100% offlineScreenshot to textClean Markdown

ZenOCR is the offline OCR app for Mac.

Extract text from any image, screenshot, or PDF, even messy handwriting, and turn it into clean, copyable text. Everything runs on your Mac, fully offline.

Download on theMac App Store
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Claim now$9.99 lifetime $12.99
01 / Capture

Screenshot to text, no retyping.

ZenOCR puts Mac OCR in your menu bar, so the shortcut works from anywhere, and you pick how it reads.

AI

On-device

For the hard stuff: complex layouts, tables, math, and messy handwriting. Outputs clean Markdown.

Fast

Apple Vision

Instant recognition for clean, printed text. The everyday default when you just need the words.

02 / Drag & drop

Or drop an image or PDF in.

Drag any image or PDF onto ZenOCR to extract the text. It even converts a PDF to Markdown, tables and equations preserved, all offline.

03 / Use cases

Handwriting, tables, and contracts converted to text.

Three messes ZenOCR was built to clean up, all on your Mac.

Academic research screenshot

Academic research

Grab LaTeX, equations, and complex tables straight out of papers, no retyping.

Confidential files

Pull text from contracts, medical records, or internal docs without uploading anything.

Messy handwriting

Turn notes that even you can't read into actual text. It handles mine, a genuinely high bar.

04 / Privacy

Nothing ever leaves your Mac.

ZenOCR runs open OCR models, GLM-OCR and DeepSeek-OCR2, right on your Mac. They download once on first launch, then never touch the network again. No account, no tracking, and it works exactly the same with Wi-Fi off.

Apple notarizedWorks with Wi-Fi offNo accountNo tracking
05 / Reviews

What people are saying.

Reactions from Reddit and early testers.

"Tried both the small and medium models on my M2 MacBook and they both run fine. Really impressive. Not perfect yet, but miles above any other OCR I've tried."

r/macapps logou/Nuclear_Pasta7r/macapps

"As a student I threw a whole batch of math equations and tables at it, and honestly I was surprised how well it handles them."

r/macapps logou/Stubborninmater/macapps

"I run confidential documents through it all the time. Everything stays on my Mac and nothing ever gets uploaded. Exactly what I needed."

X logo@thomas_wX

"Converting piles of old PDFs into clean Markdown to build my own knowledge base. Works beautifully."

Discord logo@pkm_daveDiscord

"I just needed something that could finally read my handwriting, and it nails it."

Discord logo@inkstainedDiscord
06 / Pricing

Yours for life. No subscription.

Drop your email and we'll send a discount code for the launch price. No spam.

Discount ends in00d 00:00:00
ZenOCR20%OFF$9.99 $12.99
Lifetime license, buy once, use forever.
07 / FAQ

The things people ask first.

ZenOCR is a one time purchase of $12.99, yours for life, no subscription. There is a 7 day free trial, then a single in app purchase unlocks Pro forever.

ZenOCR runs modern open OCR models fully on device, including GLM-OCR and DeepSeek-OCR2. AI mode handles complex layouts, tables, math, and handwriting; Fast mode uses Apple Vision for instant everyday text.

macOS Live Text covers simple cases, but ZenOCR adds AI accuracy on handwriting, tables, and math, plus PDF support and clean Markdown output, all fully offline.

macOS 13 and later on Apple Silicon. AI mode uses the Neural Engine, so an M series chip is required.

Press the ZenOCR hotkey and drag a box, or drop an image file onto the app. It copies the text from the image to your clipboard, ready to paste anywhere, all offline.

Drop the image onto ZenOCR or grab it with the hotkey, and it copies the text from the image straight to your clipboard, ready to paste anywhere, all offline on your Mac.

Drop a PDF onto ZenOCR and AI mode outputs clean Markdown with tables, equations, and headings preserved, all on your Mac.

Yes, 100%. After a one time model download on first launch, every conversion runs entirely on your Mac. No documents, images, or analytics are ever uploaded, and it works the same with Wi-Fi off.