On-device OCR
The recognizer runs on the phone and processes page images locally. This can work without network latency, keep routine scans out of a remote OCR pipeline, and avoid creating a cloud document account.
Results still depend on the device, operating-system framework, language support, and image quality. Local does not mean perfect.
Cloud OCR
The app sends page data to a server that runs the recognizer. A cloud service may use larger or specialized models, but page images or documents cross the network and may be logged or retained according to the provider's policy.
Check encryption in transit, purpose, retention, subprocessors, regional processing, and deletion—not only the word 'secure'.
A hybrid model
Some apps recognize text locally, then offer optional document AI using only the recognized text. This keeps original page images out of that AI request while still requiring network processing for the selected text operation.
DocSnap follows this model: Apple Vision OCR is on-device; DocSnap AI is optional and receives OCR-derived text after an explicit action. It does not receive the original scan images or original PDF.
- Ask what happens during normal scanning
- Ask what changes when AI is invoked
- Distinguish page images, PDF files, OCR text, prompts, and results
- Verify whether the app works without a network
Choose by document and task
For routine records and private archives, on-device OCR offers a strong default. A specialized cloud workflow may be justified for a difficult document if its privacy and retention model meet your needs.
Whatever the model, compare critical OCR output with the original page.
