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Sometimes the information you need is right in front of you, but you still can't copy it.
It might be a screenshot of an email, a scanned document, a picture containing instructions, or a line of code from a YouTube video. The words are visible, yet your browser won't let you select them.
You could type everything manually, but that's hardly practical when you're dealing with several images.
This is where OCR Chrome extensions come in.
OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition. The technology identifies letters and numbers in images and converts them into text you can copy, edit, or save.
There are several Chrome extensions offering this functionality, and you don't necessarily need to pay for a desktop application to get started.
Here are five free or free-to-start OCR Chrome extensions worth checking out in 2027.
Best for: Everyday image-to-text tasks in Chrome.
CopyCatch OCR takes the first spot on our list. It's an image-to-text Chrome extension worth looking at if you regularly find yourself copying information from screenshots or pictures.
Think about a typical working day.
You're researching something online and come across an image containing useful information. Maybe it's a paragraph you want to include in your notes, a product description sent by a supplier, or an instruction someone shared as a screenshot.
The problem is that you can't select the words the way you would on a normal webpage.
An OCR extension such as CopyCatch gives you a way to turn the text in an image into something you can reuse.
For people who create digital content, this can be helpful when collecting research material or organizing notes from visual references.
Small business owners may find similar uses when dealing with screenshots of customer messages, product details, or information shared in image format.
The main attraction is convenience. Instead of moving between different applications or manually retyping information, you can use a browser-based tool intended for text extraction.
Of course, the quality of an OCR result depends partly on the original image. Small lettering, blurry screenshots, and unusual fonts can make recognition more difficult.
It's also worth checking the extension's current features, privacy information, and free-use terms before installing it.
Why it's on our list: CopyCatch focuses on a common problem: making text inside images easier to reuse while browsing.
Download CopyCatch OCR from the Chrome Web Store
Best for: Extracting text from images, videos, and scanned PDFs.
Copyfish is a familiar name among Chrome OCR tools, especially for people who work with more than ordinary screenshots.
One of its useful features is the ability to select a specific area of your browser and extract the text displayed inside it.
For example, you might be reading an old scanned PDF where the text isn't selectable.
Instead of typing the information into a document, you can use Copyfish to capture the relevant section and recognize the words.
The extension can also work with images and video frames, making it useful for research and online learning.
Another feature is its support for translation, which may come in handy when you encounter information written in another language.
Copyfish uses cloud OCR processing in its standard setup, so be mindful of what information you're submitting. Confidential documents deserve extra care.
Why it's on our list: Copyfish covers several everyday OCR situations without requiring a separate desktop program.
Best for: Offline text recognition and privacy-conscious users.
Not everyone wants their screenshots sent to an online service.
If you regularly work with internal documents or prefer processing information on your computer, OCR - Image Reader is an interesting alternative.
The extension uses Tesseract.js, an OCR engine that can recognize text in numerous languages directly inside the browser.
After installing it and obtaining any required language data, you can select an area containing text and let the extension attempt to identify the characters.
Because the recognition process runs locally, you don't need to upload every selected image to an external OCR service.
This can be useful for freelancers handling client notes, researchers reviewing source material, or business owners working with scanned paperwork.
It also has options for recognizing more complex document structures.
The downside is that local OCR processing may take longer on certain images, particularly when the content is complicated.
And like other OCR tools, it won't always reproduce the original spacing or formatting perfectly.
Why it's on our list: OCR - Image Reader offers a useful option for people who prefer local text recognition instead of cloud-based processing.
Best for: YouTube tutorials, online courses, and programming lessons.
Have you ever paused a video tutorial because the instructor displayed something you wanted to copy?
Maybe it was a short code example, a command, or a list of settings.
You can see the information clearly, but copying text directly from the video isn't possible.
Selectext addresses that particular problem.
The extension allows users to select and copy text appearing within supported videos.
For example, someone learning web development might use it to copy code shown in a tutorial rather than typing every line.
Students can also use it for lecture notes, while creators may find it useful when collecting information from educational videos.
Selectext supports multiple languages and includes features intended to help preserve code indentation.
However, unlike some completely free OCR tools, Selectext uses a limited free-credit system, with paid options for additional usage.
It's also designed primarily for videos, so it may not be the most suitable choice for scanned PDFs.
Why it's on our list: Selectext solves a specific problem that general screenshot tools don't always handle as conveniently.
Best for: Copying text from screenshots and visual content.
Copy Text from Picture is another option for people who want to extract written information from images without manually entering it.
The concept is straightforward.
You encounter an image containing text, use the extension to capture the relevant content, and copy the recognized words into another application.
It can be useful when working with screenshots, scanned images, and recordings.
Imagine receiving a product screenshot from a customer.
You need to copy the product name and specifications into your records, but the information is embedded in the picture.
Instead of rewriting everything, an OCR extension can help you extract the text.
Copy Text from Picture also includes extraction-history functionality, which can be convenient when you're working with several images.
It uses cloud-based OCR, so review its privacy terms before processing sensitive information.
Why it's on our list: It's another practical option for routine image-to-text tasks, particularly when you want a straightforward copying workflow.
There isn't one extension that's automatically right for everyone.
If your main goal is to copy text from images while browsing, CopyCatch OCR is our featured first choice to explore.
Copyfish is worth considering when you need to work across images, PDFs, and video frames.
For people who prefer offline processing, OCR - Image Reader offers a different approach.
Selectext is particularly useful if you spend a lot of time learning from video tutorials, while Copy Text from Picture provides another way to capture text from screenshots and recordings.
Before choosing, consider three things: the type of content you want to scan, whether your images contain sensitive information, and how often you plan to use the extension.
Free plans and available features can change, so it's worth checking each Chrome Web Store listing.
OCR doesn't have to be complicated.
For many people, the goal is simply to copy a few words from an image and get back to work.
Whether you're creating content, studying, managing a small business, or collecting information online, a Chrome OCR extension can make that process more convenient.
Start with the type of material you handle most often and choose a tool that fits.
If you're looking for an image-to-text extension to try first, CopyCatch OCR is a good place to begin exploring.
Try CopyCatch OCR on the Chrome Web Store