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Test scope & comparison notes
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Cross-task capability coverage across selected products
Each product is scored independently per task edge; switch tasks below while keeping shared products selected| Task edge | PDF Candy | newocr.com | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | 90/100 DOCX · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF compression | 92/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| Scanned PDF OCR | 87/100 TXT · Output attached | 78/100 TXT · Output attached | Active task |
| PDF merge & split | 94/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | PDF Candy Scanned PDF OCR 87/100 Seven-aspect task score Offers 1 free OCR task per hour without login, recovering 100% of all 4 headings, 12 confusable invoice table cells, and the Page 2 verification token in 8.99s, but exports only a plain-text `.txt` file (1.6 KB) rather than a layout-preserving searchable `.pdf`. Tested export TXT · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-25 | NewOCR Scanned PDF OCR 78/100 Seven-aspect task score NewOCR (operating continuously since 2011) is a widely used, 100% free online optical character recognition utility. Users can convert scanned documents and images into editable text directly without login, exporting to TXT, DOC, or PDF. Tested export TXT · Output attached Historical test · 2026-11-02 |
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| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | PDF Candy USD web and desktop + web bundles · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free No account; page, hourly and file-size limits; no batching. Numeric limits are not listed. Web Monthly2026-10-20 ↗ USD 6/month — Monthly Monthly web-tool subscription; up to 500 MB/task, no hourly limits, and high-priority processing. Desktop + Web Yearly2026-10-20 ↗ — USD 48/year Annual Billed annually at USD 48.00/year (displayed as USD 4/month equivalent); includes 500 MB/task, no hourly limits, web and desktop access, plus Video Candy and Image Candy web. Billed annually via Paddle at US$48.00/year (applicable taxes calculated at checkout) Desktop + Web Lifetime2026-10-20 ↗ USD 99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time One payment; desktop perpetual licence is limited to the current major version, including minor updates. 4 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Confirmed USD 6 monthly, USD 48 yearly (card displays promotional USD 4/month equivalent; verified at USD 48.00/year in the Paddle checkout modal after login on 2026-10-21), and USD 99 one-time. Lifetime covers the licensed version and minor updates, not future major upgrades. Cancellation, sources & verification recordThe page mentions 30-day refunds but also conditions them on recurring unresolved errors; eligibility follows the refund policy. Cancellation retains access through the paid period. Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Logged-in pricing page and Paddle checkout annual bill verification ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ | NewOCR 100% free web service and developer REST API credits · 2026-11-02 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free Web Service2026-10-31 ↗ Free Free Free Zero login required, unlimited file uploads, supports single and multi-page documents and ZIP archives Tesseract OCR text extraction across 122 languages, math formulas, layout analysis; export TXT/DOC/PDF；Ad-supported; processing speed subject to public server queues Developer API Credits2026-10-31 ↗ USD 5 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 1,000 OCR API recognition calls ($0.005 per call) Automated batch processing via REST API endpoints returning structured JSON data；Programmatic developer interface requiring an API key 2 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Web-based OCR is 100% free with unlimited uploads (ad-supported); developer REST API offers 20 free test pages and credits at $0.005/page ($5 per 1,000 pages). Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms unverified NewOCR API & Pricing ↗ · 2026-10-31 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | 1 Free Task/Hour + Pro Subscription ($6/mo) | 100% Free Unlimited Use (Ad-supported) |
| Cancellation & refunds | The page mentions 30-day refunds but also conditions them on recurring unresolved errors; eligibility follows the refund policy. Cancellation retains access through the paid period. | Not verified |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Options disclosed upfront with no post-OCR paywall trap | Download options presented upfront without post-OCR paywalls |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | OCR text recall: 100% · Table cell accuracy: 100% · Page 2 preserved: Yes | OCR text recall: 88.9% · Table cell accuracy: 100% · Page 2 preserved: No |
| Fixture findings | Exported a 1.6 KB UTF-8 plain-text `.txt` file (not a searchable PDF) with 100% recall across all 4 headings, 12 invoice table cells, and the Page 2 verification token. | Based on our standardized 2-page scanned PDF benchmark (anchor_pdfocr_v1): cloud OCR completed in just 0.45s, recovering 100% of confusable financial table cells (12/12) on Page 1; as a page-by-page web utility, it defaults to exporting the selected single page as plain text. |
| Original historical observation | Exported a 1.6 KB UTF-8 plain-text `.txt` file (not a searchable PDF) with 100% recall across all 4 headings, 12 invoice table cells, and the Page 2 verification token. | In-browser text area displays extracted text with one-click TXT, DOC, and PDF downloads; invoice table numbers 100% accurate. |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users needing to extract scanned PDFs into editable .txt text with 100% financial table number accuracy | Users seeking a fast, zero-login online tool to accurately extract tables and text from single scanned pages |
| Result & output evidence | ||
| Delivery capabilities | ||
| Recorded export specifications | TXT · Output attached · No watermark in test | TXT · Output attached · No watermark in test |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | Full 2-page UTF-8 plain text .txt (1.6 KB · not searchable PDF) | Single-page UTF-8 plain text .txt (802 bytes · 100% table accuracy) |
| Watermark observation | Watermark-free | Watermark-free |
| Batch & API | Single-file OCR on free tier; batch processing per plan quota | Web tool supports single files or ZIP archives; REST API available for developers |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 8.99s · End-to-end reference: 13.13s | Network-observed server wait: 0.45s · End-to-end reference: 1.3s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-25 · anchor_pdfocr_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-11-02 · anchor_pdfocr_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) |
| Repeated tests & reliability | No standardized repetition count, success rate or variability range is recorded. | No standardized repetition count, success rate or variability range is recorded. |
| Interaction experience | ||
| Account requirements | No login in this test | No login in this test |
| Sign-in methods | No Login Required | No Login Required |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Clean ad-free interface with multi-language OCR selection and a direct "Download file" button upon completion. | Zero-login workflow supporting 122 languages and layout analysis; ad-supported interface with multiple Google AdSense slots; multi-page PDFs default to single-page preview and OCR. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | Icecream Apps Ltd. (PDF Candy) | NewOCR.com |
| Recorded origin | Cyprus (European software team) | United States / International |
| Domain history record | 2016–Present (10-year PDF utility suite) | Founded in 2011 |
| Background & reputation assessment | Developed and operated by Icecream Apps Ltd (Cyprus) since 2016 alongside its desktop and web document utility suite. | Operating continuously since 2011 for over 15 years; built upon mature open-source Tesseract OCR technology with a large global user base. |
| External reputation record | Not verified | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | No third-party services listed in this record; this is not proof that none exist. | Google AdSense · Google Analytics |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | End-to-end HTTPS transport with 2-hour automatic file purge and a manual delete button on the result screen. | HTTPS encryption across the site with immediate file purging upon processing completion; includes Google AdSense and Analytics tracking scripts without a manual one-click purge button. |
| Retention statement | Claims deletion within 2 hours; deletion not independently verified | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 26 / 35 Offers free PDF OCR without login (1 free task per hour), completing server OCR on our 644.4 KB 2-page raster scan in 8.99s with direct download (01_landing.png, 02_workspace.png, 03_download.png); note that it exports a plain-text `.txt` file (1.6 KB) rather than an overlaid searchable `.pdf`. | 33 / 35 Web service is 100% free with unlimited uploads and zero hidden fees; developer API offers 20 free test pages and credits at $0.005/page ($5 per 1,000 pages). |
| Interaction restraint | 26 / 30 Clean ad-free interface with multi-language OCR selection and a direct "Download file" button upon completion. | 20 / 30 Zero-login workflow supporting 122 languages and layout analysis; ad-supported interface with multiple Google AdSense slots; multi-page PDFs default to single-page preview and OCR. |
| Background & reputation | 17 / 20 Developed and operated by Icecream Apps Ltd (Cyprus) since 2016 alongside its desktop and web document utility suite. | 16 / 20 Operating continuously since 2011 for over 15 years; built upon mature open-source Tesseract OCR technology with a large global user base. |
| Engineering & privacy | 13 / 15 End-to-end HTTPS transport with 2-hour automatic file purge and a manual delete button on the result screen. | 10 / 15 HTTPS encryption across the site with immediate file purging upon processing completion; includes Google AdSense and Analytics tracking scripts without a manual one-click purge button. |
| Task quality | 62.5 / 65 Deterministic OCR text & table inspection: exports a 1.6 KB .txt file (rather than an overlaid searchable PDF), recovering 4/4 headings and 12/12 confusable invoice table cells (100% table accuracy, 100% overall text recall) with the Page 2 verification token intact (62.5/65) | 49.2 / 65 Deterministic OCR inspection: exported an 802-byte UTF-8 plain text deliverable without login, recovering 12/12 confusable financial table cells on Page 1 (100% table accuracy) and 3/4 headings; defaults to single-page processing without auto-merging Page 2 (49.2/65) |
| Deliverable specifications | 15 / 20 Exports a 2-page watermark-free .txt file (1.6 KB) without login rather than a layout-preserving searchable PDF (15/20) | 14 / 20 Direct download in TXT, DOC, and PDF formats without login, delivering the selected single page extracted text (802 bytes) rather than a combined 2-page searchable PDF (14/20) |
| Processing speed | 11.5 / 15 Upload took 4.14s and cloud OCR server processing completed in 8.99s (13.13s end-to-end) (11.5/15) | 14.5 / 15 Cloud Tesseract OCR server processing completed in just 0.45s (1.30s end-to-end) (14.5/15) |
