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Show All Software in This Category
 There are several OCR applications available to convert scanned images to
text, Word, HTML or searchable PDF. The differences between them can often
be obscure, leaving many to wonder why some applications
cost about $100 while
others cost $500.
 The main features that differentiate OCR applications are:
- Character recognition accuracy
- Page layout reconstruction accuracy
- Multi-engine voting technology
- Support for languages
- Support for searchable PDF output
- Speed
- User interface
We have tested the latest versions of
FineReader,
OmniPage,
ReadIRIS,
TextBridge and
SimpleOCR and have
determined that
 ABBYY
FineReader 11
is the best overall value for business users, while
ReadIRIS is the best
solution for under $150.
The key deciding factors were:
- User interface design
- Page layout reconstruction capabilities
- Extensive language support
- Stability of the engine when processing large documents
- Quality and availability of technical support
Though other testing labs have ranked OmniPage's overall accuracy slightly
higher, we find the difference is pretty negligible. All modern OCR
applications have very good accuracy, so we recommend going with the one that has
particular special features like ABBYY FineReader's screenshot reader or ReadIRIS's CardIRIS included in the Corporate version.
Because of the infinite combinations of document types, OCR engines and
settings, it may be possible that one engine may perform better with your
particular documents than another. For this reason,
ScanStore provides demo downloads for
all its OCR Software
with your ScanStore User
Account. Because of this variability and the subjectivity of user
interface preferences, we recommend using the demos to see which performs best
with your documents.
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OCR Software |
Use the
Buy Now buttons to download and activate your software immediately when you order.
Other download orders take 1-2 hours (8AM-5PM EST M-F) to generate a license.
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ABBYY FineReader
11 Professional - FineReader Professional is
a highly
accurate and easy to use OCR application that includes host of features
including digital camera OCR, intelligent document layouts, image
enhancement, barcode recognition and command line integration.
FineReader 11 is our pick for desktop OCR because its document layout
retention will save you much time in reformatting documents you convert
for editing.
ABBYY FineReader
11 Corporate - FineReader Corporate Edition offers unique
concurrent licensing that makes it possible for many users who need
occasional use of OCR to share a small
pool of active licenses. With accuracy comparable to OmniPage,
superior technical support services and
a user interface that many users find preferable, we think FineReader
Corporate is
the best choice of OCR software for business.
CVision PDF Compressor Desktop
PdfCompressor Desktop Edition (OCR) is a more economical version of PdfCompressor Professional
(OCR), designed for lower-volume users. This version requires files to be processed individually and files
must not exceed 100 pages. An excellent choice for someone who needs the power, but not the volume.
IRIS
ReadIRIS Pro 14 - Affordable OCR solution for business
 and home users.
ReadIRIS Pro provides a extremely accurate OCR recognition rate at a low
cost, but still has some of the advanced features that higher priced
professional OCR software includes.
IRIS ReadIRIS Corporate 14 - Adds support for files over 50
pages, business card recognition, as well as automatic processing of hot
folders.
 Nuance
OmniPage Pro 18 - OmniPage is widely considered the fastest,
most accurate and fully featured OCR application.
OmniPage 18 Professional has a unique new feature that lets you convert
any type of document to searchable PDF or Word.
OmniPage does not have a downloadable demo. Nuance also does not provide free technical
support after the first call. For these reasons we recommend the ABBYY and
IRIS products instead.
CVision PDF Compressor Professional
PdfCompressor produces the most efficient image documents possible for high volume scanning
environments by combining highly accurate OCR, advanced file compression, and batch PDF
conversion. PdfCompressor can compress scans by a factor of 10-100, enabling documents to be stored,
transmitted, accessed, and hosted more efficiently and less expensively.
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Apple Macintosh OCR Software |
ABBYY FineReader Express for Mac - an easy to use OCR application for creating
editable and searchable files from scanned documents, PDFs and digital camera
images. The one-click conversion feature instantly turns paper documents into various
electronic formats, including MS Word, Excel, Outlook attachments and searchable PDF
Nuance OmniPage X for Mac - OmniPage OCR for Macintosh users.
This version does not use the latest OmniPage engine, but provides good
accuracy nonetheless. Once again, Nuance does not make a demo
download available.
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Server Based OCR Software |
ABBYY
Recognition Server - Innovative server-based solution
 for
performing centralized enterprise-wide OCR processing. Processor
license allows anyone on the network to submit files for OCR.
Complex XML job specifications can be submitted to control output.
Support available for Arabic and Asian languages.
CVision Maestro Innovative server-based OCR software
CVISION Maestro Recognition Server has been engineered and designed for industrial strength, corporate
volume scanning & OCR needs. Maestro provides a flexible OCR solution delivered from a centralized server
which enables organizations to easily integrate into their existing document and imaging workflow, while
providing multiple workflow accessibility allowing users to perform many image processing functions beyond
OCR.
IRISDocument Server - IRISDocument
Server is a lower cost solution
compared to
 recognition server, but lacks some of the more advanced
features and has slightly lower accuracy. Several versions are
available with varying monthly page processing limitations, letting you
scale your solution to meet your budget requirements.
Asian,
Arabic and
Hebrew language packs
are also available.
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Foreign Language OCR Software Solutions |
Chinese, Japanese, Korean & Thai OCR Software
 ABBYY
FineReader 11 Professional - FineReader Professional 11 includes
Chinese, Japanese and Thai languages in their base package.
No special version or add-on is required.
ABBYY FineReader
11 Corporate - FineReader Corporate includes Chinese, Japanese and Thai character recognition in their base package. No special version or add-on is required.
IRIS ReadIRIS Pro 14
ReadIRIS 14 Pro now includes Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Korean character recognition in their base package. No special version or add-on is required.
IRIS ReadIRIS Corporate 14
Adds the ability to recognize files over 50 pages, business cards and
monitor a hot folder to automatically process images in the background.
IRISDocument Server
Asian Language Pack
Enables Chinese, Japanese and Korean character recognition in a
server-based solution.
ABBYY
Recognition Server
Add 30% to the cost of the Recognition Server license to add Chinese,
Japanese & Korean (CJK) language support. Thai character
recognition language pack is also available, but is sold separately from
CJK.
Arabic, Farsi & Hebrew OCR Software
IRIS ReadIRIS Pro 14
ReadIRIS 14 Pro now includes Arabic (PC version only), Farsi, and Hebrew character recognition in their base package. No special version or add-on is required.
IRIS ReadIRIS Corporate 14
Adds the ability to recognize files over 50 pages, business cards and
monitor a hot folder to automatically process images in the background.
IRISDocument
Server Arabic
Language Pack
Enables Arabic and Farsi character recognition in a server-based
OCR software.
ABBYY FineReader
11 Professional - FineReader Professional 11 supports
Hebrew character recognition and now has an optional version with
additional Arabic character recognition.
It does not include Farsi recognition.
ABBYY FineReader
11 Corporate - FineReader Corporate 11 also supports
Hebrew character recognition and now has an optional version with
additional Arabic character recognition.
It does not include Farsi recognition.
ABBYY
Recognition Server
Add 30% to the cost of the Recognition Server license to add Hebrew
language character recognition support.
NovoDynamics NovoVerus Standard
NovoVerus supports an exceptionally wide range of Roman, Asian, Cyrillic and Middle Eastern languages, including challenging global languages like Arabic, Persian (Farsi, Dari), Pashto, Hebrew, Urdu, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Korean, Russian, English and Spanish.
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Inexpensive & Free OCR Software |
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![TextBridge [KEYWORD]](http://www.scanstore.com/images/Texbridgebox.jpg) Nuance
TextBridge - The classic TextBridge engine is still available as
an affordable alternative to high priced engines. It gives you an
ultra-low cost, yet still accurate OCR software with out all the extra
features. Allows you to output to web pages, Word documents and
more while retaining the layout of the page, but does not include PDF
output.
**NOT Compatible with Windows Vista**
SimpleOCR - Our own freeware
OCR application provides acceptable accuracy for those who just need to
convert a few pages and can't justify the cost of commercial
OCR software. Developers can use the
command-line and SDK
versions to integrate SimpleOCR with their custom applications.
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There are many types of document scanning software and finding the right one can be confusing.
ScanStore has several original guides to help you find the right software for your project.
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