Translation & language
normcap
Select any part of your screen and copy the text in it
★ 2.7k
August 2026
Not stated
Translation & language
What we checked ourselves
Not copied from the project's own blurb. These are things we opened and verified, with the date.
- 23 Aug 2026We checked that the link to the project still resolves.
- 14 Aug 2026We read the licence text itself (LICENSE). No unusual restrictions were stated.
- 1 Sept 2026We read the project's own documentation and found no sign that development has stopped.
Where this sits among the 26 tools we list in Translation & language
- Works without using a terminal20 of 26
- No API key required20 of 26
- Keeps your data on your own machine12 of 26
Only 8 of the 26 meet all of the conditions above.
Counted from our own checks: every tool we list is examined against the same criteria.
What it does
Drag a box over anything on screen - an image, a PDF, an app that will not let you select - and NormCap OCRs it straight to your clipboard. Works on Windows, macOS and Linux, with Flathub and AUR packages available. Recognition quality depends on how large and clean the on-screen text is, and non-Latin scripts may need an extra language data pack.
Summary based on the project's own description. The Japanese page has a fuller beginner guide: setup difficulty, what to prepare, and a step-by-step start.
Screenshots & visuals
Before you start
- Setup difficultySome setup needed
- Command lineNot required
- API keyNot required
- Sends data onlineNo
Judged automatically from the project's own metadata. Always confirm on the official page.
normcap FAQ
- Is normcap free?
- Yes. It runs on your own machine, so there is no usage-based cost either.
- Do I need to install anything or write code to use normcap?
- You install it like a normal desktop app. No command line involved.
- Does normcap work on a phone?
- No. It needs a computer.
- Can I use normcap commercially?
- We could not confirm this. The publisher does not state it clearly, so we have not verified whether what you make with it may be used commercially. Ask the publisher before relying on it.
How it compares
The conditions that decide whether you can actually use it, side by side.
| Tool | Command line | API key | Sends data out | Phone | Commercial use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| normcap (this page) | Not needed | Not needed | No | No | Not verified |
| Translumo | Not needed | Not needed | Yes | No | Yes |
| MORT | Not needed | Not needed | Yes | No | Yes |
| interpreter | Not needed | Not needed | No | No | Yes |
"Sends data out" means your input is uploaded to someone's server. Pick "No" when the material cannot leave your organisation.