While the native notes app lets you scan documents, it’s still doesn’t have OCR for scanned docs. And let’s be honest, without OCR, document “scanning” is just taking a picture and cropping it. So, today, we will take a look at some of the best OCR apps for iOS smartphones to scan images to text. You can easily replace your office scanner now.
There are other reasons why you should have an OCR app on your iPhone. You are a student and want to copy notes from a friend’s book or from the blackboard directly. You are a professional and need to copy and edit text from the presentation or whiteboard. Quickly scan recipes or other important text from a book. You get the picture. The list is endless.
Let’s begin.
Best OCR Apps for iPhone
Also Read: 5 Best OCR App for Android
1. Text Scanner
Text Scanner is an OCR app that supports more than 50 languages. Just point the camera at the text and scan. You can scan multiple images at once in which case, the scans are read and converted in the background. Too many scans? You can search for text inside scanned images.
Text Scanner is slightly on the expensive side. You pay $7.99/month or $60.99/year and get 50 scans that are ad-free. Yes, ads are not removed completely in the premium version.
Pros:
- Folder support
- Language pack
Cons:
- Ads in the premium version
- No handwriting
- No cloud storage
2. Scanner for Me + OCR
Scanner for Me supports and reads both printed and handwritten text which is great for students especially. Scanning paper notes and receipts was never easier. It supports only about 10 foreign languages at the moment. Where this OCR app for iOS really shines is the ability to create and save your digital signatures. You can now sign official documents while on the move. You can upload and save scans in a number of cloud storage sites like Drive, iCloud, and OneDrive.
Paying one-time is a lot cheaper than subscription payments. Scanner for Me will cost you $6.99 but doesn’t come with a trial or free version.
Pros:
- Language pack
- Handwriting
- Sign docs
- Cloud storage
Cons:
- None
3. Scanbot
Scanbot is the more powerful sibling of Scanner for me. You can not only scan images but also PDF files with a resolution of more than 200 dpi. If you don’t know what that means, know that scan quality is high and this is what most premium OCR scanner apps use. You can further improve scan quality by changing scans with black & white or color filters. Supports not only cloud storage sites but also FTP and webDAV.
Scanbot is a powerful app and there is a reason why it is so popular. It comes with beautiful themes that not only changes the way how the app looks but also improves user experience.
Scanbot Lite (OCR is supported in the Lite and Pro version only) will cost $4.99 but we recommend Pro version that costs $6.99 and adds features like annotation & sign, filters, security, and more. Note that you will need to buy credits to send fax.
Pros:
- Cloud storage with FTP, WebDAV
- Themes
- Filters
- Sign docs
- Handwriting support
- QR and barcode scanner
- Send Fax
- Support for iOS 12 Shortcuts.
Cons:
- None
Also Read: 5 Best OCR Software for Big Documents – 2018
4. Microsoft Office Lens
Microsoft Office Lens is a really powerful app when it comes to OCR support for handwriting. Whether you are scanning whiteboards or handwritten notes, Office Lens does a stellar job of scanning and converting images to text that you can later edit easily. Because it is powered by Microsoft, you can edit these scanned images in Docs and PowerPoint too.
There is support for popular cloud storage sites and one of them is OneNote. Yup. A lot of people use Office Lens to scan business cards and save them in the popular note-taking app. The biggest draw of Office Lens is that it is completely free which means if you are an Office 365 user, this is a no-brainer for you.
Pros:
- Office 365 integration
- OneNote, Docs, PowerPoint support
- Cloud storage
- Handwriting
- Annotation tools
Cons:
- Can’t sign docs
Download Microsoft Office Lens
5. Adobe Scan
Adobe is the leading authority when it comes to PDFs and documents. They built an entire business upon it. Needless to say, their image to text scanner with OCR technology is some of the best in the industry. Adobe Scan works with Microsoft Office so you can turn images into office docs and edit in the respective format. You can scan business cards to save docs or simply sign documents.
The images are sharp and Adobe automatically detects most elements correctly rendering high-quality text. The only caveat is that Adobe is, and has always been, a closed platform. You pay $9.99 to be able to export PDF files. Adobe Scan makes more sense if you are deep into the Adobe ecosystem and are a paying subscriber.
6. Scanner Pro
Readdle is known for developing some of the best apps in the world. I mean Spark mail is the best mail app right now! Scanner Pro is no different. Apart from scanning both printed and handwritten notes, Scanner Pro is the only OCR app for iOS that comes with Workflows. What’s that?
Workflows allow you to define a series of actions that will take place with a single tap. For example, you can scan an image, send it to a recipient via email, and later save that scan to a Google Drive folder with a single click. This makes life easier for people who work with scans day in and day out.
Scanner Pro will cost you $3.99 and you can buy additional credits for sending fax. Unfortunately, to annotate and sign PDFs created with Scanner Pro, you need another of their app called PDF Expert. While it’s a good app, it’s not for everyone.
Pros:
- Workflows
- Cloud storage
- Handwriting support
- Fax
Cons:
- No document sign
- No annotation
Also Read: Take a Picture of Handwriting And Convert to Text – Android Apps
7. CamScanner
CamScanner is probably the most famous OCR apps for iOS smartphones and tablets. As far as features are concerned, it has got it all. You can scan pretty much anything and turn it into either image or PDF, sign documents, store these docs in cloud storage of your choice, add or edit text, annotate, and fax. One additional feature that CamScanner offers over others is the ability to add watermark to your documents.
This opens up new possibilities like watermark for company logo, confidential, and so on. Another unique feature is a collaboration where you can invite others to not just view but comment on these documents as well. Finally, you can share documents after password-protecting it.
CamScanner is also the most expensive of the lot and more ideal for companies who are looking for an enterprise solution, although individuals also use it. It will cost you $1.99 to just remove ads, $4.99/month for the premium version and fax credits are extra (just like in other OCR scanner apps).
Pros:
- Cloud Storage
- Sign docs
- Handwriting support
- Annotate
- Collaborate
- Password-protected sharing
- Add watermarks
- Fax
Cons:
- None
8. Scan to PDF
Scan to PDF is another powerful OCR app for iOS smartphones to scan images and convert them to editable text. Like some other apps mentioned in the list, you can get a corporate license. It comes with a special Book Mode which scans twice and removes bent or curved book lines and then joins it back again. The effect is a better looking digital book.
It comes with a monthly subscription but I would suggest the lifetime plan which will cost $59.99, still better than paying monthly or yearly.
Pros:
- Sign
- Annotate
- SIRI commands
- Password-protected sharing
- Cloud storage
Cons:
- No fax
9. Speechify
Speechify is not exactly an OCR app, rather it’s a text to speech app focused on dyslexic people. The way it works is, it’ll read a document or a book to you like an audiobook using OCR. Simply take pictures of handwritten text or physical box and it will post them using OCR and then read that out. Useful, if you want to listen to your document while driving, walking, eating etc.
Pros:
- Text-to-speech
- Handwriting support
Cons:
- No fax
- Annotate
Best OCR Apps for iPhone
There are a number of OCR apps that will help you take care of your paper clutter and convert every note, receipt, bill, and document into its digital version. Depending on your needs, you can go for free apps that offer basic features, paid apps that let you scan and share with the world, and scanners that offer enterprise solutions.
