10 Best PDF to OCR Software for Windows 11 Users in 2024
Standard PDF files can create data silos.
That’s because they contain images rather than actual text, which makes the file invisible to your workflow.
So with conventional PDFs, your business’s information may become harder to find, which can hurt your productivity.
In fact, Airtable has recently discovered that 80% of businesses struggle with data silos. Some key contributors to the dire situation are unsearchable documents.
If you leverage the best PDF to OCR software, you can convert image-based PDFs into searchable documents.
It enables you to convert content within unsearchable files into editable text so that you can look up and retrieve documents using in-content phrases and keywords. Additionally, it can add metadata to your files to further improve their searchability.
In this article, I’ll take you through the best PDF OCR software for Windows 11 users in 2024 that can help you break down your data silos and improve productivity.
Quick summary:
1. FileCenter – Best for supported format variety.
2. M-Files – Best for PDF OCR editing.
3. PandaDoc – Best for handwritten documents.
4. SmartVault – Best for MS Office interoperability.
5. DynaFile – Best for PDF OCR automation.
Let’s get started.
How to choose a PDF OCR software
a) Assess supported languages
What languages do you work with frequently? This will help you determine what PDF OCR software features to prioritize. Otherwise, you might have to seek out third-party integrations at an additional cost to your mid-sized business.
Therefore, you should choose a document management software that natively supports all the languages of documents in your workflow. This way, you can get a solution that’s optimized for your target languages to avoid translation errors.
b) Consider automation features
Many PDF to OCR software for Windows 11 are largely manual, so you may have to be heavily involved in the conversion process. For example, you may need to set where the converted file will be saved each time and constantly name and index these files.
Therefore, you should prioritize an automated document conversion solution that can lower your workflow burden. The right software should help you name, route, and index files so that your conversion process is largely hands-free and time-efficient.
c) Examine OCR accuracy
If you get a solution with a high error margin, you may get a significant number of errors during the conversion process. So you may have to spend a lot of your time manually proofreading the document and making corrections.
For this reason, I suggest that you get a PDF OCR software for Windows 11 that has a high accuracy rate. This helps you improve your company’s efficiency by helping you get fewer conversion errors and, consequently, less editing work.
1. FileCenter
FileCenter is an intelligent PDF OCR converter.
By setting it to watch a folder, you can convert images to PDF documents automatically by simply placing files into this folder. This makes your workflow less effort-intensive and more efficient.
What’s more, you can quickly OCR documents in bulk with FileCenter’s batch processing feature to process large volumes of files with fewer steps.
You can also choose to switch from FileCenter’s default OCR engine to its advanced option which will help you to improve OCR accuracy for your files.
FileCenter also accommodates multiple file types and extensions, which is why I believe it’s the best PDF to OCR converter for Windows 11 users in 2024 if your business works with a large variety of complex document formats.
Best features:
- FileCenter offers zonal OCR technology that allows you to convert and then edit specific sections of a PDF, which speeds up your file conversion speeds.
- It leverages a Tesseract OCR engine which allows your small business to convert documents in multiple languages with higher-than-average in-line accuracy.
- FileCenter works with network scanners, allowing you to centralize new document scans into one location so that you don’t miss any new files.
Pricing:
- 15-day free trial.
- Starting plan: $5/user per month.
Verdict:
With FileCenter, you can convert a wide range of file formats into searchable PDF files. What’s more, you also get advanced PDF editing features that allow you to customize your converted files extensively without needing to perform any manual data entry.
2. M-Files
M-Files’s OCR extension interfaces with your scanner.
So you can use its PDF to OCR tool from your OCR document scanner’s control panel, without having to work via the application.
More importantly, M-Files features a Readiris OCR engine, which allows your business to open, convert, and edit documents faster.
It also enables you to leverage ID-based conversion so that you can automate file naming and the creation of metadata.
Additionally, you also get multiple tools for editing PDF files, including annotations, fonts, and markups. These allow you to easily make major changes to your files without having to switch to a dedicated word processor.
On top of that, this OCR software for Windows 11 also recognizes traditional and QR barcodes, so that you can also convert information within these codes.
Best features:
- M-Files’s OCR technology allows you to convert handwritten and printed documents with great clarity, thanks to its powerful noise-removal capabilities.
- It offers you a hyper-compression feature that allows you to greatly reduce PDF file size during conversions, which is key when handling lengthy documents.
- You can also leverage its conversion to PDF/A-1b format to create files that comply with the ISO standard 19005-1:2005 as pertains to storing electronic documents.
Pricing:
- 30-day free trial.
- Contact M-files for pricing.
Verdict:
Overall, I find that M-Files offers extensive PDF OCR editing capabilities that allow you to easily customize information in documents. That being said, it supports a small range of file types so you can only convert a limited number of file formats.
3. PandaDoc
PandaDoc leverages intelligent character recognition (ICR).
This makes it ideal if you decide to archive documents that contain handwritten text because this technology can help you to OCR and capture complex handmade writing patterns that traditional OCR may struggle to convert.
PandaDoc’s free-from extraction OCR can help you to derive accurate insights from very complex documents with unstructured data.
With its OCR technology, you can also decode the information in 2D and 1D barcodes Consequently, it can help you streamline logistics and inventory management.
Just like FIleCenter, it also enables you to manipulate PDF files, by particularly rotating them during conversion to fix orientation issues.
Since this tool is web-based, you can use this PDF to OCR converter online without needing to download any application.
Best features:
- PandaDoc gives your startup numerous integration options that allow you to OCR and convert documents directly from your CRM, ERP, and HRIS systems.
- It allows you to merge and split PDF files during conversion, which enables you to remove redundant sections and add updates easily to your documents.
- PandaDoc enables you to convert multiple file types to PDF and even export this PDF as a Word file in case you want to send files for editing to a third party.
Pricing:
- 14-day free trial.
- Starting plan: $19/user per month.
Verdict:
PandaDoc’s intelligent character recognition technology enables you to accurately capture data in handwritten documents. However, I find that it’s an expensive OCR software for Windows 11, and is therefore unideal for low-cost applications.
4. SmartVault
SmartVault integrates with Microsoft Office 365.
So you can directly print to PDF from your Office application, and convert Excel, Word, and PowerPoint files into PDFs without leaving the Office interface. In turn, you can avoid switching between applications during conversion to boost your productivity.
What’s more, SmartVaults auto-file feature allows you to tag and automatically send a document to a client immediately after conversion to ease file sharing.
It also enhances Microsoft Outlook email management through its email sync integration. This allows you to automatically route files that you receive in Outlook for PDF OCR conversion, helping you to automate key tasks in your Windows 11 workflow.
SmartVault’s integration with QuickBooks also allows you to convert QuickBooks file extensions into PDFs that you can easily secure and protect.
Best features:
- It allows your small business to convert scanned images into PDFs & then store them in a highly secure vault to prevent unauthorized access and tampering.
- PandaDoc automatically indexes and adds metadata to documents after OCR conversion, which greatly improves their discoverability to quicken data retrieval.
- You can use its PDF form filler to automatically populate converted files with data from your underlying systems to completely eliminate manual data entry.
Pricing:
- 14-day free trial.
- Starting plan: $25/user per month.
Verdict:
With its MS Office 365 integration, you can effortlessly convert files right from within your Office applications. That being said, I find that SmartVault’s OCR technology sometimes generates inaccuracies with handwritten text like contracts & receipts.
5. DynaFile
DynaFile is a highly automated PDF to OCR software.
With its convert-to-cloud feature, you can store your documents in the cloud after you’ve converted them for easy access and better availability.
Furthermore, DynaFile can automatically index and file your converted documents using optical barcode recognition technology to accelerate sorting.
You also get a very accurate OCR software for Windows 11 due to its advanced OCR data preprocessing features. This helps you to eliminate obscure formats, blurry characters, and skewed texts without having to manually clean the file.
Just like FileCenter, it integrates with network scanners to monitor their output. So you can automatically set DynaFile to route and convert files as soon as they are scanned.
On top of that, its intelligent OCR engine can adapt to unfamiliar file formats to increase your conversion range.
Best features:
- Its simple drag-and-drop converter allows you to add multiple files for simultaneous conversion, which streamlines batch document processing.
- You can use DynaFile’s automatic clean-up features to straighten crooked scanned files and easily fix other file issues to ensure error-free conversion.
- Its batch-processing feature enables you to scan huge volumes of unrelated files and can help you convert and organize a mixed pile of unrelated documents.
Pricing:
- No free trial.
- Contact DynaFile for pricing.
Verdict:
DynaFile’s extensive PDF to OCR automation features make your conversion process effortless and faster. However, it has limited PDF editing capabilities, so you’ll need a third-party software if you need to extensively edit files after you convert them.
6. Egnyte
Engyte offers PDF to OCR conversion driven by Elasticsearch.
Consequently, this paperless document management software enables you to create structured data from scanned files so that you don’t have to hire professionals to help you with data extraction.
Interestingly, Egnyte’s OCR technology delivers extended full-text searchability that allows you to search through your business’ audio and video content.
Additionally, it allows you to identify, translate, and convert audio and video content into PDFs, which you can now easily index and protect. I find that this makes it the best PDF to OCR converter in 2024 if your startup regularly needs to transcribe files into PDFs.
It’s also a top construction document management software due to its special BIM feature that allows you to convert BIM files into universally accessible PDFs.
Best features:
- Its Elasticsearch integration gives you powerful PDF OCR and search capabilities that allow you to improve the accuracy and searchability of files.
- Egnyte’s OCR engine analyzes scanned files and alerts you in case of sensitive and personal information so that you can take adequate protection measures.
- You can use its optical mark recognition technology to speed up the processing of information from data collection forms such as consumer surveys.
Pricing:
- 15-day free trial.
- Starting plan: $20/user per month.
Verdict:
With Engyte’s OCR technology, you can extract content from audio and visual files and turn it into textual data to eliminate manual transcription. Nonetheless, this feature only works on low-sized videos so you cannot use it if you work with large media files.
7. Square 9
Square 9 offers you a flexible PDF OCR converter.
It gives you two OCR options, the first being full-page OCR which enables you to convert an entire document into a searchable PDF file. Alternatively, you can use targeted OCR to extract data from sections to curate only the data you need.
Essentially, Square 9 enables you to perform automatic line item extraction without converting a file, which can streamline your accounts payable processes.
It also combines OCR with AI to provide advanced analytics that helps you unlock high-value data. Therefore, I find that it’s a great PDF to OCR software for Windows 11 for business intelligence.
Just like FileCenter, you can convert images to PDF with its KeyFree indexing, and even standardize data therein, like dates and currencies, to your preferred formats.
Best features:
- Square 9’s TransformAI enables you to completely automate data extraction and document capture to reduce your work burden and minimize conversion errors.
- You can leverage its advanced OCR technology to create extraction rules for new document formats to ensure that new files are always converted correctly.
- It connects with your existing content management systems to centralize your documents so that you can easily spot and process unsearchable files.
Pricing:
- No free trial.
- Contact Square 9 for pricing.
Verdict:
Square 9 offers advanced PDF-to-OCR conversion with analytics that helps you understand your data better. However, I find its daily page limit very low and this can cause huge backlogs in your workflow if you need to convert many files every day.
8. Revver
Revver offers both OCR and ICR technology.
This makes it ideal for helping you to convert both printed and handwritten image documents into full-text searchable PDF files. In turn, you can easily index and add metadata to help you find your documents faster and more efficiently.
In fact, Revver has rich PDF customization features that help you modify fonts, colors, and layouts so you can convert scans into visually striking documents.
It also has a font-matching system that helps you convert documents into searchable PDFs while preserving the original format of your document.
On top of that, you can use Revver Reports to automatically schedule jobs, which I find makes it one of the best PDF to OCR conversion software for Windows 11 if you regularly deal with a lot of bulk conversions.
Best features:
- It delivers OCR technology which monitors your system for new and existing scans and converts them automatically so you enjoy hands-free conversion.
- Revver allows you to automatically name converted documents from the text in the content so that you can generate metadata very quickly and effortlessly.
- Due to its ability to work with Microsoft Office, you can easily incorporate Revver into your existing workflows to directly convert Office files into searchable PDFs.
Pricing:
- No free trial.
- Contact Revver for pricing.
Verdict:
Revver leverages OCR and ICR technology to help you convert documents in different formats with great speed and accuracy. However, since it combines both technologies, you’ll find that it’s a much more expensive solution than traditional OCR software.
9. DocuWare
DocWare has custom barcode OCR technology.
This allows you to configure the conversion process depending on your needs. For example, you can use the high-accuracy option to improve OCR accuracy or switch to the high-speed option to convert documents faster but with lower accuracy.
Notably, DocuWare leverages the Aspose rendering engine, which helps you get excellent results when you’re converting Office documents into PDFs.
You also have the option to specify the text language for the OCR process, which enables you to optimize text recognition to boost both speed and accuracy.
Just like FileCenter, you use the PDF document splitter of this OCR software for Windows 11 to split converted files into sections or separate files for easier processing or to take out unnecessary sections.
Best features:
- DocuWare has a self-learning OCR technology that extracts micro text that often hides in columns and tables, which enables you to raise OCR accuracy.
- By enabling you to create custom text OCR configurations, it enables you to meet your enterprise’s immediate conversion needs, be that speed or quality.
- DocuWare’s OCR scanner can decode information within QR and barcodes, which enables you to extra content from them into a searchable PDF file.
Pricing:
- 30-day free trial.
- Contact DocuWare for pricing.
Verdict:
By allowing you to switch from its default OCR engine to Aspose, DocuWare enables you to raise the accuracy of conversion results. That being said, you’ll need to extensively customize the software to do this, with the process being very technical.
10. DocuPhase
DocuPhase offers advanced OCR technology.
Its smart capture engine learns over time the more it works with your data, and this allows you to continually raise OCR accuracy to help you convert your business’s documents into full text searchable, high-quality PDF files.
Additionally, DocuPhase allows you to customize data capture & extract specific information, which can help you improve tasks like invoice processing.
Better yet, DocuPhase integrates with your HR and accounting solutions to help sync data so you can make files in your underlying systems searchable. This helps your business to break down data silos and unlock key business insights.
It also lets you scan documents on your iPhone or Android, with the mobile OCR technology making it possible for you to convert documents remotely on any device.
Best features:
- DocuPhase drag-and-drop document generator helps your startup to create dynamic PDF documents from the data you’ve collected from electronic forms.
- Its auto-file routing and auto-indexing features, which also add pre-set tags to your converted documents, help you to easily classify and sort your new files.
- You also get zonal OCR technology which helps you capture and convert specific data so that you avoid having to convert entire files, which boosts your speed.
Pricing:
- No free trial.
- Contact DocuPhase for pricing.
Verdict:
DocuPhase’s many integration options allow you to synch data between its Windows 11 PDF to OCR converter and your system to increase your data visibility. Nevertheless, it inflates your initial capital investment since you have to pay extra for each integration.
Conclusion
Unsearchable files are a huge compliance risk.
That’s because they create isolated documents, which are invisible to your business and consequently hard to manage and protect.
Therefore, they may attract huge penalties and fines for the inadvertent violation of various customer data compliance policies.
As a matter of fact, a Hyperpoof survey revealed that 46% of companies blame data silos for their regulatory compliance difficulties. This was caused by unsearchable files and fractured systems across departments.
However, by leveraging the best PDF to OCR converter for Windows 11 in 2024, you can eliminate your data silos. I recommend FileCenter for its very high OCR accuracy.
Click here to schedule your free FileCenter demo today to learn how you can use our technology to break down data silos and unlock productivity.
With our software, you can make paper documents and digital files searchable, to unify your company’s information and free up key business insights.
Why you should consider FileCenter for your PDF OCR conversion needs
a) High accuracy and speed
With our FileCenter OCR technology, you can get very high OCR accuracy of up to 99%. In turn, this helps you to convert your documents and get highly accurate results with minimal need for data cleaning.
Moreover, you can maximize business productivity with our OCR technology which delivers very high conversion speeds. So if you have a lot of files that you need to process, our software can help you clear the backlog quickly.
b) Extensive automation
Your FileCenter PDF OCR software for Windows 11 comes with a wide range of automation features so that you can spend little time on iterative work. This frees up your workflow for higher-value tasks.
For instance, our automated OCR technology automates the conversion process and even assists you with the naming and routing of your converted files. In turn, you can enjoy a hands-free conversion process.
c) Advanced PDF editing
FileCenter also gives you advanced PDF editing controls that allow you to extensively customize the files you convert. For example, you can add form fields to your files to easily collect data from your customer base.
Furthermore, you can leverage watermarks and digital signatures as an approval gesture during document reviews. It also enables you to add password protection, which helps you protect sensitive files for your business.
Click here to start your free FileCenter trial now, which can help you to accurately digitize and convert paper files and other document formats into information that you can easily access at any time to boost your productivity.
