service; the on-device privacy guarantee does not apply to this tool.
The tool reads the page in whatever language it is written in and handles complex layouts. A scan costs 3 credits on the standard model and 6 on the higher-accuracy one, with free accounts getting 500 credits per day and a 25 MB file limit, and Pro supporting 500 MB files.
How to OCR PDF in 3 Steps
Drop a scanned PDF or an image of a document into the upload area, or click to browse.
Pick the recognition model if you want a different one, then click Extract Text.
Download the recognized text, ready to search, copy, or reuse.
Why OCR PDF with LittlePDF?
Recognition runs on Google Gemini, which reads pages with context and copes with messy scans, tables, and multi-column layouts.
The model reads the page in its own language, mixed-language pages included, without flipping a manual setting.
The file is sent over an encrypted connection and we keep no copy of it.
At 3 credits a scan against a 500-credit daily pool, a free account gets 166 scans a day on the standard model.
Features
Gemini Recognition
Text recognition is handled by Google Gemini, which reads a page using context rather than character by character. That helps it handle low-quality scans, multi-column text, tables, captions, and footnotes more reliably than older OCR engines.
Language Handling
Gemini reads the text in whatever language the page carries, so there is no language list to choose from before you start. Pages that mix two scripts come back readable. The one setting the tool does offer is the recognition model.
Searchable, Copyable Output
The recognized text comes back as real, selectable characters rather than a picture of the page, so you can search it, copy it, and paste it into other documents instead of retyping by hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: June 2026