# Copyfish OCR extension: what it does and when to use an alternative

Copyfish is a free OCR extension for Chrome, Edge and Firefox that reads text from an area you mark in an image, a video or a PDF on screen[1][2]. It suits a subtitle, a chart label or a screenshot. For a whole scanned document you want back as an editable Word file, LoreAI reads the file itself, every page.

## What is Copyfish?

Copyfish is a browser extension from a9t9 software that copies, pastes and translates text from any image, video or PDF[1]. You mark the text you want, and it shows the extracted text over the image so you can compare it at a glance[1]. The Chrome listing shows 600,000 users and version 7.0.16, updated September 30, 2026[1].

It is open source under the GPL, and it uses the free OCR API from OCR.space for the reading[1]. A Desktop Text Capture mode reads text outside the browser once you install the small UI.Vision XModule2 app on Windows, Mac or Linux[2].

## What Copyfish does well

- Video subtitles. A repeat feature lets you mark the subtitle area once and press Do OCR for each new line[1].
- Quick language switching, with buttons for up to three OCR languages on the settings page[1].
- Translation of the extracted text in the same window[1].
- Any website, because it does not change the page; you mark the area instead[1].

Engine 1 covers Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian and most European languages, and Engine 2 adds Thai, Ukrainian and Vietnamese among others[2].

## Where a file-based tool fits better

Copyfish reads what is on your screen, one marked area at a time. That is the right shape for a line of text. A ten-page scanned contract, a school transcript with tables or a handwritten letter is a different job, because you want the whole file read in order and handed back as a document.

LoreAI takes the file instead. Upload a PDF, JPG or PNG and download an editable Word file with headings, lists and tables in the original order, handwriting and stamps included. There is nothing to install, so it works the same on a phone.

## Copyfish and LoreAI side by side

*Checked on November 6, 2026, against the Copyfish listing and help page*

| What you need | Copyfish | LoreAI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| File types | Anything shown on screen: images, video, PDF[1] | PDF, JPG, PNG and HEIC files |
| Size | The screen area you mark[1] | Free 3 MB, Basic 10 MB, Pro 25 MB |
| Length | One marked area per OCR run[1] | Free 3, Basic 30, Pro 100 pages in one file |
| Scanned pages | The part of a PDF you mark on screen[1] | Every page of the PDF, in order |
| Photos | An image open in the browser, or on the desktop with XModule2[2] | Uploaded directly, including HEIC from an iPhone |
| What you download | Text to copy, or a translation[1] | An editable Word file (.docx) |
| Phone | An extension for Chrome, Edge and Firefox on Windows, Mac and Linux[2] | Works in any phone browser |
| Price | Free[1] | First document free, then Basic at $12.99 a month |

## Other Copyfish alternatives

- **Snipping Tool on Windows**: Text actions copies the text from any snip[3]
- **LoreAI image to text**: Free, in the browser, the whole page as text or Word
- **LoreAI app**: Many pages, handwriting and translation into one Word file

For the device by device routes, read [how to copy text from an image](https://www.loreai.org/copy-text-from-image). For a single picture, the free [image to text](https://www.loreai.org/image-to-text) tool needs no install.

## Which one should you use?

- Use Copyfish to grab and translate subtitles, labels and text inside images while you browse.
- Use the Snipping Tool if you are on Windows and only need a quick copy.
- Use LoreAI when the source is a file, such as a scan, a PDF or a phone photo, and you want an editable document, translated into one of 105 languages if needed.

## Questions people ask

### Is Copyfish free?

Yes. The Chrome Web Store lists it as free OCR software, and its source code is open under the GPL[1].

### Which OCR engine does Copyfish use?

It uses the free OCR API from OCR.space[1].

### Does Copyfish work in Firefox and Edge?

Yes. Copyfish runs in Chrome, Edge and Firefox, and the versions are technically identical[2].

### Can Copyfish turn a PDF into a Word file?

It extracts text from the area of a PDF you mark on screen[1]. For the whole PDF as an editable .docx file, upload it to LoreAI.

## Sources

1. [Chrome Web Store: Copyfish Free OCR Software](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/copyfish-free-ocr-soft/eenjdnjldapjajjofmldgmkjaienebbj?hl=en), accessed November 6, 2026
2. [OCR.space: Copyfish, open-source free OCR software and text extractor](https://ocr.space/copyfish), accessed November 6, 2026
3. [Microsoft Support: Use Snipping Tool to capture screenshots](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots), accessed November 6, 2026

By Matt Mountain · Updated November 6, 2026