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File Tools
Helvety OCR
Extract text from PDFs and images in the browser. Scanned pages run on-device OCR; born-digital PDFs use their text layer first and fall back to OCR when it is insufficient. Read, copy, or download plain text; files stay on your device.
Helvety OCR
File ToolsJul 11, 2026Art by Anny Meisser Vonzun
Extract text from PDFs and images in the browser. Scanned pages run on-device OCR; born-digital PDFs use their text layer first and fall back to OCR when it is insufficient. Read, copy, or download plain text; files stay on your device.
About
Helvety OCR reads text out of PDFs and images without uploading your files. Drop a scan or photo and on-device optical character recognition transcribes it; drop a born-digital PDF and the app uses the existing text layer first, falling back to OCR when that layer is insufficient. When extraction finishes you can read the text on screen, copy it, or download a plain .txt file. Helvety is Switzerland-first and not offered in the EU/EEA; see our Privacy Policy for details.
Access model
Open the tool without signing in. Usage stays free; automated safeguards keep abusive floods from degrading shared infrastructure.
What it handles
- Images in PNG, JPEG, and WebP formats.
- Scanned or image-only PDFs, transcribed page by page with on-device OCR.
- Born-digital PDFs, where the existing text layer is used first and OCR runs when that layer is insufficient.
- English and German text recognition, selectable in the sidebar.
- Per-file ceiling of 100 MB and up to 50 pages per PDF; actual throughput depends on your device.
Privacy posture
Because the file bytes never leave your browser tab, you can extract text from sensitive documents the same way you would with an offline tool, minus the install step.
Access
Current Helvety products in this catalog are free to use with no paid tiers or subscriptions.
Features
- Client-side OCR for scanned pages and images
- Born-digital PDFs use their text layer first, with OCR fallback when needed
- PNG, JPEG, and WebP image support
- English and German recognition
- Read, copy, or download extracted text as .txt
- Up to 100MB per file; up to 50 pages per PDF
- No login or account required
- Dark & light mode support