# FastOCR vs Google Drive OCR: supported languages, limits and output

## Short answer
The Google Drive OCR tool is Open with Google Docs, and its language list is long, including Arabic, Urdu and Indonesian, so language is not its weak spot. Google's help page sets a 2 MB file limit and 10 pixel text, and says tables and columns are not likely to be detected. FastOCR detects 100+ languages and returns text, Word, Markdown and a searchable PDF.

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/fastocr-vs-google-drive-ocr#method)

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

## Verdict
**Pick FastOCR if:**
- Your file is larger than the 2 MB Google names, or the text is small.
- You want a searchable PDF, Word or Markdown back, not a Google Doc.
- The page has tables or columns, which Google says are not likely to be detected.
- You would rather not use a Google account for a one-off scan.

**Pick another tool if:**
- Your file is small, the text is clear and the result can live in Google Docs.
- You already keep the scans in Drive and edit with a team there.

## Comparison table
| Tool | Languages | Language setting | File guidance | What you get back |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FastOCR (our tool) | 100+ languages, detected automatically. | None needed. | Images with no sign-up; PDFs with a free account. | Text, Word, Markdown and a searchable PDF. |
| Google Drive | A long list that includes Arabic, Urdu, Persian, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Thai, Hebrew, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean. ([source](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692)) | Google says it detects the language of the document. ([source](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692)) | PDF, JPEG, PNG or GIF up to 2 MB; text at least 10 pixels high; pages upright. ([source](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692)) | A Google Doc, opened from Drive. Google says format might not transfer. ([source](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692)) |

## Why FastOCR
- **Photos and screenshots.** Every image upload gets raw text and a single-page searchable PDF, plus Word and Markdown.
- **Scanned PDFs.** Scanned PDF in, searchable PDF out; text copies in the right order, including right-to-left.
- **Exports.** Raw text, Word (.docx) 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%.

## Proof
Google Drive was not run on our scans, so this page makes no accuracy comparison with it. FastOCR's own scores on the same test pages are listed under "Why FastOCR" (lower is better).

## How FastOCR works
Figure: what FastOCR gives back besides plain text, a searchable PDF whose copied Urdu text keeps reading order and bank statement rows in a spreadsheet. The statement rows are illustrations.

## Which languages does Google Drive OCR support?
More than most people expect. The [Drive help page](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692) lists Arabic (Modern Standard), Urdu, Persian, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Thai, Hebrew, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and three kinds of Chinese, among many others. We do not count them, because Google does not give a total.

So if you came here asking whether Drive reads Arabic or Indonesian, the documented answer is yes. Language is not where Drive falls short; the limits below are.

Google also says it detects the language of the document, so there is no setting to change. Checked 4 November 2026.

## The Google Drive OCR tool is "Open with Google Docs"
Drive has no separate OCR screen. You upload the file, right-click it, and choose Open with, then Google Docs. Google converts the image or PDF and puts the recognised text in a new document next to the original picture.

The step-by-step version, with the free-use details, is on [Google Drive OCR](https://fastocr.org/vs/google-drive-ocr). This post covers what Google documents about languages and limits.

## Limits that decide whether Drive works for your file
Google states these on the same help page:
- **Files**: PDF, JPEG, PNG or GIF, up to 2 MB.
- **Text size**: at least 10 pixels high.
- **Orientation**: the page has to be right side up.
- **Layout**: lists, tables, columns, footnotes and endnotes are not likely to be detected, and formatting might not transfer.

The size limit matters most for phone photos and multi-page scans, which often pass 2 MB. The layout note matters for forms, statements and anything printed in columns. For those, check the result against the scan before relying on it.

## When FastOCR fits better
FastOCR reads the language of each page itself across 100+ languages. [Image to text](https://fastocr.org/image-to-text) takes an image with no sign-up and no watermark, and a scanned PDF can be returned as a [searchable PDF](https://fastocr.org/make-pdf-searchable). Text, Word and Markdown are available as well, so you are not stuck with a Google Doc.

For Arabic pages, see [Arabic image to text](https://fastocr.org/arabic-image-to-text); for Indonesian, the [Indonesian OCR guide](https://fastocr.org/blog/indonesian-ocr-guide). Translation and AI Polish are available for completed single images, not PDFs.

## Accuracy: what we measured and what we did not
We did not run Google Drive on our test scans, so we cannot say which reads better. On our public-domain scans FastOCR got 2.6% of Arabic characters wrong and 9.1% of Urdu; lower is better. Each number is one book page, so treat it as a sample and try a page of your own.

## When another tool is the better choice
- The file is under 2 MB, upright and clearly printed, and a Google Doc is the output you want.
- Your team already works in Drive and wants the text in a shared document.
- You want no extra tool, only a Google account you already have.

## FAQ
### Which languages does Google Drive OCR support?

Google lists a long set, including Arabic (Modern Standard), Urdu, Persian, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Thai, Hebrew, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. It gives no total, and it says it detects the language of the document itself.

### What is the Google Drive OCR tool?

It is the Open with Google Docs command. Right-click an image or PDF in Drive, choose Open with, then Google Docs, and Google creates a document with the recognised text beside the original picture.

### What is the file size limit for Google Drive OCR?

Google names 2 MB for PDF, JPEG, PNG and GIF files. Text should be at least 10 pixels high, and pages should be right side up. A large phone photo may need to be reduced before Drive will convert it.

### Does Google Drive OCR keep tables and columns?

Google says lists, tables, columns, footnotes and endnotes are not likely to be detected, and that formatting might not transfer. Check the output against the original for any page with those elements.

### Does Google Drive OCR read Arabic and Indonesian?

Both appear on Google's language list. We did not test Drive on them. FastOCR detects them automatically; on our Arabic scan it got 2.6% of characters wrong, lower is better.

### Can I get a searchable PDF from Google Drive?

Google documents a Google Doc as the result, not a searchable copy of the PDF. FastOCR returns a searchable PDF for images and scanned PDFs, along with text, Word and Markdown.

### Do I need a Google account for FastOCR?

No. Image OCR needs no sign-up and adds no watermark. PDFs need a free FastOCR account. Translation and AI Polish run on a finished single image and are not offered for PDFs.

## Method
Google facts come from the Google Drive help page on OCR, re-read on 4 November 2026. We did not run Google Drive, so every statement about it is documentation; a limit that the page does not state is left out rather than guessed. FastOCR's own figures come from a 31 October 2026 test with one public-domain scan per script, scored as the share of characters wrong against the Wikisource text, so lower is better.

## Change log
- 6 December 2025: First published.
- 31 October 2026: Copy updated.
- 4 November 2026: Rewritten around the language list, file limits and output that Google documents.

## Related comparisons
- [Google Drive OCR free: when to use it and when to use FastOCR](https://fastocr.org/vs/google-drive-ocr)
- [Google Docs OCR with Google Drive: editable text or a searchable PDF?](https://fastocr.org/vs/google-docs-ocr)
- [Microsoft OneNote OCR: copy text from pictures or keep a searchable scan](https://fastocr.org/vs/microsoft-onenote-ocr)
- [Best Free OCR Software and Tools in 2026: 12 Compared, Tested on 6 Scripts](https://fastocr.org/blog/best-free-ocr-tools)
- [FastOCR vs Adobe Acrobat OCR](https://fastocr.org/blog/fastocr-vs-adobe-acrobat-ocr)
- [Make a scanned PDF searchable](https://fastocr.org/make-pdf-searchable)