The Only Guide to Using Kofax OCR Software That You'll Need in 2025

As the need for efficient document scanning grows, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) has become crucial for digital document management. OCR converts scanned documents and images into editable and searchable text. Whether you're digitizing old documents or creating electronic copies of important papers, a reliable OCR tool is essential. Among the many options available, Kofax OCR stands out for its capabilities. In this article, we'll explore Kofax OCR's functionality, usage, pricing, pros and cons, and introduce a strong alternative: UPDF OCR. Download UPDF and try it for free today.

Comparison of a scanned PDF before and after using UPDF's OCR feature:

Part 1. What is Kofax OCR (Now Tungsten Automation)?

Kofax OCR is an advanced optical character recognition software that is designed to extract text from scanned documents, images, and PDF files. It accurately converts your scanned documents into editable formats such as Word, Excel, or searchable PDF files; this allows for seamless document digitization and can enhance your productivity by getting rid of repetitive manual data entry tasks. It also has great features available for editing your PDF files. Therefore, Kofax OCR can make your life a whole lot easier when it comes to document management.

Part 2. How to Use Kofax OCR

Using Kofax OCR is relatively straightforward; users can simply upload their scanned documents or images into the software interface in order to start the OCR process. The software will then automatically identify any text elements and convert them into editable and searchable content. Kofax OCR also offers customization options which can help to enhance recognition accuracy and to be able to tailor output formats according to your specific requirements.

In order to use Kofax OCR, there are a couple of options that you can choose from:

1. Using OCR in Kofax Power PDF for Mac

Automatic OCR

• 1. After scanning your document, open the PDF file in Kofax Power PDF for Mac 
• 2. You will receive an alert stating: "This document appears to be scanned. Would you like to perform optical character recognition (OCR) on it? OCR will allow you to select the text."
• 3. Next, you'll see a pop-up menu offering three options:
• "Cancel" - no OCR will be performed.
• "OCR Page" - OCR will be performed on the current page.
• "OCR Document" - OCR will be performed on the entire document.
• 4. Choose your preferred option (e.g. languages), and let the software work its magic.

Manual OCR

You can also choose to perform OCR manually. To do this, click "Edit" then "OCR Page". Kofax Power PDF will then begin to perform the OCR process and you'll see a progress bar appear on your screen.

2. Using OCR in Kofax Power PDF for Windows

• 1. Open the PDF document you want to convert to an editable format in Kofax Power PDF. Then, select ​Advanced Processing​ from the top toolbar and click ​​"Convert Assistant"​.

• 2. In the pop-up window, select the page range you want to recognize. Here, we'll choose ​​"Whole Document"​.

• 3. Next, locate and click the 'Convert All' icon. Kofax Power PDF will then begin performing OCR on the document.

As shown in the image below, Kofax Power PDF converts scanned documents into editable PDFs. While it correctly recognizes approximately 95% of the text, there remains a noticeable discrepancy between the converted document and the original.

Tips to Improve the OCR Results of Kofax

• Make sure you are using a crisp and clean document, as clear and legible text will produce much more accurate results.
• Place your physical document on the scanner as straight as you possibly can. If you have scanned a document that wasn't 100% straight, you will be able to edit this within the Kofax Power PDF software.
• Make the background of your scanned document as white as possible by using the "Deskew and Adjust Image" tool; a document that is highly contrasted is more likely to provide more accurate results.

Pricing of Kofax OCR (Kofax Power PDF)

Kofax OCR, included with Kofax Power PDF, offers a 15-day free trial and flexible pricing for individuals and businesses. You can choose between a standard version at $129 per year or an advanced version at $179 per year, with options for a subscription or a one-time payment.

However, by comparing the documents processed by UPDF OCR with those processed by Kofax Powerful PDF OCR, it is evident that UPDF delivers significantly better results. UPDF strives to preserve the original style and layout of the document as much as possible, ensuring that the converted document is clear and clean.

In addition, UPDF boasts a high OCR text recognition accuracy rate, supporting 38 languages and enabling recognition of multiple languages within the same document. As a PDF editor powered by GPT-4.1 and DeepSeek R1, UPDF not only offers more powerful editing and annotation features than Kofax Power PDF but also allows users to "Chat with PDF," interact with images and AI, and even scan documents via screenshots while instructing AI to recognize and extract text.

UPDF AI supports text recognition in global languages through simple commands. Despite integrating all these advanced features, UPDF remains more cost-effective than Kofax Power PDF.

To learn more, check out part 5 or click the button below for a free trial.

Pros, Cons, and User Reviews of Kofax OCR

Like any form of technology or software on the market, Kofax OCR has its own set of positive and negative aspects. We've researched what real users are saying about Kofax OCR and which of its features they do and don't like. Read on to be able to weigh up the pros and cons of using this OCR software.

The Best Kofax OCR Alternative - More Accurate & Cost-Effective

While Kofax OCR is a viable solution, it has notable drawbacks, including a high price. An excellent alternative is UPDF OCR, which offers reliable OCR technology supporting 38 languages. You can also integrate it with PDF scanning and store your PDFs in your UPDF account for easy access. Try it for free now.

There couldn't be a more perfect time to purchase this innovative OCR software. After purchasing, you can use UPDF on all browsers and platforms such as Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android all at the same time (The OCR feature is available on the Windows and Mac versions). It doesn't charge separately for using it on different platforms and can be used on up to four devices simultaneously.

Additionally, the AI assistant in UPDF can function as an OCR tool. Simply upload or paste an image or screenshot of the PDF and ask the AI to extract the text. You can even request a translation or have it explain the content! This is far more convenient than traditional OCR.

1. How to Use the Traditional OCR Tool

Next, we'll guide you on how to use UPDF's traditional OCR tool—ideal for converting multi-page scanned PDFs into editable formats.

Step 1: First, you will need to download the UPDF software. To do this, click the "Free Download" button.

Step 2: Once installed, navigate to the Tools option at the top left side of your screen. Now, from the Tools menu, choose the OCR option to start the process.  If you are the first time to use UPDF OCR, it will pop up a window to install the OCR.

Step 3. UPDF OCR provide you with 3 different options of Document Type, which include Editable PDF, Text and Picture Only, and Searchable PDF Only. Choose your desired mode based on your need.

Step 4. When you finished setting, you can click on the Convert button to convert your scanned PDF into editable now.

If you'd like to learn more about UPDF OCR and its wide range of capabilities for your document scanning needs, watch the video below for an impartial and detailed review.

2. How to Use the AI OCR Tool

Within the UPDF desktop app, you can extract, translate, summarize, and explain text from images (note: this feature is not available on the mobile apps). In this section, we'll guide you on how to use the AI OCR tool in UPDF.

Step 1: Download UPDF on your computer. Alternatively, you can use the online version of UPDF AI, which offers the same features.

Step 2: Open your scanned PDF with UPDF. Activate the AI by clicking the AI icon in the top-right corner.

Step 3: Switch to Chat mode, take a screenshot of the PDF in the chat box, and enter the prompt: "Extract text." The AI will then extract and display the text instantly.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a reliable solution for document digitization and text extraction, Kofax OCR can definitely be a great option. However, for those seeking a more cost-effective and user-friendly alternative, UPDF OCR is a huge competitor with lots of innovative features. UPDF OCR not only offers OCR technology but also provides additional features like recognition of multiple languages, as well as seamless integration with PDF scanning and editing capabilities. But that's not all - its competitive pricing and multi-platform compatibility make it an extremely attractive option for users who are looking for efficiency and affordability, whether it's for personal or professional use. Try it for free now and you won't regret it.