DevPulse → Use Cases → Document OCR

Best Model For

Best local AI model for OCR and document processing

Local OCR has gotten remarkably good. Vision-capable models like Gemma 3 can extract text from photos, PDFs, and handwritten notes without sending your documents to the cloud. For developers processing invoices, contracts, or research papers, this is a privacy-first alternative to commercial OCR services.

Recommended models

Three tiers based on your available RAM and quality needs.

Tips for document ocr

1 Specialized OCR models like GLM-OCR (0.9B) can outperform general models for pure text extraction

2 Use vision models for understanding document structure — tables, forms, mixed layouts

3 Pre-process images: straighten, increase contrast, crop to content area before feeding to the model

4 Combine Apple's built-in LiveText with a local model for best results on macOS

Check with DevPulse

DevPulse tells you which of these models your Mac can run right now — based on your actual available memory, not just your spec sheet.

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Quick comparison

Budget Pick
Gemma 3 4B (3.3 GB)
Best Overall
Gemma 3 27B (17 GB)
Maximum Quality
Llama 3.3 70B (42 GB)

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Find the right model for your Mac

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Download for macOS

macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon & Intel · Free during launch