Overview

Extend is infrastructure for developers building products that turn documents into usable data. It is best suited to teams that need document processing inside an application, rather than a ready-made tool for one business function. Its pipeline, integration and deployment options make it flexible; the absence of fully air-gapped deployment rules it out for some environments.

Key features

Document workflows

Workflows connect processors to classify, route and validate documents, then send results to a webhook. That sequence suits products with multi-step document handling, while human validation provides a review step for teams that need it. The trade-off is that Extend is infrastructure to integrate, not a finished document-management application.

Parsing and extraction

AI extraction sits alongside parsing, splitting and editing. Parsing can produce Markdown or blocks for retrieval-augmented generation and agents, so the output is geared toward feeding AI applications. Support for 35+ file types across all plans gives teams broad input coverage, though per-page credit consumption means costs depend on which APIs a workflow uses.

Developer tools and deployment

Teams can use the API and official SDKs for Python, TypeScript, Java and Go, as well as a browser dashboard, CLI and MCP server for compatible clients. The CLI installation script works on macOS and Linux. Managed cloud, BYOC and Hybrid deployment offer different ways to run the service, but teams requiring fully air-gapped deployment should look elsewhere.

Security and support

Extend says it maintains controls aligned with SOC 2 Type II requirements and is HIPAA and GDPR compliant. Customer files and processing artifacts are stored in encrypted object storage in the deployment region, with encryption at rest and in transit using TLS. Support rises from chat on Pay As You Go to a private Slack channel on Scale and dedicated support on Enterprise; Scale offers HIPAA Compliance and a BAA as an add-on.

Pricing

Credits are the universal billing unit, and each API consumes a base number of credits per page. That makes the included allowance useful for estimating initial use, but ongoing cost depends on page volume and the APIs in the pipeline.

Pay As You Go: 0.00 USD per free, with 10,000 credits included free and $0.0125 per additional credit. There is no contract or monthly minimum, making it the lowest-commitment way to start. Chat support is included.
Scale: 500.00 USD per month, billed $500 / month, with 50,000 credits/month included and $0.01 per additional credit. It suits teams with sustained volume that can use the larger allowance and lower extra-credit rate; private Slack Channel support is included. HIPAA Compliance and BAA are add-ons.
Enterprise: custom pricing with custom per-credit pricing. BYOC and Hybrid deployments, SSO and SAML, and dedicated support target organizations that need those deployment or access options.

Extend has a free plan and no free trial. The free allowance is finite, and usage beyond it is billed per credit; Scale adds a monthly commitment rather than simply raising the free ceiling.

Platforms

Extend supports API, Linux, macOS and web. The CLI installation script is specifically supported on macOS and Linux; the API, dashboard, SDKs and MCP server provide other integration routes.

Who it's for

Extend is a strong fit for product and engineering teams building document-heavy AI applications, especially in areas such as healthcare, real estate, insurance and finance. Its combination of configurable workflows, multiple SDKs and deployment choices suits teams integrating processing into their own systems. It is less suitable for buyers seeking a specialized, ready-to-use workflow or requiring air-gapped operation.

Pros and cons

Pro: Workflows can chain classification, routing and validation before delivering results to a webhook, supporting more than one processing step.
Pro: Python, TypeScript, Java and Go SDKs, plus a CLI and MCP server, give developers several ways to integrate.
Pro: Pay As You Go has no contract or monthly minimum, and Scale includes 50,000 credits/month.
Con: Credit use is page-based and API-dependent, so actual costs vary with the workflow.
Con: Fully air-gapped deployment is unavailable.
Con: HIPAA Compliance and BAA on Scale cost extra.

Alternatives

Compare intelligent document processing software if you want to survey the wider category.

Doxis AI.dp is an alternative with a free-trial option and usage billed monthly.
Reducto is worth considering if self-hosting or Studio seats matter; its Standard plan includes $150 in free usage and up to 5 Studio seats.
Veryfi Invoices OCR API is a more targeted alternative for invoice processing, with a $500/mo minimum commitment on its Starter plan.
Instabase offers an AI Hub Community trial with $5 (USD) of usage, ending when the units are used or after 92 days.
Kudra offers a Starter plan capped at 100 pages uploaded per month, with one user and one custom workflow.
Nanonets Accounts Payable Automation is an alternative for accounts-payable automation, with a Starter plan for up to 3 users.
Parseur offers a free plan capped at 20 pages/month and one user.
super.AI Document starts with 25,000 credits, 1–3 users and one workspace on its Starter plan.

Verdict

Choose Extend if you are building an application that needs configurable document pipelines, developer integrations and managed, BYOC or Hybrid deployment. Its flexible workflow model and credit-based entry point are the strongest reasons to choose it. Look elsewhere if you need a finished specialist application or fully air-gapped deployment.

	Extend	Hyland OnBase
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	$500/mo	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	api, Linux, macOS, Web	—
Free plan	Yes	—
Extraction mode	ai	—
Human validation	Yes	—
Workflow routing	Yes	—
API access	Yes	—
Deployment options	hybrid	—

Extend vs Hyland OnBase

Extend

Hyland OnBase