The best OCR Chrome extension for copying text from images
An OCR extension turns any picture in your browser into text you can copy, no retyping. There are a few in the store, so rather than a ranked list that ages badly, here is what actually separates a good one from a frustrating one, and a free pick that ticks the boxes.
What to look for in an OCR extension
Most of them can read text off an image. The differences that matter day to day are these:
- On-device vs upload. Some extensions send your image to a server to run OCR. One that recognises text locally keeps the picture on your machine, which matters for IDs, receipts and anything private.
- One click vs setup. The best ones read the image you are looking at with a single click. Avoid ones that make you draw a box, pick a language and confirm every time.
- Free with no daily cap. Watch for tools that give a few free scans, then ask you to sign up or pay.
- Clean output. You want the text on your clipboard or as a .txt file, not trapped in the extension's own window.
- Works on any image. Photos, screenshots, PNG and JPG alike, not just one narrow case.
A free pick that fits: Extract Text from Image
Extract Text from Image is a free Chrome extension built around those points: the OCR runs on your device, it reads any picture or screenshot in one click, there is no account and no daily limit, and it hands you the text to copy or download.
- Add the extension to Chrome.
- Open the image or take a screenshot.
- Click the extension. It reads the text on-device.
- Copy all or download a .txt file.
Other options
Copyfish is the best-known OCR extension and has been around for years; it is a fair choice, though some of its features lean on cloud processing. Google Lens and Google Keep can read text from images too, but they are not really Chrome extensions and pull you into a separate app or upload flow. If you want a focused, one-click, on-device tool that stays in your browser, an extension like Extract Text from Image is the shorter path.
The workflows it covers
Once installed it handles the everyday cases: copying text from an image, from a screenshot, and on a PC or Chromebook. Same one click each time.