Free PDF to Text Converter with OCR (Extract Text Online)

You need the words out of a PDF, not the PDF itself. Maybe you want to quote a paragraph, paste a table into a spreadsheet, or read a scanned page you cannot select. The PDFFlowState Extract PDF Text tool is a free PDF to text converter that works in your browser, includes OCR support, and needs no account.

Open the Extract PDF Text tool

What does Extract PDF Text do?

Extract PDF Text copies the text out of a PDF, with OCR support. That covers two common searches:

  • PDF to text: pull the text from a normal PDF so you can copy, search or reuse it.
  • OCR PDF: read the text from a scanned PDF, where every page is really a picture. If you searched for OCR online, free online OCR or PDF OCR online, this is the tool for PDFs.

What is OCR?

OCR stands for optical character recognition. It is technology that reads the letters in a picture and turns them into text you can edit. Without it, a scanned PDF is just images, so you cannot select, copy or search anything.

How to extract text from a PDF

  1. Open the tool. Go to Extract PDF Text. It works on phone and desktop.
  2. Add your PDF. Choose the file, whether it is a normal PDF or a scan.
  3. Extract. Start the process and wait for the text to appear.
  4. Copy your text. Paste it into Word, a note, an email or a spreadsheet.

No sign-up is needed, so it is a free way to do PDF to text and OCR PDF jobs.

When is it useful?

  • Scanned documents and old paperwork that cannot be selected or searched.
  • Quoting or reusing text from reports, papers and manuals.
  • Moving content into Word. Paste the text into a document, a handy route for scanned PDF to Word and OCR PDF to Word jobs. If you want a full conversion of a normal PDF instead, try PDF to Word.
  • Moving tables into a spreadsheet. Paste extracted text into a spreadsheet and tidy it there.
  • Cleaning up afterwards. Fix spacing and case with Text Formatter or Case Converter, and check length with Text Counter.

Tips for better OCR results

  • Use a clear scan. Straight, sharp, well-lit pages give the best text.
  • Proofread the result. OCR can misread small print, unusual fonts and handwriting, so check names and numbers.
  • Got a photo instead of a PDF? Use Image to Text, which also supports OCR.

Frequently asked questions

Is this PDF to text converter free? Yes. It is free and needs no sign-up.

Does it work on scanned PDFs? Yes. The tool has OCR support, so it can read text from pages that are pictures.

Can I convert PDF to text online without installing software? Yes. It runs in your browser.

Can I make a PDF searchable? This tool gives you the text, but it does not create a new searchable PDF. You can copy the text into a document and save that as a PDF with Word to PDF.

Can I turn a PDF into a CSV or Excel file? Not directly. Extract the text here and paste it into a spreadsheet.

Can I get text from a picture or a JPG? Yes. Use Image to Text.

Extract your text now

Try Extract PDF Text or browse all the PDF tools on PDFFlowState.