FastOCR vs Google Drive OCR: Which is Better in 2025?
Looking for the best free OCR tool? This guide compares FastOCR and Google Drive OCR. We cover language support, file size limits, accuracy, and ease of use. By the end, you will know which tool is right for you.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | FastOCR | Google Drive OCR |
|---|---|---|
| Languages Supported | 100+ languages | ~25 languages |
| Urdu, Arabic, Farsi OCR | ✓ Full support | ✗ Limited or none |
| Large PDF Support | ✓ Up to 1GB | ✗ 2MB limit |
| Registration Required | No | Yes (Google account) |
| Job History | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Translation Built-in | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Price | Free | Free |
Winner: FastOCR
FastOCR wins for language support, file size limits, and features. Google Drive OCR is fine for basic English documents, but FastOCR handles everything else better.
Google Drive OCR Limitations
Google Drive OCR is convenient if you already use Google Docs. But it has serious limitations:
1. Limited Language Support
Google Drive OCR does not support every language. It works well for English, Spanish, and French. But it struggles with:
- Urdu — Google Drive cannot read Urdu text from images reliably
- Arabic — Partial support, but accuracy is poor
- Farsi (Persian) — Not fully supported
- Hindi — Limited accuracy with Devanagari script
- Chinese (Traditional) — Inconsistent results
FastOCR supports 100+ languages including full Urdu, Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, and Chinese OCR. This makes it the better choice for multilingual documents.
2. Small File Size Limit
Google Drive OCR has a 2MB file size limit for images. This is a problem for large scanned documents and multi-page PDFs.
Many other free online OCR tools have similar restrictions. They block large files or limit you to 5-10 pages.
FastOCR allows files up to 1GB. You can upload large PDFs without splitting them into smaller parts.
3. Requires Google Account
To use Google Drive OCR, you need a Google account. You must upload your file to Google Drive first. Then open it with Google Docs.
FastOCR requires no registration for basic use. Just upload your file and get the text.
4. No Job History
Google Drive does not keep a history of your OCR jobs. If you close the tab, your work is gone.
FastOCR shows your past job history. You can see previous uploads and results anytime. This is useful when working with multiple documents.
Why FastOCR is Better
Higher Accuracy
FastOCR uses advanced AI-powered OCR technology. It has higher accuracy than any other free online OCR tool. This means fewer errors and less time fixing mistakes.
The accuracy difference is clear when processing:
- Low-quality scans
- Handwritten notes
- Documents with complex layouts
- Text in non-Latin scripts (Urdu, Arabic, Chinese)
Any Language OCR
FastOCR supports any language. English, Urdu, Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Thai, Vietnamese, and 90+ more languages.
This makes FastOCR the best choice for researchers, libraries, and anyone working with multilingual documents.
User-Friendly Interface
FastOCR has a clean, simple interface. Upload your file. Wait a few seconds. Copy the text. No complicated settings. No confusing menus.
Features that make FastOCR easy to use:
- Drag and drop — Just drop your file on the page
- Instant results — Text appears in seconds
- Job history — See all your past uploads
- One-click copy — Copy text to clipboard instantly
- Built-in translation — Translate extracted text to any language
Large PDF Support
Most free OCR tools limit PDF file size to 5-10MB. Some only allow 3-5 pages per upload.
FastOCR supports PDFs up to 1GB. Upload entire books, research papers, or document archives without splitting them.
When to Use Google Drive OCR
Google Drive OCR is a reasonable choice if:
- You only work with English documents
- Your files are small (under 2MB)
- You already have files in Google Drive
- You do not need job history
For everything else, FastOCR is the better option.
Conclusion
FastOCR beats Google Drive OCR in almost every category. It has better language support, higher accuracy, larger file limits, and a more user-friendly interface.
If you need OCR for Urdu, Arabic, Farsi, or any non-English language, FastOCR is the clear winner.
If you work with large PDFs, FastOCR is the only free tool that can handle them.
Try FastOCR today. No registration required.
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Free OCR with 100+ languages. No registration. Works with large PDFs.
Try FastOCR Free →Frequently Asked Questions
Is FastOCR really free?
Yes. FastOCR offers unlimited OCR for free. Premium plans with more translations and PDF processing are available for power users.
Does Google Drive OCR support Urdu?
No. Google Drive OCR has very limited support for Urdu. FastOCR fully supports Urdu OCR with high accuracy.
What is the file size limit for Google Drive OCR?
Google Drive OCR has a 2MB limit for images. FastOCR allows files up to 1GB.
Which OCR tool has better accuracy?
FastOCR has higher accuracy than Google Drive OCR and other free online tools. This is especially true for non-English languages and complex documents.