CopyLasso
a free local screen OCR app for macOS
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What is CopyLasso?
CopyLasso is a free macOS utility that lets you draw around any visible text on your screen to instantly copy it to your clipboard using on-device OCR powered by Apple Vision. All processing happens locally with no cloud services, accounts, or telemetry.
CopyLasso pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Free (open source, MIT license)
CopyLasso pros
- Completely private: all OCR processing happens locally on your Mac using Apple Vision
- Fully free and open source (MIT license) with no account or cloud dependencies required
- Works on any screen content: photos, paused videos, remote desktops, menus, and code
- Supports multiple languages and recognizes QR codes and barcodes as plain text
CopyLasso cons
- macOS only (requires macOS 14+) — not available for Windows or other platforms
- Requires manual selection around text for each capture
- Limited to visible screen content; cannot extract text from inaccessible sources
Frequently asked questions about CopyLasso
Does CopyLasso store my screenshots or data in the cloud?
No. Screenshots are never logged, saved, or uploaded. All capture and recognition happen locally on your Mac with no cloud services.
Do I need an account or sign-up?
No account is required. CopyLasso is completely free and has no analytics, telemetry, or cloud dependencies.
What languages does it support?
It supports multiple languages available on your Mac and lets you choose and prioritize which ones to use for OCR.
Can it extract text from videos or photos?
Yes, it can recognize text from photos, paused videos, remote desktops, menus, and any other content visible on your screen.