Handwriting OCR
Handwriting OCR converts photos of handwritten pages and PDFs into editable, searchable text while retaining the source layout.
What Handwriting OCR is
Handwriting OCR converts photos of handwritten pages and PDFs into editable, searchable text while retaining the source layout. It handles cursive, faded ink, messy writing and mixed text, with transcriptions usually ready in under a minute. The service supports more than 300 languages, including mixed-language documents without setup. Text can be exported as Microsoft Word, Markdown or plain text, while tables can be sent to Excel. Its REST API supports transcription, table extraction and custom extractors, with TXT, DOCX, JSON, CSV and XLSX outputs. Official workflows connect with Zapier, Google Drive, Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive; a Google Workspace add-on works with Drive and Gmail. The service says it encrypts connections with TLS, uses access controls, does not train models on documents and does not sell data. Documents and results are deleted after seven days by default, configurable from 10 minutes to 14 days. Each page or image uses one credit; pay-as-you-go credits last one year.
Good
- Recognizes more than 300 languages
- Preserves layout when converting handwriting
- Exports text and tables in common formats
- API supports transcription and table extraction
- Default document retention is seven days
Watch out
- No free plan is listed
- Each page or image uses one credit
- Maximum file size is 20 MB
- Pay-as-you-go credits expire after one year
Who it suits
Handwriting OCR suits people digitising handwritten records, including family archivists, researchers, teachers and journalers. Businesses and professionals such as lawyers and doctors may also use it to convert document pages into searchable text.
Verdict
Handwriting OCR is designed to turn handwritten photos and PDFs into editable text, with exports, integrations and API workflows. Its paid plans meter use by page or image, and the listed maximum file size is 20 MB.
Plans and prices
From Handwriting OCR's own pricing page, checked 1 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Pay as You Go | $15, paid once | 100 pages · API access · Word and Markdown exports · Additional pages not applicable · One-time purchase. Valid for 1 year. |
| Starter | $1,916 a month | 250 pages/month · Additional pages $8.00 monthly or $6.00 annually per 100 pages · API access · Billed monthly or billed annually |
| Pro | $5,950 a month | 1,000 pages/month · Excel table exports · Custom extractors · Additional pages $6.00 per 100 pages monthly or $5.00 annually · Billed monthly or billed annually |
| Business | — | 10,000 pages/month · Up to 5 team members · Configurable audit logging · Additional pages $5.00 per 100 pages monthly or $4.00 annually · Billed monthly or billed annually |
| Enterprise | Priced on request | Higher volumes · Dedicated instances · Offline deployment · Custom requirements · Contact us |
The facts
Each one read from Handwriting OCR's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- API
- The REST API uses JSON and supports transcription, table extraction and custom extractors with TXT, DOCX, JSON, CSV and XLSX outputs.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Core function
- It converts handwritten photos and PDFs into clean, editable, searchable text while preserving the original layout.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Custom extraction
- Custom extractors are included on Pro and higher plans for extracting structured fields from documents.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Exports
- Users can export transcriptions as Microsoft Word, Markdown or plain text, and export tables to Excel.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Handwriting coverage
- The service transcribes cursive, faded ink, messy writing and mixed text, usually in under a minute.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Official workflows include Zapier, Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive and a Google Workspace add-on for Drive and Gmail.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Language support
- It supports more than 300 languages and mixed-language documents without setup.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Obsidian plugin
- The official Obsidian plugin processes PDF and image files up to 20MB and returns editable text inside an Obsidian vault.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Retention control
- Documents and results are automatically deleted after 7 days by default, with a configurable standard range of 10 minutes to 14 days.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Security
- The service encrypts connections with TLS, uses access controls, does not use documents to train its models and does not sell data.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Support
- The product is run by a small team in central London, and the same people who build it handle customer support.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Target users
- The maker lists individuals digitising family archives, businesses, lawyers, doctors, researchers, teachers and journalers as users.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Usage metering
- Each page or image costs one credit, and pay-as-you-go credits remain valid for one year.checked 1 Oct 2026
The company
- Founded
- 2023checked 28 Sep 2026
Money
- Free trial
- New accounts receive free credits with no credit card, no automatic billing and full feature access during the credit-based trial.checked 1 Oct 2026
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