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Free OCR software: listing the pros and cons

You’ve heard here and there about free OCR software. And that seems like a good idea to you. Because there are pieces of text that you don’t want to retype, but that you need to have available as text in some software program. For example, invoice data you need to get into your ERP system. And for that, OCR software is ideal. But one system is not the other. You know that there is free OCR software on the market. But what exactly are its advantages and disadvantages?

The benefits of free OCR software

  Free OCR software costs nothing. That, of course, is an advantage. Moreover, you have a lot of choice: there are several parties offering OCR software for free. You can also get it very easily via the Internet: one simple Google search yields a multitude of results. Often the software is available in several languages. And recognition is very fast: within a fraction of a second your document is recognized. This seems convenient, because you want to work faster. The question is: Can you really do that with free OCR software?

The downside: how much does a free OCR solution provide?

  Fast recognition sounds good, but you also need to be able to do something with the result. And that’s exactly the problem with free OCR software: You get back one big mess of text. Don’t expect structured data you can work with, like digital invoice information. Free OCR software offers recognition, but not interpretation. And the latter is so important if you want to save time and work more efficiently. So what is the added value of free OCR software? Actually, there is none. OCR should not stand alone. Good OCR software must serve a purpose: you want to convert data from a document into editable text in a specific computer system, such as an accounting package. (Of course, you may also want to put a PDF document into a text editor, but this only requires some simple copying and pasting these days. There is no need to use OCR software for that). In the case of an invoice, there are certain default values that always appear on the document, such as the invoice number, invoice date and amount payable. Good OCR software can not only recognize those values but also interpret them automatically. However, such interpretation is not free. In fact, it requires sophisticated technology. But only with that OCR software really gets you something. You don’t get a big mess of text that you have to comb through yourself – a method so inefficient that you would rather type the invoice data directly into your accounting package. Then you’ll be done faster! Also remember that free OCR software is never really free. In the online world, “free” often means that you pay in the form of data. (A well-known example: you download a free fact sheet in exchange for your name and e-mail address). An invoice contains sensitive (personal) data. What exactly is done with it? And is it legal for you to enter this data online? Always check these things before you decide to use such software. After all, you do want your organization to comply with laws and regulations.

Which OCR software offers help and grows with your organization?

  In short, OCR software makes sense only when there is an interpretive challenge. Preferably, choose a smart OCR solution that shares all knowledge gained within the user community. Want to know more about OCR? Read our blog “What is OCR? In addition, pay attention to the future-proofing of the software. When it comes to an invoice, you obviously want only the relevant invoice data to enter your ERP system. The solution should provide that anyway. But there are more and more other document types that also benefit from interpretation, such as receipts, bills of lading and identity documents. If you are looking for a future-proof OCR solution, see if document recognition for such documents is also available. You will benefit greatly – now and later!

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Schedule your demo

With a (web) demo, you can quickly and easily see what benefits our solution brings you.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Schedule your demo

With a (web) demo, you can quickly and easily see what benefits our solution brings you.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.