MinerU review
A flexible PDF parser for OCR, tables, batch jobs, and structured exports.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
MinerU converts PDFs and other document formats into structured outputs for researchers, developers, and teams preparing documents for search, knowledge bases, or AI workflows. It combines OCR for scanned pages with complex-table preservation, semantic tags in JSON, and exports including Markdown, HTML, LaTeX, and DOCX. Workflows span a web interface, command-line tools, Python SDK, and HTTP API, with options to parse batches and keep a searchable local document library. Its mix of local deployment and hosted access suits users who want control over where parsing happens as well as teams automating extraction.
The pricing structure separates web access from API use. The Free plan includes web access but not the API. Pro · Monthly and Pro · Annual each include API access and 1,000 pages every month. The pricing page labels the Pro amounts as one-time payments despite the monthly and annual plan names, so buyers should pay attention to the displayed billing terms when comparing them. The published plans make the free tier a straightforward place to use the web workflow, while API-based processing requires a Pro plan. That makes MinerU more appealing when its structured output and automation options justify a paid tier than when occasional web parsing is all that is needed.
Its standout strength is breadth across complex document handling and output formats: OCR, tables, scientific notation, semantic JSON, batch parsing, and local search address more than plain text conversion. Open-source code and self-hosted deployment can fit teams that prefer local processing; MinerU Online provides the cloud option. The trade-off is that the free plan does not cover API workflows and Pro usage is bounded by the stated monthly page allowance. Choose MinerU for varied documents, batch work, or local processing; users seeking an API-inclusive free tier or a simpler one-off converter should look elsewhere.
MinerU pros and cons
- Where it wins
- OCR for scanned PDFs and preservation of complex tables
- Exports to JSON, Markdown, HTML, LaTeX, DOCX, and other formats
- Open-source code, local deployment, and batch parsing
- Where it doesn't
- Free plan does not include API access
- Pro plans cap usage at 1,000 pages every month
- Local document search and cached results may exceed simple parsing needs
MinerU fact sheet, pricing and score →
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