# Best Hindi OCR Tools in 2026: Free Devanagari OCR Compared (हिन्दी OCR)

## Short answer
This page compares ten Hindi OCR options on what their own pages document: Hindi support, outputs, sign-up, file limits and watermarks. We make FastOCR and give no Hindi accuracy score to any tool. Pick FastOCR for a searchable PDF, Word or Markdown from a Hindi scan, with images free and no sign-up. Pick OCR.space for a free API, or Tesseract for offline use.

By the FastOCR team · Updated 4 November 2026 · Documentation checked 4 November 2026 · We make FastOCR. Accuracy figures come from our own test of each tool we scored, ours included, on the same scans; other facts link to each tool's own pages. [How we tested](https://fastocr.org/blog/best-hindi-ocr-tools#method)

Try it here: upload an image or scanned page at https://fastocr.org/image-to-text

## Verdict
**Pick FastOCR if:**
- Your Hindi source is a scanned PDF and you need a searchable PDF back, or Word and Markdown from a Hindi photo.
- You want to try a Hindi photo with no sign-up and no watermark, then translate or clean up the finished image.
- Your pages mix Hindi and English and you want one upload box with no language menu to set.
- You send Hindi pages from code through a REST API, Python SDK or MCP server.

**Pick another tool if:**
- You want a free API to prototype with: OCR.space documents one, with 1 MB files and 3 PDF pages.
- You want an offline engine to script: Tesseract has a Hindi data file and runs on your own machine.
- Your file is small and simple and you already work in Google Docs: its help page lists Hindi.

## Best for
- **A scanned Hindi PDF that must be searchable, or a Hindi photo as Word or Markdown:** [FastOCR (our tool)](https://fastocr.org/blog/best-hindi-ocr-tools#fastocr). Images get text, a one-page searchable PDF, Word and Markdown with no sign-up. Proofread matras and conjuncts against your page before you rely on the text.
- **A free API to prototype Hindi OCR with:** [OCR.space](https://fastocr.org/blog/best-hindi-ocr-tools#ocr-space). Its language table marks Hindi, and the free API takes 1 MB files and 3 PDF pages. Free searchable PDFs are watermarked. ([source](https://ocr.space/ocrapi))
- **One Hindi image, text only, no account:** [imagetotext.info](https://fastocr.org/blog/best-hindi-ocr-tools#imagetotext-info). Its page does not ask you to register and returns text, Word, HTML or Markdown, though its home page does not name Hindi. ([source](https://www.imagetotext.info/))
- **An offline engine you script yourself:** [Tesseract](https://fastocr.org/blog/best-hindi-ocr-tools#tesseract). Free under the Apache License, with a Hindi data file. You run it from the command line or from code. ([source](https://tesseract-ocr.github.io/tessdoc/Data-Files-in-different-versions.html))
- **A scanned PDF made searchable with no account:** [PDF24](https://fastocr.org/blog/best-hindi-ocr-tools#pdf24). No registration; you pick Hindi by hand from its language menu and get a searchable PDF or PDF/A. ([source](https://tools.pdf24.org/en/ocr-pdf))
- **A small, simple Hindi file you will edit in Google Docs:** [Google Drive](https://fastocr.org/blog/best-hindi-ocr-tools#google-drive). Its help page lists Hindi and asks for files of 2 MB or smaller, right side up. ([source](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692))
- **One Hindi page you want deleted within 30 minutes:** [i2OCR](https://fastocr.org/blog/best-hindi-ocr-tools#i2ocr). Hindi is on its menu of 128 languages, and its FAQ says outputs are deleted within 30 minutes. It handles one image or PDF page per run. ([source](https://www.i2ocr.com/faq))
- **Hindi PDFs inside a PDF toolkit you already use:** [iLovePDF](https://fastocr.org/blog/best-hindi-ocr-tools#ilovepdf). OCR PDF sits beside merge and compress, and Hindi is on its document language list. ([source](https://www.ilovepdf.com/ocr-pdf))

## Comparison table
| Tool | Hindi on its language list | Free without sign-up | Outputs | Free limits |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FastOCR (our tool) | Detected automatically | Images: yes. PDFs: free account. | Text, searchable PDF, Word, Markdown | Guests: daily image cap. No watermark. |
| OCR.space | Listed on its language table ([source](https://ocr.space/)) | Yes, no registration ([source](https://ocr.space/)) | Text, JSON, searchable PDF ([source](https://ocr.space/ocrapi)) | Free API: 1 MB files, 3 PDF pages, searchable PDF watermarked ([source](https://ocr.space/ocrapi)) |
| imagetotext.info | Not named on its home page ([source](https://www.imagetotext.info/)) | Yes, no registration ([source](https://www.imagetotext.info/)) | Text, Word, HTML, Markdown ([source](https://www.imagetotext.info/)) | Several files at once need an upgrade ([source](https://www.imagetotext.info/)) |
| Tesseract | Hindi data file ([source](https://tesseract-ocr.github.io/tessdoc/Data-Files-in-different-versions.html)) | Open source; you install it ([source](https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tesseract)) | Text, hOCR, PDF, TSV, ALTO ([source](https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tesseract)) | Not stated ([source](https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tesseract)) |
| PDF24 | Listed; you pick it by hand ([source](https://tools.pdf24.org/en/ocr-pdf)) | Yes, no registration ([source](https://tools.pdf24.org/en/ocr-pdf)) | Searchable PDF or PDF/A ([source](https://tools.pdf24.org/en/ocr-pdf)) | Files deleted after one hour ([source](https://tools.pdf24.org/en/ocr-pdf)) |
| Google Drive | Listed ([source](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692)) | Works inside your Google Drive ([source](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692)) | A Google Doc ([source](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692)) | Files of 2 MB or smaller ([source](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692)) |
| Microsoft OneNote | Not stated ([source](https://support.microsoft.com/OneNote/onenote-help-and-learning/copy-text-from-pictures-and-file-printouts-using-ocr-in-onenote)) | Not stated ([source](https://support.microsoft.com/OneNote/onenote-help-and-learning/copy-text-from-pictures-and-file-printouts-using-ocr-in-onenote)) | Text copied from the picture ([source](https://support.microsoft.com/OneNote/onenote-help-and-learning/copy-text-from-pictures-and-file-printouts-using-ocr-in-onenote)) | Not stated ([source](https://support.microsoft.com/OneNote/onenote-help-and-learning/copy-text-from-pictures-and-file-printouts-using-ocr-in-onenote)) |
| i2OCR | Listed ([source](https://www.i2ocr.com/)) | Not stated ([source](https://www.i2ocr.com/)) | Text, Word, HTML, searchable PDF ([source](https://www.i2ocr.com/)) | One page per PDF run; 20 MB images, 200 MB PDFs ([source](https://www.i2ocr.com/faq)) |
| iLovePDF | Listed ([source](https://www.ilovepdf.com/ocr-pdf)) | Not stated ([source](https://www.ilovepdf.com/ocr-pdf)) | Searchable PDF ([source](https://www.ilovepdf.com/ocr-pdf)) | Not stated ([source](https://www.ilovepdf.com/ocr-pdf)) |
| OnlineOCR.net | Does not list Hindi ([source](https://www.onlineocr.net/)) | Guests: yes, 5 files an hour ([source](https://www.onlineocr.net/)) | Text, Word, Excel ([source](https://www.onlineocr.net/)) | Guests: up to 15 MB ([source](https://www.onlineocr.net/)) |

## Why FastOCR
- **Scanned PDFs.** Scanned PDF in, searchable PDF out; text copies in the right order, including right-to-left.
- **Photos and screenshots.** Every image upload gets raw text and a single-page searchable PDF, plus Word and Markdown.
- **Languages.** 100+ languages, detected automatically, including mixed pages. Share of characters wrong on our evidence scans (lower is better): Arabic 2.6%, Urdu 9.1%, Bengali 7.4%, Tamil 2.2%, Chinese 1.0%.
- **Free use.** Images: free, no sign-up, no watermark. PDFs: free account.
- **Translation and AI Polish.** Translate or clean up the text of a finished image.

## Proof
No tool was scored on Hindi accuracy for this page. It compares what each vendor documents about Hindi, outputs, sign-up and limits, and we make FastOCR. Check any tool on a page of your own before you rely on it.

## What each tool documents for Hindi
We read each vendor's own pages on 4 November 2026 and recorded what they say about Hindi, outputs, sign-up and free limits. We do not rank these tools by accuracy on Hindi, and we make FastOCR, so weigh the picks above with that in mind.

Hindi on the vendor pages:
- OCR.space, PDF24, Google Drive, i2OCR, iLovePDF: Hindi is listed.
- Tesseract: a Hindi data file is available.
- imagetotext.info: Hindi is not named on its home page, so test a page before relying on it.
- OnlineOCR.net: its 46 recognition languages do not include Hindi.
- Microsoft OneNote: its help page does not list languages.
- FastOCR: detects the script automatically.

Listing a language is a claim by the vendor, not a measurement. A tool that lists Hindi can still garble matras on your page, and one that does not may read it. Run a short test page through your shortlist and compare the result with the source.

## Why Hindi trips up OCR
Devanagari hangs its letters from a horizontal headline, so neighbouring letters touch and a line looks like one connected strip. Vowel signs (matras) attach above, below, before or after a consonant, and two or three consonants fuse into one conjunct glyph. An engine that finds letter boundaries by gaps has few gaps to find.

The errors that matter are small. A dropped nukta dot turns one sound into another, a missed matra changes the word, and a broken conjunct leaves a stray half-letter. Each of those is a one-character mistake even when the sentence still looks right.

## What to check when you proofread Devanagari
Read the output against the page for these four things before you rely on it:
- Matras on the right consonant, especially short and long i and u.
- Conjuncts that came out as two separate letters.
- Nukta dots on borrowed sounds.
- English words, digits and punctuation in bilingual lines, which switch script mid-line.

## 1. FastOCR (our tool)
**Best for:** Scanned Hindi PDFs and photos that must come back as a searchable PDF, Word or Markdown.

**Watch out for:** Proofread matras and conjuncts against your page. Guests face a daily image cap, and PDFs need a free account.

Upload a Hindi photo or screenshot and FastOCR detects the script itself, so there is no language menu to set and mixed Hindi and English lines go through in one pass. Images need no account and carry no watermark. You get raw text, a one-page searchable PDF, [Word](https://fastocr.org/image-to-word) and Markdown. Start on the [Hindi OCR](https://fastocr.org/hindi-ocr) page.

A scanned PDF comes back as a [searchable PDF](https://fastocr.org/make-pdf-searchable) with a text layer, plus text, Word and Markdown, once you sign in for free. A finished Hindi image can also be [translated](https://fastocr.org/translate) or tidied with [AI Polish](https://fastocr.org/ai-polish); neither works on PDFs. Developers can use the [REST API, Python SDK and MCP server](https://fastocr.org/ocr-api).

## 2. OCR.space
**Best for:** A free API to prototype Hindi OCR with, and a free web tool with no registration.

**Watch out for:** Free API files are capped at 1 MB and 3 PDF pages, and free searchable PDFs are watermarked.

OCR.space has a free web tool that says no registration is needed, with a 5 MB limit per document. Its language table marks Hindi for Engines 2 and 3, which you pick by hand. The free API takes 1 MB files and 3 PDF pages, and its table lists searchable PDF creation on that plan as "with watermark".

Source: [OCR.space API](https://ocr.space/ocrapi), checked 4 November 2026. Compare: [FastOCR vs OCR.space](https://fastocr.org/vs/ocr-space).

## 3. imagetotext.info
**Best for:** One Hindi image to plain text when you do not want an account.

**Watch out for:** Its home page does not name Hindi, uploading several files at once needs an upgrade, and no searchable PDF is listed.

imagetotext.info turns an image into text, Word, HTML or Markdown, and its page tells visitors they are not asked to register. The language sentence on its home page names 23 languages, and Hindi is not among them.

Source: [imagetotext.info](https://www.imagetotext.info/), checked 4 November 2026. Compare: [FastOCR vs imagetotext.info](https://fastocr.org/vs/imagetotext-info).

## 4. Tesseract (open source)
**Best for:** Developers who need a free, offline engine to build on after testing it on their own Hindi pages.

**Watch out for:** No window to click, and you handle install, language data and image clean-up yourself.

Tesseract is free, open-source OCR under the Apache License. Its data-file list includes Hindi, and it writes text, hOCR, PDF, TSV and ALTO. You run it from the command line or call it from code.

Source: [Tesseract data files](https://tesseract-ocr.github.io/tessdoc/Data-Files-in-different-versions.html), checked 4 November 2026. Compare: [FastOCR vs Tesseract](https://fastocr.org/vs/tesseract).

## 5. PDF24 OCR
**Best for:** A scanned PDF made searchable for free with no registration.

**Watch out for:** You choose Hindi from a manual menu, and the output is a PDF rather than Word or Markdown.

PDF24's OCR tool is free with no registration, paid for by advertising, and deletes files after one hour. Hindi is on its language menu, and the result is a searchable PDF or PDF/A.

Source: [PDF24 OCR](https://tools.pdf24.org/en/ocr-pdf), checked 4 November 2026. Compare: [FastOCR vs PDF24](https://fastocr.org/vs/pdf24).

## 6. Google Drive (Google Docs)
**Best for:** A small, simple Hindi file you will edit in Google Docs.

**Watch out for:** The output is a Google Doc rather than a searchable PDF, and tables and columns may not survive.

Put an image or PDF in Drive and open it with Google Docs to get its text. The help page lists Hindi, asks for files of 2 MB or smaller and right side up, and says lists, tables, columns and footnotes are not likely to be detected.

Source: [Google Drive Help](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692), checked 4 November 2026. Compare: [FastOCR vs Google Drive OCR](https://fastocr.org/vs/google-drive-ocr).

## 7. Microsoft OneNote
**Best for:** People already in OneNote who want text from a picture in a notebook.

**Watch out for:** Its help page does not list languages, and says some results can take 24 to 48 hours.

In OneNote you right-click a picture and choose Copy Text from Picture. The help page does not say which languages it reads, so check a Hindi page of your own before you rely on it. It also notes that the command may not appear right away.

Source: [Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/OneNote/onenote-help-and-learning/copy-text-from-pictures-and-file-printouts-using-ocr-in-onenote), checked 4 November 2026. Compare: [FastOCR vs OneNote](https://fastocr.org/vs/microsoft-onenote-ocr).

## 8. i2OCR
**Best for:** A single Hindi page at a time that you want deleted within 30 minutes.

**Watch out for:** One image or PDF page per run, and it asks for a CAPTCHA.

i2OCR lists Hindi among 128 languages and returns text, Word, HTML or a searchable PDF. Its FAQ gives 20 MB for images and 200 MB for PDFs, with PDF OCR one page at a time, and says outputs are deleted within 30 minutes.

Source: [i2OCR FAQ](https://www.i2ocr.com/faq), checked 4 November 2026.

## 9. iLovePDF OCR PDF
**Best for:** Hindi PDFs when you already merge and compress files in iLovePDF.

**Watch out for:** Its page gives no numbers for the free plan, and we did not run it.

iLovePDF returns a searchable PDF and lists Hindi among its document languages; its page says detection improves when you pick the right ones. The pricing page calls the free plan limited document processing.

Source: [iLovePDF OCR PDF](https://www.ilovepdf.com/ocr-pdf), checked 4 November 2026. Compare: [FastOCR vs iLovePDF](https://fastocr.org/vs/ilovepdf).

## 10. OnlineOCR.net
**Best for:** Latin-script pages; it is not a Hindi tool.

**Watch out for:** Its OCR language menu does not list Hindi, even though the site itself can be switched to a Hindi interface.

OnlineOCR.net offers 46 recognition languages and none of them is Hindi. Pages of the site are available in Hindi, which is easy to mistake for Hindi OCR. Guests can convert 5 files an hour up to 15 MB.

Source: [OnlineOCR.net](https://www.onlineocr.net/), checked 4 November 2026. Compare: [FastOCR vs OnlineOCR.net](https://fastocr.org/vs/onlineocr-net).

## Scan and photo tips for Hindi
We did not test these; each is cheap to try:
- Keep the page flat and upright, with even light and no shadow across the headline.
- Crop to the text so borders and fingers do not become stray marks.
- Prefer a sharp scan over a large blurry one; matras are thin strokes.
- Run a short test page first and compare it with the source before you queue a whole book.

## Which Hindi job needs which tool
- **A scanned textbook or notice as a PDF:** you need a text layer you can search. FastOCR returns a [searchable PDF](https://fastocr.org/make-pdf-searchable) for it, and a PDF needs a free account; the [Hindi PDF to text](https://fastocr.org/hindi-pdf-to-text) page covers the steps.
- **A phone photo of a page:** [Hindi image to text](https://fastocr.org/hindi-image-to-text) needs no account. If you also want to try another engine, run the same photo through OCR.space on your own page and compare.
- **A bilingual form:** one upload with no language menu. Proofread the English and the Hindi separately.
- **A pipeline:** the [OCR API](https://fastocr.org/ocr-api) takes pages from code. OCR.space has a free API too, with small limits.
- **Hindi and Urdu side by side:** the scripts differ, so see [best Urdu OCR tools](https://fastocr.org/blog/best-urdu-ocr-tools) for the right-to-left half.

## How we compared
- Vendor facts were read from each tool's own pages and checked on 4 November 2026. Where a page is silent we write Not stated, never No.
- No Hindi accuracy figures are published on this page, and no tool is ranked by Hindi accuracy.
- We make FastOCR, so its row rests on our own product pages; the other rows link to the vendor source.
- Phone photos, newspapers, mixed Hindi and English pages and handwriting are not covered. Test your own pages.

## When another tool is the better choice
- You want a free API for a prototype and can live with 1 MB files and 3 PDF pages.
- Your Hindi file is small, simple and already in Google Drive.
- You want an offline engine to build on and will test it on your own pages: Tesseract.

## FAQ
### What is the best free Hindi OCR?

We give no Hindi accuracy ranking. FastOCR is free for images with no sign-up and returns a searchable PDF, Word and Markdown. OCR.space has a free API and Tesseract runs offline, so the better pick depends on the output you need.

### How do I extract Hindi text from a scanned PDF?

Upload the PDF to FastOCR with a free account and download the text, or the searchable PDF. If you can already select and copy the Devanagari in your PDF, it has a text layer and may not need OCR. Copy two lines into a text editor first.

### Can OCR read Hindi matras and conjuncts?

Often, but not always. Any OCR engine can slip on matras and conjuncts, and we publish no Hindi score for this page. Read the output against your page, especially names and numbers, and test a short sample first.

### Does OnlineOCR.net support Hindi?

Its OCR language menu has 46 languages and Hindi is not one of them. The site itself can be shown in Hindi, which is a different feature. For Hindi pages use a tool that lists the language, then test one page.

### Can I OCR a page that mixes Hindi and English?

FastOCR detects the script automatically, including mixed pages, so one upload covers both. We have not tested mixed pages for this page. Proofread the English words and digits separately from the Devanagari.

### Is there a free Hindi OCR API?

OCR.space has a free API with 1 MB files and 3 PDF pages, and its language table lists Hindi. FastOCR has a REST API, Python SDK and MCP server that take Hindi pages with no language setting; see the OCR API page.

### Can OCR read handwritten Hindi?

We make no claim about handwriting. Every tool here is aimed at print. Try your own handwriting sample on a free tool and expect to proofread heavily.

## Method
Vendor facts link to each tool's own pages, checked 4 November 2026; where a page is silent we write Not stated, never No. This page is documentation-only: no tool was scored on Hindi accuracy. Details are in [how we compared](https://fastocr.org/blog/best-hindi-ocr-tools#how-we-tested).

## Change log
- 15 February 2026: First published.
- 1 November 2026: Added the measured Hindi page for five tools.
- 4 November 2026: Removed the Hindi accuracy figures; the page now compares documented features, outputs, sign-up and limits.
- 4 November 2026: Rebuilt on the shared comparison format, re-read vendor pages and added iLovePDF and a fix for the OnlineOCR.net Hindi interface mix-up.

## Related comparisons
- [Best Free OCR Software and Tools in 2026: 12 Compared, Tested on 6 Scripts](https://fastocr.org/blog/best-free-ocr-tools)
- [Best Urdu OCR Tools in 2026, Tested on a Real Scan (اردو OCR)](https://fastocr.org/blog/best-urdu-ocr-tools)
- [Hindi OCR](https://fastocr.org/hindi-ocr)
- [Hindi OCR guide](https://fastocr.org/blog/hindi-ocr-guide)
- [FastOCR vs Tesseract](https://fastocr.org/vs/tesseract)
- [FastOCR vs OCR.space](https://fastocr.org/vs/ocr-space)