FastOCR vs Adobe Acrobat OCR: Which is Better in 2025?
Adobe Acrobat is famous for PDF editing. But is its OCR any good? This guide compares Adobe Acrobat OCR with FastOCR. We cover language support, pricing, and ease of use.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | FastOCR | Adobe Acrobat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $23-35/month |
| Languages Supported | 100+ languages | English only (for OCR) |
| Urdu, Arabic, Farsi OCR | ✓ Full support | ✗ Not supported |
| Installation Required | No (online) | Yes (desktop app) |
| Registration Required | No | Yes (Adobe account) |
| Translation Built-in | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Job History | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
Winner: FastOCR
FastOCR is free and supports 100+ languages. Adobe Acrobat costs $23-35/month and only supports English OCR. The choice is clear.
Adobe Acrobat OCR Limitations
Adobe Acrobat is a powerful PDF editor. But its OCR has serious problems:
1. English Only
This is the biggest problem. Adobe Acrobat OCR only supports English. If you have documents in other languages, Adobe cannot help you.
Adobe Acrobat OCR does not support:
- Urdu — No support at all
- Arabic — No support at all
- Farsi (Persian) — No support at all
- Hindi — No support at all
- Chinese — No support at all
FastOCR supports 100+ languages. You can extract text from documents in any language.
2. Expensive
Adobe Acrobat Pro costs $23-35 per month. That is $276-420 per year just for OCR.
FastOCR is completely free. You pay nothing for unlimited OCR.
3. Requires Installation
Adobe Acrobat is a desktop application. You must download and install it. It takes up disk space. It requires updates.
FastOCR is 100% online. No installation. No downloads. Works on any device with a browser.
4. Requires Account
Adobe requires an Adobe ID and subscription to use Acrobat Pro features.
FastOCR requires no registration. Open the website. Upload your file. Get the text.
Why FastOCR is Better
100+ Languages
FastOCR supports every major language. English, Urdu, Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, French, German, and 90+ more.
This is the biggest advantage over Adobe. If you work with non-English documents, FastOCR is your only choice.
Completely Free
FastOCR offers unlimited OCR for free. No hidden fees. No trial period. No credit card required.
You save $276-420 per year compared to Adobe Acrobat Pro.
One-Click Simple
FastOCR is incredibly simple to use:
- Step 1: Go to fastocr.org
- Step 2: Drop your file
- Step 3: Copy the text
No installation. No account. No learning curve.
Built-in Translation
FastOCR can extract text AND translate it to any language in one step. Adobe Acrobat has no translation feature.
Job History
FastOCR saves your past jobs. You can go back and see previous uploads and results. Adobe does not track your OCR history.
When to Use Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is still useful if:
- You need advanced PDF editing (not just OCR)
- You only work with English documents
- Your company already pays for Adobe licenses
- You need digital signatures and form filling
For OCR specifically, FastOCR is the better choice.
Conclusion
Adobe Acrobat is expensive and only supports English OCR. FastOCR is free and supports 100+ languages.
If you need to extract text from documents in Urdu, Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Chinese, or any other language, FastOCR is the only solution.
Save your money. Use FastOCR.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Adobe Acrobat support Arabic OCR?
No. Adobe Acrobat OCR only supports English. Use FastOCR for Arabic OCR.
How much does Adobe Acrobat cost?
Adobe Acrobat Pro costs $23-35 per month ($276-420 per year). FastOCR is completely free.
Can I use FastOCR without installing anything?
Yes. FastOCR is 100% online. No installation required.
Which OCR tool supports more languages?
FastOCR supports 100+ languages. Adobe Acrobat only supports English for OCR.