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Helvety OCR
File ToolsJul 11, 2026Art by Anny Meisser Vonzun
Extract text from PDFs and images in the browser. Scanned pages use on-device OCR in English or German. Born-digital PDFs use their text layer first. Files stay on your device (up to 100 MB per file, 50 PDF pages).
About
Turn a scan, photo, or PDF into plain text you can read, copy, or download. English and German recognition run on your device. A born-digital PDF uses its text layer first, and OCR runs only when that layer is not enough. Files stay in your browser (up to 100 MB, 50 PDF pages). Helvety is Switzerland-first and not offered in the EU/EEA; see our Privacy Policy for details.
Access
Open the tool without signing in. It is free to use.
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
The file stays in your browser, so you can pull text from a sensitive document without uploading it.
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 100 MB per file and 50 PDF pages
- No login or account required
- Dark & light mode support