OwlOCR runs Apple's Vision OCR for fast, free text recognition from screenshots, PDFs and scans, and adds an optional local AI model (OwlOCR 7) for a second pass on messy screenshots, low-quality scans or dense layouts Apple Vision misses. It exports searchable PDFs with an invisible text layer, works from Finder Quick Actions or the CLI, and — because both engines run on-device — never sends your documents to an online AI service. Core is free forever, no account required, and it needs macOS 13.3 or newer.
What holds up
- +Free Core tier with unlimited Apple Vision OCR, no account or sign-up required.
- +Local AI second pass handles messy screenshots and scans Apple Vision alone misses.
- +Documents never leave the Mac — neither OCR engine uploads to an online service.
Mind the limits
- −macOS only, and needs macOS 13.3 or newer — no Windows or Linux version.
- −Local AI OCR model must be downloaded separately in Settings before it can run.
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