How do I read a scanned PDF online?

Upload your scanned PDF here. The OCR engine automatically extracts text from the scanned pages, then you can read or listen to it with AI text-to-speech. No software installation needed.

What OCR languages does ReadLoudly support?

ReadLoudly's OCR engine supports 40+ languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Japanese, Portuguese, and more.

How accurate is the OCR for scanned documents?

Clean, high-resolution scans (300 DPI or higher) typically achieve 95%+ accuracy. Low-quality scans, handwriting, or unusual fonts may have lower accuracy. You can edit extracted text before listening.

How do I know whether my PDF needs the scanned reader or the normal one?

Try selecting a line of text in your PDF viewer. If the text highlights, it is a normal PDF and the standard PDF Reader is faster. If nothing selects, the pages are images and you need this OCR-based Scanned PDF Reader.

Is the scanned PDF reader free to use?

Yes. Reading and listening to scanned PDF files is free, with no account required to start and no watermark on anything. Paid plans — Core at $5/month, Plus at $10/month, Pro at $19/month — raise the upload size limit, unlock all 1200+ AI voices, add MP3 downloads and offline listening, and remove ads.

Does ReadLoudly support scanned PDF as well as other formats?

Yes — scanned PDF is fully supported on this page, and it is one of 24 formats ReadLoudly reads aloud: documents (PDF, DOCX, ODT, RTF), ebooks (EPUB, MOBI, AZW, FB2, CHM, LRF, LIT, PDB, RB), text and web files (TXT, HTML), comics (CBR, CBZ), and images (via OCR) (JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, WEBP, TIFF, SVG). Upload a scanned PDF file here and it opens straight away; any other format on that list has its own reader page.

Can I open scanned PDF files on my phone or tablet?

Yes. This reader runs in the mobile browser on iOS and Android — nothing to install — so you can open a scanned PDF file straight from your phone's Files app, an email attachment or a cloud drive. Playback continues in the background, and your position syncs to any other device you sign in on.

What happens to my scanned PDF file after I upload it?

It is processed for OCR and text extraction, then removed. ReadLoudly does not train models on your files, does not share them with third parties, and does not make them visible to anyone else. Signed-in users can choose to keep a scanned PDF file in their own private library instead; a guest upload is discarded when the session ends.

What exactly is a scanned PDF file?

Scanned PDF is a PDF whose pages are images of text rather than selectable text, so it needs OCR before it can be read aloud. ReadLoudly opens it directly in the browser, so you do not need the original software that created it.

What if my file is not a scanned PDF?

Every format gets its own reader page rather than being funnelled into one generic uploader, so nothing loses its format-specific handling. Nearest neighbours to scanned PDF among ReadLoudly's documents: DOCX, ODT, RTF, PDF. The Tools page lists all of them.

NEW AI Study Hub

Scanned PDF Reader
OCR + Text to Speech

Listen to your Scanned PDFs like audiobooks, chat with content, track progress, highlight key points, and save bookmarks — all in one place.

Trusted by 4M+ readers worldwide

Split & Extract Merge PDF Count Words in PDF Compress PDF

Scanned PDF

Opens in the ReadLoudly reader. Free, no signup.

Hear the voices before you listen

50+ voices free · 1,200+ on paid plans

ReadLoudly text to speech reader: pasted text on the left, the spoken text with highlighting on the right, voice, speed and pitch controls above and a play bar below — Press **Listen** and your text opens in the ReadLoudly reader — pick a voice, set the speed, follow the highlighted words. Free, no signup.

Click to upload, or drag and drop

PDF or Image files up to 50MB each

Supported formats: PDF or Image

Popular Tools

All-in-one PDF reader and document tools to read, convert, compress, scan, and manage files online—fast, secure, and easy to use.

PDF Reader

How to listen to your Scanned PDFs.

Listening to your Scanned PDFs hands-free is simple with ReadLoudly.

Upload Your File

Upload the Scanned PDFs you want to listen to.

Choose Your Page

Open your file and jump to the page you want to hear.

Press Play & Listen

Hit play and let ReadLoudly read it aloud—hands-free.

Everything you need for PDF mastery

Our suite of tools is designed to handle high-volume document workflows with military-grade security and precision.

Advanced OCR

AI OCR to extract text from handwritten notes, images, and PDFs instantly.

Lossless Compression

Compress PDFs and images up to 90% with no quality loss for fast storage and sharing.

Secure Infrastructure

End-to-end encrypted processing. We never store your files—private and secure by default.

Explore all features

Real-World Stories

Discover how ReadLoudly empowers professionals, researchers, and students to unlock insights from scanned PDFs with AI-powered OCR and digital document intelligence..

Archival Mastery

Scholars

Digitize scanned PDFs, archival documents, and handwritten research notes into searchable text for faster academic analysis. Bridge centuries-old manuscripts with modern OCR tools and searchable digital databases.

Instant Success

Students

Scan textbook pages, lecture slides, and scanned PDFs to generate AI-powered summaries, study guides, and flashcards instantly. Convert lengthy reading into searchable notes for faster, more efficient learning.

Automated Workflows

Professionals

Extract structured data from scanned receipts, contracts, and legal PDFs using advanced OCR. Automate expense reports and document processing while ReadLoudly converts scanned files into searchable, editable data.

Digital Drafts

Authors

Convert typed or handwritten manuscripts from scanned PDFs into editable digital text while preserving original formatting. Digitize historical documents with OCR and keep your legacy searchable and ready for the modern era.