ScanLex — OCR text recognitionScanLex

PDF to Word and text recognition — online and on your PC

Turn PDFs, scans and photos into editable Word, Excel and plain text — tables and layout included. Free online or with the Windows app. A solid FineReader alternative.

Free · no install

Online recognition

Right in your browser — nothing to install

Upload a file and download the finished document about a minute later. Perfect for quickly processing a couple of documents from any device.

  • Nothing to install — runs in the browser
  • Works on desktop, tablet or phone
  • Word, Excel, TXT and searchable PDF
  • Your result is usually ready in a minute
  • Free
Recognize online
Files are stored temporarily and used only for recognition.
Offline · maximum privacy

Windows app

Installs on your PC and works offline

Recognition runs entirely on your PC — files never leave the machine. The right choice for sensitive documents and high-volume scanning.

  • Fully offline — documents never leave your computer
  • Suitable for contracts, invoices and ID documents
  • No limits on file size or number of files
  • Built-in viewer, saves to Word / Excel / TXT / PDF
  • 14-day free trial, then a one-off purchase or subscription
About the app & download
Windows 10 / 11 · free trial, no payment or sign-up required.
The online service and the desktop app run on the same recognition engine — the output is identical, so pick whichever suits you.

Accuracy and tables

Text, tables, fonts and layout are carried over just like the original.

The formats you need

Word, Excel, plain text and searchable PDF with a text layer.

Fast and simple

Upload, recognize, download. No complicated settings.

PDF to Word and OCR — frequently asked questions

ScanLex is optical character recognition (OCR) and document conversion: PDF to Word, scan to Word, photo to text, PDF to text and table recognition into Excel. Free online or with the Windows app.

How do I convert a PDF to Word?

Upload the file to ScanLex — it recognizes the text and tables and saves an editable Word (DOCX) document with the layout preserved. You can convert PDF to Word free online in your browser or in the Windows app.

How do I recognize text from a scan or photo?

ScanLex reads text from photos and scans (PDF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, WEBP) and moves it into Word, Excel or TXT with tables and formatting intact. It handles photos taken with a phone camera too.

How do I edit a PDF?

To edit the text in a PDF, recognize the file into Word and edit text and tables in the editor you already know. If needed, the result can be saved back to PDF with a searchable, copyable text layer.

Is online text recognition free?

Yes. Online recognition on this site is free, with no installation and no sign-up. The ScanLex app for Windows works offline: 14 days free, then a one-off purchase.

How is ScanLex different from ABBYY FineReader?

ScanLex is a lightweight FineReader alternative: text and table recognition, a free online service and an inexpensive Windows app. Processing happens on our own servers in Russia, or fully offline on your PC with the desktop app.