From picture to translation in two steps
Many people searching for "Russian OCR to English" are trying to read a document they can't type, because they don't have a Cyrillic keyboard. Getting the text out as real Cyrillic is the step that unlocks everything else: once it's text, you can paste it into DeepL or Google Translate, look up words, or search for the document online.
What it's good at
- Printed Russian books, articles and textbooks
- Screenshots of Telegram posts, VK pages or slides
- Official letters, certificates and forms
- Photos of signs, labels and menus
- Pages that mix Russian and English, with each word kept in its own script
No Latin look-alike mix-ups
Several Cyrillic letters look exactly like Latin ones (а, е, о, р, с, х). Sloppy OCR mixes the two alphabets in the same word, which breaks search and spell-check even though it looks fine on screen. Because this tool is told the text is Russian, it outputs real Cyrillic characters throughout.
Handwritten pages
Printed text with handwritten notes is handled in one pass. For pages that are mostly cursive, see the Russian handwriting to text page for tips on photographing it.
Mostly handwritten pages? Try Russian handwriting to text.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Russian OCR free?
Your first image is free. A free account gives you 3 credits and 1 free credit daily.
Can it OCR a Russian PDF?
Only as images. Screenshot or export each PDF page and upload those (up to 5 at a time).
Does it work for Ukrainian or other Cyrillic languages?
It reads them well because the script is shared, and it keeps letters like і, ї and є. The Russian page simply tells the model to expect Russian.
Why do I need Cyrillic output instead of a direct translation?
Typed Cyrillic lets you choose your translator, check individual words, and quote the original. Direct photo translation hides mistakes you'd never notice.
What file types can I use?
JPG, PNG, WebP and HEIC up to 10 MB each.