Text Extraction API

Extract and parse documents with OCR support and PII removal.

GrowingOpen SourceLow lock-in

Pricing

Free tier

Flat rate

Adoption

Cooling

License

Open Source

Data freshness

Verified · Jul 12, 2026

Overview

What is Text Extraction API?

The Text Extraction API extracts text from various document formats including PDFs, Word files, and images using OCR technology. It supports anonymization of documents by removing personally identifiable information (PII) and converting documents into structured JSON or Markdown.

Key differentiator

Text Extraction API stands out as a robust, open-source solution for developers looking to integrate advanced OCR capabilities with PII removal directly into their applications without the need for cloud services.

Capability profile

Capability Radar

Ease of StartEcosystemValueMaturityFlexibilityScale Ready

Honest assessment

Strengths & Weaknesses

↑ Strengths

Supports multiple document formats including PDF, Word, and PPTX.medium

Uses OCR technology for image-based text extraction.medium

Anonymizes documents by removing personally identifiable information (PII).medium

Converts extracted data into structured JSON or Markdown.medium

Self-hosted solution with API integration.medium

↓ Weaknesses

Steep learning curve for non-Python developershigh

API requires Python-specific patterns, TypeScript SDK is community-maintained

Frequent breaking changes between versionsmedium

v0.1 to v0.2 migration required rewriting chain definitions

Limited OCR accuracy for complex or low-quality imageshigh

Poor performance on scanned documents with poor resolution or non-standard fonts

Resource-intensive processing, especially for large filesmedium

High memory usage and long processing times when handling large PDFs or high-resolution images

Community support is limited due to open-source naturelow

Few active contributors and slow response time for issues on GitHub

Fit analysis

Who is it for?

✓ Best for

Developers needing to integrate OCR-based text extraction into their projects.

Teams working with sensitive data requiring PII removal before processing.

Projects aiming to convert unstructured documents into structured formats for easier analysis.

✕ Not a fit for

Applications that require real-time document processing and immediate response.

Scenarios where cloud-hosted solutions are preferred over self-hosting.

Cost structure

Pricing

Free Tier

Available

Open source — free to use

Starts at

$0

Model

Flat rate

Enterprise

None

Performance benchmarks

How Fast Is It?

Ecosystem

Relationships

Next step

Get Started with Text Extraction API

Step-by-step setup guide with code examples and common gotchas.

View Setup Guide →