OCRmyPDF

Free plan APILinuxMacSelf-hostedWindows

What OCRmyPDF is

OCRmyPDF is free software that adds searchable text to scanned PDF files while preserving the original document as much as possible. It uses Tesseract to recognize text in page images and creates PDF/A-2b files by default, with regular PDF output available as an option. Image-processing tools such as deskew can adjust pages to support visual quality and OCR. For PDFs that already contain text, processing modes can report an error, skip pages, redo recognition, or apply OCR across the document. OCRmyPDF can be used as a Python library, and plugins can customize processing steps. Installation methods are documented for Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, and Docker; Paperless-ngx and Nextcloud OCR are listed as third-party integrations. The project warns that handwriting is not recognized, poor scans can produce poor results, and accuracy may trail commercial solutions. Results may also suffer when the document contains languages not specified for processing. Its documentation advises using it only with PDFs users trust and warns that its Docker web-service example lacks security measures and is not intended for public internet deployment.

Who it suits

OCRmyPDF suits people who need searchable text in scanned PDFs and can work with its documented installation methods or Python library. It is not suited to handwriting recognition, and the project advises against exposing its Docker web-service example to the public internet.

What it does well

Free software for adding searchable text to PDFs.
Can output PDF/A-2b or regular PDF.
Offers deskew and multiple modes for existing text.
Available as a Python library with plugin support.
Documentation covers Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, and Docker.

What to know first

Does not recognize handwriting.
Poor scans can produce poor results.
Accuracy may trail commercial solutions.
Docker web-service example lacks security measures.

Limits

OCRmyPDF is listed as free software at no cost. No free-plan quota or trial length is listed among the supplied facts.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
OCRmyPDF	Free software; self-hosted installation; depends on external OCR and PDF tools	Free

As ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io lists them, read 2 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Visit the OCRmyPDF documentation website.
Choose an installation method for Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, or Docker.
Install OCRmyPDF and its required tools for your chosen workflow.
Run OCRmyPDF on a PDF file.

Verdict

OCRmyPDF provides a configurable, free way to add searchable text to scanned PDFs, with library and plugin options. Its recognition has limitations, and the project advises processing only trusted PDFs.

Questions

How much does OCRmyPDF cost?

The listed OCRmyPDF plan is free.

Is OCRmyPDF available as a free plan?

Yes. The pricing model is free, and a free plan is listed.

Which platforms does OCRmyPDF support?

The listed platforms are API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, and Windows. Its documentation also describes installation methods for FreeBSD and Docker.

Does OCRmyPDF recognize handwriting?

No. Handwriting OCR is listed as unavailable.

What output does OCRmyPDF create?

It generates PDF/A-2b archival PDFs by default, and users can select regular PDF output.

Can OCRmyPDF be extended or integrated with other software?

It can be used as a Python library and supports plugins. Paperless-ngx and Nextcloud OCR are named as third-party integrations that use it.

Facts from OCRmyPDF's own pages

API and plugins: OCRmyPDF can be used as a Python library and supports plugins that customize processing steps. · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 2 Oct 2026
Commercial use and dependency: The documentation says users should comply with the project and dependency licenses and notes that Ghostscript, which OCRmyPDF requires in some workflows, is AGPLv3 licensed. · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 2 Oct 2026
Existing text: Its processing modes can error on existing text, skip such pages, redo OCR, or force OCR across all pages. · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 2 Oct 2026
Free plan: Yes · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 23 Sept 2026
Handwriting OCR: No · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 23 Sept 2026
Image processing: It offers image processing options such as deskew to improve visual quality and OCR accuracy. · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 2 Oct 2026
Supported inputs: pdf · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 23 Sept 2026
Installations: The documentation provides installation methods for Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, and Docker. · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 2 Oct 2026
Integrations: The documentation identifies Paperless-ngx and Nextcloud OCR as third-party integrations that use OCRmyPDF. · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 2 Oct 2026
Language support: Results may be poor when a document contains languages not specified in the language argument. · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 2 Oct 2026
Maintainer: The project metadata names James R. Barlow as an author. · github.com, 2 Oct 2026
OCR accuracy: The documentation notes that OCR accuracy may trail commercial solutions, handwriting is not recognized, and poor scans can produce poor results. · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 2 Oct 2026
OCR engine: It uses Tesseract to recognize text in PDF page images. · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 2 Oct 2026
Page time limit: By default, OCRmyPDF allows Tesseract three minutes per page and can skip images above a configured megapixel threshold. · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 2 Oct 2026
PDF/A: By default, OCRmyPDF generates PDF/A-2b archival PDFs, and users can select regular PDF output instead. · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 2 Oct 2026
Primary platform: desktop · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 23 Sept 2026
Purpose: OCRmyPDF adds a searchable text layer to scanned PDF files while preserving the original PDF as much as possible. · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 2 Oct 2026
Searchable PDF: Yes · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 23 Sept 2026
Security: The project advises using OCRmyPDF only with PDFs users trust and says its Docker web service example has no security measures and is not intended for public internet deployment. · ocrmypdf.readthedocs.io, 2 Oct 2026

Where OCRmyPDF stands on Freedom251

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