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, and
SimpleOCR and have
determined that ABBYY
FineReader 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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