Free Image to Text Converter (OCR)
Turn screenshots, scans and photos into editable text. Upload, drag and drop, or paste an image. It all happens in your browser, so your files stay private.
What is OCR (optical character recognition)?
Optical character recognition, usually shortened to OCR, is technology that reads the letters and numbers in a picture and turns them into real, selectable text. A photo of a page is just a grid of coloured pixels to a computer. OCR analyses shapes in that grid, works out which characters they most likely represent, and gives you text you can search, edit, translate, or paste into another document.
People use OCR to copy text from screenshots, digitise printed notes and book pages, pull details from receipts and business cards, and make old scans searchable. This converter uses Tesseract, a widely used open-source OCR engine, compiled to run directly inside your web browser.
How to use this image to text converter
- Add your image. Click Choose image, drag a file onto the drop area, or copy an image and paste it with Ctrl + V (⌘ + V on a Mac). PNG, JPG and WebP files work.
- Pick the language. Select the language the text in the image is written in. Choosing the correct language is the single biggest factor in accuracy.
- Click Extract text. A progress bar shows how far along the recognition is. The first run in a language downloads that language's data, so it can take a little longer.
- Review and edit. The result appears in an editable box. Fix any small mistakes directly.
- Copy or download. Use Copy to put the text on your clipboard or Download .txt to save it as a plain text file. Clear resets everything so you can start again.
Tips for better OCR accuracy
OCR quality depends heavily on the quality of the input. A few habits make a big difference:
- Use a sharp, high-resolution image. Text should be at least about 20 pixels tall. Blurry or heavily compressed pictures lose the fine detail OCR relies on.
- Keep the text straight. Rotate or crop the picture so lines run horizontally. Tilted or curved pages such as a bent book spine reduce accuracy.
- Maximise contrast. Dark text on a plain light background works best. Avoid shadows, glare and busy patterns behind the words.
- Crop to the text. Remove borders, photos and unrelated areas so the engine does not mistake them for characters.
- Choose the right language. An English setting on French text will misread accents and produce nonsense.
- Prefer screenshots over photos of screens. A direct screenshot is far cleaner than a camera picture of a monitor.
- Avoid decorative fonts. Stylised, script and very small fonts are much harder to recognise than plain ones.
Always proofread the output. OCR is very good but not perfect, and look-alike characters such as 0 and O, or 1, l and I, are the most common slips.
Your images stay private
Many online converters upload your file to a server, where it may be stored or analysed. This tool works differently. The recognition engine runs locally in your browser using WebAssembly, so the image you choose is processed on your own device and is never sent to our servers. The only files fetched from the network are the open-source OCR engine and the language data needed to read your chosen language, which contain no information about your image. Read the full details in our privacy policy.
Frequently asked questions
Is this image to text converter really free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no usage limit. The site may show advertising to cover its costs.
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. Text recognition runs entirely in your browser, so your image never leaves your device.
Which image formats are supported?
PNG, JPG (JPEG) and WebP files are supported. You can upload them, drag and drop them, or paste an image from your clipboard.
Why is my extracted text inaccurate?
Low resolution, blur, poor lighting, skewed text, decorative fonts and the wrong language setting are the most common causes. Use a sharp, straight, high-contrast image and choose the correct language.
Can it read handwriting?
It is designed for printed text. Neat block-letter handwriting sometimes works, but cursive and messy handwriting usually give poor results.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. The tool is fully responsive and works in modern mobile browsers. On a phone you can pick a photo from your gallery or take a new one.
About Free Image to Text Converter
Free Image to Text Converter is a free online tool that converts images into text using optical character recognition (OCR). We built it because most converters ask you to upload your files to a stranger's server, add watermarks, or limit how much you can use them.
Our approach
- Private by design. Recognition runs in your browser. Your images are not uploaded to us.
- Free and simple. No account, no sign-up and no usage caps.
- Accessible. The tool works with a keyboard, on phones, and in light or dark mode.
Technology
The tool uses Tesseract.js, a JavaScript port of the open-source Tesseract OCR engine. It is a static website made of plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
How we pay for it
Running a website costs money, so Free Image to Text Converter may display advertising. We keep ads separate from the tool and never sell your images, because we never receive them.
Questions or feedback? Visit our contact page.
Privacy Policy
Last updated: September 28, 2026
This policy explains what information Free Image to Text Converter ("we", "us") handles when you use https://www.example.com (the "Site").
1. Your images and extracted text
Text recognition happens locally in your web browser. The images you select and the text extracted from them are not uploaded to or stored on our servers. When you close or refresh the page, they are gone.
2. Files loaded from third parties
To work, the tool loads the open-source Tesseract.js library from cdnjs (Cloudflare) and, when you run recognition, the OCR engine files and language data for your chosen language from a public content delivery network. These requests do not include your image. Like any web request, they may expose your IP address and browser details to those providers.
3. Information collected automatically
Our hosting provider (Cloudflare) may keep standard server logs, such as IP address, browser type, pages requested and timestamps, for security and performance.
4. Cookies and local storage
We use your browser's local storage to remember your theme (light or dark) and your cookie consent choice. These are strictly functional. Advertising partners may set their own cookies as described below.
5. Advertising
We may display ads from Google AdSense. Google and its partners use cookies or similar technologies to serve ads based on your visits to this and other websites, and to measure ad performance. Personalised advertising can be managed in Google Ad Settings, and you can learn more about how Google uses information in its partner-sites policy. You can also opt out of non-Google vendors at aboutads.info. Where required by law, ad cookies are only used after you accept them in our cookie banner.
6. Your choices and rights
You can change or withdraw cookie consent at any time by clearing this site's data in your browser settings, which will show the banner again. Depending on where you live (for example the EEA, UK or California), you may have rights to access, correct or delete personal data we hold. Because we do not collect your images and store little else, there is generally nothing to delete, but you can contact us any time.
7. Children
The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information.
8. Changes
We may update this policy and will change the date above when we do.
9. Contact
Questions about this policy: trikuraj@gmail.com.
Terms of Use
Last updated: September 28, 2026
By using Free Image to Text Converter (the "Site") you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.
1. The service
The Site provides a free, browser-based tool for extracting text from images using OCR. We may change, suspend or discontinue any part of it at any time.
2. Acceptable use
You agree to use the Site lawfully and only with images you have the right to use. You must not use it to infringe intellectual property or privacy rights, to process unlawful content, or to interfere with the Site's operation.
3. Accuracy disclaimer
OCR results can contain errors. The Site is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind. Always check the output before relying on it, especially for legal, financial, medical or other important purposes.
4. Your content
You keep all rights to your images and extracted text. Because processing happens in your browser, we do not receive or store them.
5. Intellectual property
The Site's design, text and code are owned by us or our licensors. The OCR engine is open-source software distributed under its own licence.
6. Advertising and third-party links
The Site may show ads and link to third-party sites. We do not control and are not responsible for their content or practices.
7. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any indirect, incidental or consequential damages, or for loss of data or profits, arising from your use of the Site.
8. Changes
We may update these terms by posting a new version here. Continued use means you accept the changes.
9. Contact
Questions? Email trikuraj@gmail.com. See also our Privacy Policy.