How to Edit a Scanned PDF Without Adobe

PDF Tools Team
Feb 26, 2025
2 min read β€’ 271 words

πŸ“„ Introduction

Have a scanned PDF that you need to edit? Most scanned documents are images, meaning you can’t directly edit the text.

Adobe Acrobat offers OCR (Optical Character Recognition), but it's expensive. Fortunately, free alternatives exist!

In this guide, you’ll learn how to edit scanned PDFs for free using online OCR tools and software.


πŸ” 1. Use ConvertMergePDF – Free OCR & PDF Editing

βœ”οΈ Best for: Converting scanned PDFs into editable text
βœ”οΈ Why Use It?

  • Convert scanned PDFs to Word or Text
  • Extract text from images
  • Free and easy to use

πŸ”— Try it here: ConvertMergePDF OCR Tool


πŸ–₯ 2. Google Drive + Google Docs

βœ”οΈ Best for: Quick, free text extraction
βœ”οΈ How to Use It:

  1. Upload your scanned PDF to Google Drive
  2. Right-click the file and select Open with > Google Docs
  3. Google Docs will automatically extract the text
  4. Edit the document as needed

βœ… Completely free!


πŸ–Š 3. Use Free Online OCR Tools

If you don’t want to install software, try online OCR tools:

Top Free OCR Websites:

  • OnlineOCR – Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, or Text
  • OCR.Space – Extract text from PDFs and images
  • NewOCR – Supports multiple languages

Simply upload your scanned PDF and download the editable text!


πŸ–₯ 4. Install Free OCR Software

For offline editing, use free OCR software like:

  • Tesseract OCR (Open-source, command-line tool)
  • FreeOCR (Windows-based OCR software)
  • SimpleOCR (Basic text extraction)

These tools allow you to convert scanned PDFs into editable text without an internet connection.


πŸ“Œ Conclusion

Editing a scanned PDF without Adobe Acrobat is easy with free OCR tools.

πŸ”Ή Best all-in-one solution? Try ConvertMergePDF for Free!