Top 3 Best OCR Software for Windows 10

Have you ever had tons of books that you need to rewrite exactly the same way that they were typed? Typing even 100 pages off a book will leave your fingers stiff for a whole week.

Thanks to OCR software, people no longer have to type through thousands of pages that were already laid down on sheets. The OCR software programs can be used in so many ways, helping you achieve more digitally.

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What is OCR Software?

Before getting into anything major, let’s first get to know what an OCR software is. Optical Character Reader (OCR) is a software program that can read specific characters on sheets and convert them into digital characters.

The Best OCR Software

In simple language, it is a software that helps you convert printed data to digital data without typing. In order for the software to work, you need hardware that can scan the printed data optically.

The hardware can be a:

  • Camera
  • Scanner (document scanner)
  • OCR optical scanner

When using a camera or document scanner, a person first takes a clean photo of the whole page and later passes it through the OCR software for character recognition.

With an OCR scanner, you just need to pass it on the printed page for character recognition. All these methods can be done from the Windows 10 Operating System.

This brings us to the question; Which OCR software is the best to use on the Windows 10 operating system?

Top OCR Software for Windows 10

There are tons of OCR software programs circulating around the web. Here are a few that have proved to be the most useful software ever made:

1. ABBYY FineReader

If you are looking for a program that will take care of everything for you, I guess, ABBY FineReader is the answer. The Optical Recognition Software is a paid program that reads through scanned documents with perfection.

Fine Reader OCR Software

The program can correct any readings that seem off by using its advanced coding and dictionary. You no longer have to wait for the agonizing hours the letter by letter OCR takes to complete its task.

The software is web-based as well as downloadable. You can get a copy of the software from the developers’ website as a trial version.

The trial version of the ABBYY FineReader OCR lasts for about 30 days. After the trial period is over, you can purchase the software at $160 (price varies from time to time).

Pros

  • Works with an earlier version of Windows. The OCR software supports earlier versions of Windows as well as Windows 10. You can download the software for use on your Windows 10 or use it on another computer that is yet to be upgraded.
  • It is a compact software. The ABBYY FineReader Software does not require much space for installation. This is an advantage to almost anyone who wants to save up on space for faster performance.
  • Converts the pages to e-books and general extensions. The software can convert the scanned pages to digital pages in the form of e-books, pdf or Word files. These files are ready for use on any of the modern readers.
  • The conversion takes less time as the OCR uses an intelligent algorithm to detect the characters in sentences.

Cons

  • To acquire the software, one needs to pay more than $100. Even for a guy who is super lazy with his work, that price seems high for an OCR software.

Though most software programs are sold at higher prices, this one is a bit too much for its kind. Since the developers have seen the absurdness of this price, they have gone ahead and made an online version of the software.

The web version of the OCR is provided for free, giving the software an upper hand in the market.

2. Readiris

Readiris is also another OCR software that can help you with the printed sheets. The software has a uniform and layout that makes it possible for a newbie to operate it without difficulties.

Readiris - OCR Software for Windows 10

It also has a layout that is much similar to most of the file editors available. One only needs a few minutes to learn the configuration of the software.

Pros

  • The software is easy to use: You can use the software without prior knowledge since the layout is simple and distinctive. The defined layout also gives the user hints on how to use each element.
  • The software allows users to cut certain parts of the processed document. You do not have to save the whole file for hefty work later.
  • The software is fast: You can do multiple operations using the software as is the opposite case with the other software programs. The inclusion of character editing makes it one of the best OCRs in the market.
  • The Readiris OCR comes with a free 10-day period at which you can sample the features. This is more than enough time for you to finish up with the hundreds of pages that need typing.
  • You can also scan barcodes and similar characters.

Cons

  • The software may be a bit slower than the ABBYY OCR because of the editing that follows. In the long run, however, it is faster since you will have finished up with the editing part.

3. Microsoft OneNote

When you need something free that gets the job done, Microsoft’s OneNote should be at the top of your list. OneNote is an OCR software that recognizes characters on pictures and saves them as notes.

OneNote OCR Software

The software has been around ever since the development of MS Office. It is the best and most used OCR in the World.

Pros

  • You can get most of your work done and save it automatically on the cloud. The software syncs with OneDrive every time you make changes to your notes. This makes the updated notes available on any device that syncs with your OneDrive account.
  • The software is free on Windows 10. The software is free and is, therefore, widely used by Windows users. It comes pre-installed on Windows 10 whereas MS office also has a copy of it.
  • The software is pretty simple to use: With one click of a button, your images will be processed into documents which are saved as notes. You can save the documents as different extension types afterwards.

Cons

  • Although the software is free, some people do not use it since it is not focused on the task which OCRs are supposed to be on. It is a general note editor which lacks most of the features premium Optical Character Recognition software programs have. This can be overlooked, however, when someone sees the $0 price tag on the software.

1 thought on “Top 3 Best OCR Software for Windows 10”

  1. Great list, I have used ReadIris and like how convenient it is. Also, are you familiar with Grooper OCR? I have a friend who is using it to find and capture invoice data. Might be a good one to consider for your list.

    Reply

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