CopyFish
Extract text from images, videos, PDFs seamlessly.. [Free]
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What is CopyFish?
Copyfish is a browser‑based OCR tool that lets you extract text from images, videos, and PDFs directly inside Chrome, Edge, or Firefox. With a simple screen‑selection box, it captures visible text on web pages, screenshots, documents, and even embedded content such as charts, diagrams, or YouTube video frames, then converts that text into editable format you can copy, paste, or translate without retyping. Copyfish is built on top of the OCR.space API, so it leverages cloud‑based optical character recognition rather than local engines, giving it strong language support and robust accuracy on typical desktop content.
Key features include one‑click text extraction from selected regions, translation of the detected text, and support for both web‑based content and desktop screenshots via an optional companion app (UI.Vision XModule). The tool works on Windows, Mac, and Linux and is distributed as a free, open‑source browser extension, making it suitable for individuals who want to quickly grab text from screenshots, PDF viewers, image viewers, or any web content. It also integrates cleanly into workflows where users frequently need to copy text from non‑selectable sources like error messages, screenshots, memes, or scanned documents.
Copyfish is designed for everyday users, students, researchers, and knowledge workers who regularly deal with image‑based text and need a fast, no‑friction way to recover that text digitally. It is especially useful when native copy‑paste is not available, such as with screenshots, encrypted PDFs, or images embedded in web pages. Because it is a browser extension tied to the OCR.space engine, it appeals to users who prefer lightweight, free tools rather than full‑fledged desktop OCR suites, while still offering multiple recognition engines and a broad set of supported languages for multilingual documents.
CopyFish pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Copyfish itself is offered as a free, open‑source browser extension that does not charge end users for using the text‑extraction features. It uses the OCR.space free OCR API in the background, which provides a certain number of free pages per month without payment; if users exceed free limits or need higher throughput, they can upgrade to paid OCR.space API plans, but those are separate from the Copyfish extension pricing. For Copyfish users, there are no direct subscription fees or in‑extension purchase prompts; any OCR.space paid plans are managed at the API level and are mainly relevant for developers or organizations integrating OCR at scale.
CopyFish pros
- Free to use with no registration required
- Runs inside Chrome, Edge, and Firefox browsers
- Open‑source and OSI‑certified under GPL license
- Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Extracts text from images, videos, and PDFs
- Supports one‑click region selection on screen
- Can grab text from YouTube video frames
- Translates extracted text directly in the extension
- Supports desktop screenshots via UI.Vision XModule
- Recognizes text from charts, diagrams, and screenshots
- No need to retype content from error messages or images
- Broad language support in Engine 1 (Arabic, Chinese, many European languages)
- Additional Latin‑based and Asian language support in Engine 2
- Lightweight extension without heavy installation
- Designed for quick copy‑paste workflows rather than batch processing
CopyFish cons
- Requires internet because it relies on the OCR.space API
- Accuracy depends on OCR.space engine quality and network
- No offline OCR mode included by default
- Desktop screenshot capture needs a separate native app (UI.Vision XModule)
- Limited to content visible on screen or in browser tabs
- No advanced layout or table‑structure preservation in the output
- Primarily aimed at short‑to‑medium text snippets, not full‑document workflows
- No built‑in document management or export formats beyond plain text copy
Frequently asked questions about CopyFish
What is the main difference between Copyfish and the OCR.space web interface?
Copyfish is a browser extension that lets you select text regions directly on web pages, videos, or screenshots and convert them into editable text, while the OCR.space web interface is a standalone online OCR service where you upload image or PDF files through a browser form. Copyfish is optimized for grabbing small blocks of on‑screen text quickly, whereas the OCR.space web UI is better suited for processing full documents or batches of scanned pages.
Can Copyfish work offline or without an internet connection?
Copyfish itself cannot perform OCR offline because it relies on the OCR.space cloud API to recognize text. Without an internet connection, the extension can capture the selected screen area but cannot send it to the OCR engine, so no text extraction occurs. For true offline use, you would need a different OCR product that runs entirely on your machine.
What types of content can Copyfish extract text from?
Copyfish can extract text from images, videos (including YouTube frames), PDFs, charts, diagrams, screenshots, memes, error messages, and any other visual text that is visible on your screen or inside the browser. It is designed to work with any HTML, image, or video element that can be selected with the mouse, not just flat image files.
Is Copyfish available only for Chrome?
No, Copyfish is available for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox; all versions are technically identical in functionality, including the desktop capture feature. The extension runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux, so users are not restricted to a single browser or operating system.
Do I need to install additional software to use desktop screenshots?
Yes, to capture text from native desktop content (such as menus, other applications, or PDF viewers outside the browser), you must install the UI.Vision XModule desktop app. This small companion application lets Copyfish take full‑screen or region screenshots from your desktop; it is optional only if you plan to use Copyfish strictly inside web pages.
Does Copyfish store or keep copies of my extracted text?
Copyfish sends the selected image region to the OCR.space API, which processes the text and returns it to the extension. OCR.space states that it does not store user data long term according to its privacy policy, so the text is generally not retained on their servers beyond what is necessary to perform the recognition, but the exact retention period depends on OCR.space’s operational practices rather than Copyfish itself.
What languages does Copyfish support?
Copyfish uses two engines: Engine 1 supports Arabic, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Slovenian, Swedish, and Turkish. Engine 2 adds many Latin‑based languages plus Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Thai, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese, giving broad coverage for both European and several Asian scripts.
Can Copyfish convert scanned documents into editable files like Word documents?
Copyfish is primarily designed to extract text snippets that you can copy and paste elsewhere; it does not create structured Word or similar documents directly. However, you can paste the recognized text into a word processor and then format it manually, or use the OCR.space web/API side of the service for more document‑oriented workflows such as generating searchable PDFs or exporting plain text.
Is Copyfish safe and open‑source?
Yes, Copyfish is published under the GPL open‑source license, and its full source code is available on GitHub. The extension is developed by a9t9 software GmbH, and its use of the OCR.space API is documented in its description, which helps transparency and security‑conscious users review how their data is handled.
How can developers integrate Copyfish or OCR.space into their own tools?
Developers who want to integrate OCR functionality can use the OCR.space API directly with an API key, which is available through OCR.space’s signup flow; the Copyfish extension itself is intended for end‑user workflows. There are also community‑built wrappers and SDKs around the OCR.space API that make it easier to include OCR in web applications or desktop software, but these are separate from the Copyfish extension.