Document imaging and optical character recognition (OCR) software has become a vital tool in any organization’s document management and productivity processes. And it’s easy to see why.
Working with hardcopy documents not only takes up cabinets upon cabinets within your office space, but they’re also impossible to edit (unless you feel like spending hours re-typing entire documents) and are even harder to search through for specific content. Who wants to go rifling through mammoth stacks of paper, trying to locate that one document or piece of data that you just can’t seem to find? Not us.
Luckily, document imaging and OCR can address these very problems. A robust solution will be able to scan documents effectively and accurately to your devices, using OCR technology to convert files into editable and searchable formats.
Throughout this guide, we’ll take you through the top solutions to help you digitize your documents and leverage OCR technology. For each solution listed, we’ll take a look at scanning and editing capabilities, file formats supported, and compatible hardware, as well as additional features such as password protection for confidential documents and e-signature capabilities.
The top OCR and document imaging solutions for businesses include:
ABBYY FineReader PDF | Ademero CapturePoint | Adobe Acrobat DC | Foxit PDF Editor Pro | IRIS IRISPowerscan | IRIS Readiris 17 | Kofax Omnipage Ultimate | ORPALIS PaperScan
ABBYY FineReader PDF

ABBYY is a well-established digital intelligence company, helping organizations globally to optimize their digital transformation. A fast and accurate productivity solution, ABBYY FineReader PDF enables users to capture, edit, and search scanned documents and PDFs using AI-based OCR technology, as well as protect and share these documents. The solution comes with 23 built-in interface languages and 198 document languages—which, alongside its accuracy, is what sets it apart from its competitors.
Using FineReader’s OCR technology, users can not only digitize their documents but also convert scanned texts, digital files, and PDFs into editable and searchable formats that preserve the original formatting—such as fonts, bullet points, tables, headers, and more. FineReader can then go a step further and offer a side-by-side comparison of documents in different formats, to highlight any differences or inconsistencies. As part of the solution, users can also password protect content and easily capture digital signatures.
ABBYY FineReader is popular with users for its accuracy, high quality, ease of use, and efficiency. FineReader supports most multi-function printers and all-in-one scanners, as well as TWAIN- and WIA-compatible imaging devices. Users can also capture scans directly from their smartphones using the FineReader mobile app for Android and iOS. Files can be converted into PDF, DOC, XLS, PPT, HTML, TXT, CSV, and many more. We recommend the solution for SMBs and enterprises across all industries—in particular, ABBYY is experienced in providing services to industries such as finance, healthcare, legal, and more—that are looking for a reliable and accurate document digitization and OCR conversion tool that supports multiple languages.
Ademero CapturePoint

Ademero provides document management software for organizations globally, helping simplify and accelerate document scanning, classification, and management. CapturePoint is Ademero’s document capture software, enabling users to not only capture and digitize content using OCR, but also automatically classify content and integrate with their document management system, Capture Central.
CapturePoint leverages built-in OCR technology to capture and digitize scanned documents, instantly converting these into searchable files. The software can recognize handwriting, numbers, logos, and more, and can flag any unclear data for user verification, to ensure all content is converted accurately. CapturePoint can then automatically recognize document type—for example, it can differentiate between invoices, records, proposals, and legal documents—and classify accordingly. Users can then export content in various different formats to local folders, archives, document management systems—such as Capture Central—or third-party applications.
Users rate Ademero’s CapturePoint as an easy-to-use and effective solution that provides good value for money. The software supports most multi-function printers—and scans recorded by TWAIN-compatible scanners can be captured via Ademero’s DirectScan Agent applet. The software also easily integrates with third-party vendors, such as Quickbooks, Sage, and Microsoft Office. We recommend CapturePoint for SMBs and enterprise organizations across all industries that are seeking an effective OCR and document imaging solution with automatic classification and document management capabilities.
Adobe Acrobat DC

As a global leader in multimedia and creativity software, millions of organizations rely on Adobe products each month to support their content and data. Adobe Acrobat DC is their document scanning, editing, conversion, and signing software, enabling organizations to create editable files from scanned documents and PDFs using OCR technology. The solution combines the Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader desktop apps, as well as Acrobat Reader, Fill & Sign, Sign, and Scan mobile apps for Android and iOS, and the Adobe Document Cloud web app. Additionally, the Acrobat DC application is available in 26 languages.
Adobe Acrobat DC enables users to instantly convert scanned documents and PDFs into editable and searchable files using OCR technology. The software also preserves the formatting of converted documents, keeping tables and bullet points intact and matching fonts. The Adobe Scan mobile app complements the software, enabling users to easily scan documents, receipts, and more from their devices, while the Adobe Reader app provides the capability to reorder, delete, and insert PDF pages. The software also makes sharing and password protecting documents a simple task, as well as securely collecting e-signatures.
Users particularly praise its all-in-one capabilities and user-friendly controls. The solution integrates with Microsoft 365, Sharepoint, and other business applications, while scanned content can be exported to DOCX, PPT, XLS, TXT, JPEG, TIFF, and more. We should note that Acrobat Standard DC is available for Windows only, while Acrobat Pro DC is available for both Windows and MacOS. We recommend the solution for SMBs in any industry looking for a versatile and easy-to-use scanning and editing solution.
Foxit PDF Editor Pro

Foxit is a leader in PDF software, providing solutions for end-user productivity, volume automation, and software development. PDF Editor Pro is Foxit’s advanced document productivity solution, that enables users to digitize, convert, create, edit, export, and protect business-related files and PDFs. The solution leverages built-in OCR technology to accurately capture information and create editable, searchable files and can recognize text in multiple languages simultaneously.
Using OCR technology, PDF Editor Pro can convert scanned hardcopy documents—such as contracts and agreements—as well as PDFs and other files into editable and searchable formats. The solution then makes editing these a breeze, enabling users to modify font, layout, text, and more across all devices and platforms—including desktop, mobile, and web. Users can also password protect confidential documents, as well as redact text and images, remove sensitive information such as metadata and hidden data, and collect e-signatures. Finally, the solution easily integrates with content management systems and cloud storage services, such as Sharepoint, which allows for easy collaboration across teams and seamless access.
Users praise Foxit’s PDF Editor Pro as an easy-to-use, fast, effective, and affordable solution. The software supports most multi-function printers and scanners and can create editable and searchable files from a multitude of sources and formats. Users can export converted documents via PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, HTML, RTF, text, HTML, and more. PDF Editor Pro is available for Windows only, and is well suited for SMBs and enterprises across all industries.
IRIS IRISPowerscan

A Canon-owned company since 2013, IRIS—or, Image Recognition Integrated Systems—develops data-capturing software and technology to help organizations more effectively scan, convert, and share documents. A leader in OCR, PDF creation, and portable scanner technology, IRIS’ IRISPowerscan is a powerful document imaging solution that scans, classifies, and automatically names documents, later enabling organizations to export them as fully searchable files. The solution can recognize more than 130 languages and capture data from a multitude of formats.
Leveraging a 64-bit architecture, IRISPowerscan offers fast and powerful scanning capabilities and a user-intuitive interface. The built-in OCR engine efficiently and accurately recognizes text within any document and enables easy data extraction and indexing. Additionally, the solution uses IRISFingerprint—its powerful layout recognition technology—to identify document appearance and layout. The solution can also automatically sort and identify documents by type, using barcodes, OCR zones, keywords, and IRISFingerprint technology.
IRISPowerscan supports most popular scanners and multi-function printers, and can also capture data from cloud storage services, such as Dropbox, OneDrive, or SharePoint. Once captured, documents can be converted into an array of formats, including PDF, XPS, TXT, RTF, DOC, OpenDocument text, HTML, XML, WordML, Spreadsheet ML, and many more. Users can export these files into document folders, email, printers, third-party applications, and cloud services, making both capturing and exporting documents a simple and flexible task. We recommend IRISPowerscan for SMBs looking for reliable, accurate, and fast document imaging and OCR text recognition capabilities.
IRIS Readiris 17



As a market leader in OCR, PDF creation, and portable scanner technology, IRIS also offers Readiris 17, a robust solution for OCR scanning and PDF creation. Recognizing more than 130 languages, Readiris can convert scanned documents, PDFs, and images into editable and searchable formats. However, for more robust features, such as splitting, protecting, and signing PDFs, as well as batch processing, users will need Readiris Corporate 17, which is a higher tiered subscription than the standard offering.
Using Readiris, users can scan documents in all formats using OCR technology, which accurately captures documents while preserving the page layout. With the Corporate 17 subscription, the solution can monitor specified folders on local drives or networks, and automatically capture and process any document that is placed within them. This subscription also enables users to combine, split, and annotate PDFs, as well as protect them with a password and sign them electronically. The solution can also sort files using tools for document separation, as well as barcodes.
Readiris currently offers two separate versions according to OS—one is compatible with Windows 7, 8, and 10, and the other with MAC OS X. The software supports most multi-function printers and professional scanners, and can import many different formats, including PDF, JPEG, DOC, RTF, PNG, PPT, and more. Additionally, documents can be exported as editable files in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or indexed PDF, and can even be converted to audio files. We recommend the solution for SMBs and enterprises looking for an effective and accurate way to convert and edit documents, and manage PDFs.
Kofax Omnipage Ultimate


Kofax offers a range of intelligent automation solutions for organizations globally, helping businesses to optimize digital transformation and improve accuracy and efficiency when processing documents. OmniPage Ultimate is their scanning and OCR software—targeted at SMBs and enterprises—that quickly and accurately converts scanned pages and PDF documents into editable and searchable formats. Currently serving organizations in more than 60 countries, the software can detect and process more than 120 languages and 10 alphabets.
OmniPage Ultimate leverages quick and accurate OCR technology, which not only recognizes text but also detects and preserves page formatting, tables, bullet points, and diagrams. Once converted, documents can be automatically shared via pre-configured workflows or archived for any time anywhere access. The built-in eDiscovery Assistant tool also enables users to convert PDFs into searchable documents.
OmniPage Ultimate is compatible with all-in-one and multifunction printers, desktop scanners, and mobile scanners. Additionally, mobile document capture enables users to convert scans to text documents directly from their smartphones using Kofax 3D correction technology. The solution also supports an array of applications and outputs, such as PDF, Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect, HTML, ePub, and more. We should note, however, that OmniPage is compatible with Windows only, and is not available for Mac.
The solution is praised by users for its accuracy and ease of use. We recommend Kofax’s OmniPage Ultimate for SMBs and enterprise organizations across all industries—although, notably, Kofax serves some of the top banks, insurers, and logistics companies globally—that are looking for a fast, high-quality, and accurate OCR scanning tool.
ORPALIS PaperScan


ORPALIS is an experienced document imaging and processing provider, offering a wealth of solutions to help organizations manage their electronic documents. PaperScan is their comprehensive scanning tool, which enables organizations to not only digitize scanned hardcopy documents but search PDFs and images using OCR technology, as well as annotate and export files in various formats. The software supports more than 30 languages and comes in three editions—for businesses, we recommend PaperScan Professional Edition.
Using PaperScan, users can import scanned documents and PDF files into the software for processing. The software can then automatically rotate images, remove punch holes and borders, invert negative colors, and more. PaperScan also enables users to not only read encrypted PDFs, but create encrypted PDFs too, as well as add e-signatures to documents.
PaperScan is TWAIN- and WIA-compatible and claims to support all scanners on the market. As well as scanning, the solution supports more than 100 input formats, including PDF, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, OpenDocument, plain text file, HDML, JPEG, and more. Users can also export files in various formats, including PDF, JPEG, PNG, JBIG2, and PDF-OCR—which is a searchable PDF. Users find PaperScan an easy-to-use, affordable, and convenient solution, and particularly praise the array of formats that it offers. We recommend the solution for SMBs across all industries that are looking for a user-intuitive scanning solution.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Is Document Imaging And OCR?
Document imaging is the process of scanning and creating digital versions of hardcopy documents—but there’s a lot more to it than simply creating a digital photocopy. Document imaging software should be integrated with a form of artificial intelligence called OCR—or, optical character recognition technology—which converts the text within scanned documents, PDFs, and images into machine-readable data. And here’s why.
As humans, the way that we process text and data is vastly different from the way that a machine does. They don’t have eyes like we do, so they can’t simply look at an image and recognize the text within it. So, what OCR technology does is transforms text within a scanned document, PDF, or image into machine-readable text, to enable your machine to not only “read” and search documents, but also convert files into fully editable formats.
Want to know more? Read our article on what OCR software is, and why your HR team needs it.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Document Imaging And OCR Software?
Firstly, you can save massive amounts of space by storing your documents digitally—or even just creating digital backups. The software also enables teams to transform static text into editable and searchable formats, saving you time on re-typing chunks of text and locating documents or specific pieces of data.
You can also leverage zonal OCR and text extraction, which can identify and capture specified text from within a document—for example, customer details within an invoice, or job descriptions within a resume. This can save employees from manual data entry tasks, freeing up their time for more important tasks.
Who Is Document Imaging And OCR Software For?
The short answer: Everyone!
The slightly longer answer: Employees and teams that might benefit the most from document imaging and OCR technology are those in HR, accounting, administration, logistics, data analysis, and other roles that require close work with documents and data. OCR is particularly useful for extracting data from invoices, expenses and receipts, forms of identification, resumes, and more.
How Accurate Is OCR Technology?
Each solution varies, but generally, OCR technology can be more than 99% accurate when it comes to recognizing and extracting information from typewritten texts.
Many solutions might flag unclear text or data for review by the user, to ensure high levels of accuracy in extracted data.