Turn any page into readable text.
A free engine on your device, cloud engines built for documents, and LLMs that read the messiest handwriting — pick the right one for what you're recognizing.
The engine family
Three kinds, three jobs
No tech needed — meet the three roles first, then picking by task is easy.
The fallback already in your device
Local fallback engines
Built into the OS. Useful when you want text out of a phone photo immediately and want the image to stay on device. In Lectio this is the no-key fallback for plain text.
iOS · macOS · Android · WindowsThe specialist for structured documents
Cloud document engines
Made for structured pages. Use this family when you care about preserved layout, tables, formulas, or processing a full PDF cleanly.
Cloud · all platformsThe reader for context-heavy pages
LLM vision
Useful for difficult single pages: messy handwriting, mixed languages, formula-dense notes, or context-sensitive cleanup.
Cloud · all platformsSide by side
What are you recognizing?
Pick a task and the table flags the engines that fit each Lectio workflow. Scores describe capability fit and price, not a winner-takes-all ranking.
Data updated July 2026
Engine
Layout
Hard pages
Whole PDF
Cost
Free tier
LocalOffline · instant fallback · image only
Apple VisioniPhone / Mac fallback, handwriting OK, image stays on device0
2
1
5
Free forever
Android ML KitAndroid fallback for printed text, device-local recognition0
0
1
5
Free forever
Windows OCRWindows fallback, offline, handwriting OK0
2
1
5
Free forever
Document OCRLayout · tables · whole PDF
Aliyun DocMindChinese document parsing, layout/tables, generous free quota, image-first3
3
2
4
3,000 pages/mo
LLM VisionHard pages · mixed text · single-page review
Scores map Lectio-facing facts to 0–5 bars. Layout = how well this adapter preserves reading order, columns, tables, and formulas in Lectio. Hard pages = handwriting, formulas, mixed layouts, and context recovery on a single difficult page. Whole PDF = image-only/local 1, single-page PDF class 2, image-or-document OCR up to 1000 pages 4, and 2000-page document OCR 5. Cost = normalized from each engine's lowest public usable pricing or free tier; cheaper scores higher (free local = 5). We score the capability Lectio actually exposes today, so an upstream model can be stronger than its current score if the adapter surface is narrower. A dashed empty track means the capability is genuinely absent. Prices and free tiers are sample snapshots; verify on each provider's site.
Privacy · Pricing
The key is in your hands.
Local recognition never leaves the device; cloud engines use your own API key — data never routes through us, and you pay the provider for what you use.
Local enginesApple · Android · Windows, no signup
Free foreverCloud enginesBring your API key; each has a free tier or new-user credit
See table aboveTransparent billingPay the provider for what you use; key stays on your device
No markupFree tiers per each provider's site.
Common questions
Still unsure?
Is an API key hard to get?
Think of it as a membership card: sign up, copy, paste. Every engine has an illustrated guide; most take under ten minutes.
How far does free get me?
Local engines are free forever and unlimited. Every cloud engine has a free tier or new-user credit — see the “Free tier” column above; beyond that you pay the provider for what you use with your own key, no markup.
Are my files and keys safe?
Local images never leave the device. Cloud engines connect from your device straight to the provider; your key lives in the system secure store and can be replaced or deleted anytime.