docling-api vs Ollama-OCR
Document conversion and OCR tools compared
docling-api provides a self-hostable REST service that converts a range of document formats into Markdown. Ollama-OCR uses vision-language models served by Ollama to extract text or structured content from images and PDFs, through a Python package or Streamlit interface.
docling-api: Convert Documents to Markdown Through an API
docling-api is a self-hostable FastAPI service that converts documents and images into Markdown using Docling. It suits teams that need synchronous or queued batch processing, with CPU and GPU deployment options.
Ollama-OCR: Extract Text from Images and PDFs with Vision Models
Ollama-OCR uses vision-language models served by Ollama to extract text and structured content from images and PDFs. It offers a Python package for single or batch processing and a Streamlit interface for interactive use.
| docling-api | Ollama-OCR | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Python | Jupyter Notebook |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Stars | 1.7k | 2.8k |
| Forks | 425 | 323 |
| Last analyzed | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 3, 2026 |
Key differences
- docling-api uses Docling behind a FastAPI service, while Ollama-OCR sends visual documents to compatible Ollama vision models.
- docling-api supports formats including office documents, HTML, CSV, and images; Ollama-OCR focuses on images and PDFs.
- docling-api offers synchronous and asynchronous API jobs, including queued batch processing with Celery and Redis; Ollama-OCR provides Python batch workflows and a Streamlit interface.
- docling-api targets Markdown conversion, with text and table extraction; Ollama-OCR supports outputs such as plain text, JSON, tables, and key-value pairs, with custom prompts.
- docling-api supports CPU-only or GPU deployments; Ollama-OCR requires an Ollama installation and a compatible vision-language model.
- Both projects use the MIT license; docling-api reports 1.7k stars and Ollama-OCR reports 2.8k stars.
Choose docling-api if you…
- need a self-hostable REST API for converting varied document formats into Markdown.
- want synchronous or queued batch conversion with job status tracking.
- need multilingual OCR options or CPU and GPU deployment choices.
Choose Ollama-OCR if you…
- want to extract text or structured fields from images and PDFs using Ollama vision models.
- need custom prompts or output formats such as JSON, tables, and key-value pairs.
- prefer a Python workflow or an interactive Streamlit interface for processing files.
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This comparison is generated with AI from the OSRepos analyses of both projects. Always check each project's repository and documentation before choosing.