Software Alternatives & Startups

Sumatra PDF VS OCR.ac

Compare Sumatra PDF VS OCR.ac and see what are their differences

Sumatra PDF

Sumatra PDF is a slim PDF/DjVu/EPUB/XPS/CHM/CBR/CBZ/MOBI viewer for Windows.

Rating
0 reviews
OCR.ac

Easily convert images, scanned documents, and low-quality photos to text with our online OCR tool. Fast and accurate text extraction.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Free
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Sumatra PDF seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 1 time since March 2021.

social mentions
1 vs 0
PDF Tools popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 62

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Sumatra PDF
OCR.ac
Website sumatrapdfreader.org ocr.ac
Pricing —
Free
Platforms —
Windows MacOS Chrome OS iOS Android Mobile Desktop +4
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Sumatra PDF 6 features
OCR.ac 3 features
  • Lightweight
    Sumatra PDF is known for its small footprint, making it quick to download and install. It runs efficiently on older hardware.
  • Speed
    The application is fast to open and navigate, even with large PDF files, enhancing the user experience.
  • Simplicity
    Sumatra PDF offers a minimalistic interface that is easy to navigate for users who need a straightforward PDF reader without unnecessary features.
  • Portable Version
    Sumatra PDF offers a portable version that can be run without installation, ideal for use on multiple computers or USB drives.
  • Free and Open Source
    The software is free to use and open-source, allowing users to inspect the code and contribute to its development.
  • Support for Multiple Formats
    In addition to PDFs, Sumatra PDF supports ePub, Mobi, XPS, DjVu, CHM, and comic book formats (CBZ and CBR), making it versatile.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Features
    Sumatra PDF lacks advanced features such as form filling, text editing, and annotations, which are available in other PDF readers.
  • No Document Editing
    The application does not support document editing, which can be a drawback for users needing to make changes to their PDFs.
  • Basic User Interface
    The simplistic design might not appeal to users who prefer a more modern or visually appealing interface.
  • Restricted Customization
    Sumatra PDF offers limited customization options, providing fewer settings and user preferences compared to other PDF readers.
  • No Cloud Integration
    The software lacks integrated support for cloud storage services, which can be inconvenient for users who manage documents online.
  • No Advanced Security Features
    Sumatra PDF does not include advanced security features such as digital signatures or encryption, which are essential for some professional users.
  • Online OCR
    Convert your images or pdf to text online and free.
  • JPG to Excel
    Easily convert your images containing tabular data in formatted excel sheet.
  • PDF to Excel
    Easily convert your pdfs containing tabular data in formatted excel sheet.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Sumatra PDF
OCR.ac

Overall verdict

  • Sumatra PDF is a great choice for anyone looking for a reliable and efficient PDF reader. Its performance, coupled with its simplicity, makes it a top recommendation for those who need a no-frills document viewer.

Why this product is good

  • Sumatra PDF is considered good because it is lightweight, fast, and easy to use. Its simplicity and minimalistic design make it an excellent choice for users who need a straightforward PDF reader without any unnecessary features. It has a quick load time and supports a variety of document formats including PDF, ePub, MOBI, CHM, XPS, DjVu, CBZ, and CBR. Additionally, it is open-source and doesn't require installation, making it ideal for users who prioritize portability.

Recommended for

    Sumatra PDF is especially recommended for users who need a fast and lightweight PDF reader with basic functionalities. It's ideal for those who want a simple tool for reading PDFs and other document formats without the complications of advanced features. It is also suitable for users who value open-source software.

Overall verdict

  • OCR.ac appears to be a useful optical character recognition service for converting images and scanned documents into editable text, offering convenience for digitizing content, though users should verify accuracy and privacy practices for their specific needs.

Why this product is good

  • Converts scanned documents and images into editable, searchable text quickly
  • Can save significant time compared to manual data entry or retyping
  • Often supports multiple languages and various file formats
  • Typically accessible online without needing to install heavy software
  • May offer free or low-cost options for basic OCR tasks

Recommended for

  • Students digitizing lecture notes, textbooks, or handwritten materials
  • Office workers converting scanned contracts, invoices, or reports into editable files
  • Researchers extracting text from academic papers and archived documents
  • Small businesses needing quick, occasional document digitization
  • Anyone looking to make printed or image-based text searchable and editable

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Sumatra PDF 2 videos + Add
OCR.ac 0 videos + Add

Sumatra PDF my favorite PDF reader for Windows

More videos

  • - Sumatra PDF A FREE Portable PDF reader for Windows 10 | Alternative To Adobe PDF Reader

No OCR.ac videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Sumatra PDF
OCR.ac
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
OCR
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Sumatra PDF and OCR.ac.

What makes your product unique?

OCR.ac's answer:

OCR.ac provides powerful and free tools, OCR is not cheap and its a free tools platform.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

OCR.ac's answer:

User should choose OCR.ac because its free and its results are as good as other competitors and competitors are charging too much, so, the best choice is OCR.ac.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

OCR.ac's answer:

OCR.ac provides OCR based tools, which is the need of almost all type of audience, like teachers, students, researchers, data entry persons, businesses with tons of paperwork, etc.

User comments

Share your experience with using Sumatra PDF and OCR.ac. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Sumatra PDF no reviews yet
OCR.ac no reviews yet

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Sumatra PDF 1 mention
OCR.ac 0 mentions
  • anyone know any good epub/pdf readers for windows 11?
    You can use your browser for both, there are extensions(FireFox - PDF & EPUB/Chrome - PDF& EPUB) for that. In case, you want you use a separate software for them, I suggest SumatraPDF--it handles both PDFs and .EPUB files. Source: over 3 years ago

Tracking OCR.ac since Jul 2025.

Alternatives to Sumatra PDF and OCR.ac

When comparing Sumatra PDF and OCR.ac, you can also consider the following products.