Nanonets alternative for PDF data extraction at a flat price per page
PdfParse is a Nanonets alternative for US developers and ops teams that want predictable PDF extraction costs and JSON, Markdown and CSV in one call. It bills by page allowance, with the same page price for scans, while Nanonets charges for workflow block runs. Growth adds schemas for structured fields. Choose Nanonets when its no-code workflows and integrations do more of the work your team needs.
Parse your own PDF before you switch
Start with an invoice or scan from your actual workflow. Inspect fields, text and tables against the source before changing your integration.
Use the API evaluation to check extraction across complete documents.
What one call returns
Page one rendered with every block outlined, next to the JSON your code receives.
- Reading text layer
- Detecting layout
- Extracting tables
- Building JSON
Headings, paragraphs, tables and totals detected
Portsmouth, NH 03801
| Description | Qty | Unit | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak countertop, 2.4 m | 2 | 640.00 | 1,280.00 |
| Cabinet doors, shaker | 12 | 85.00 | 1,020.00 |
| On site fitting | 1 | 450.00 | 450.00 |
Quote the invoice number with your transfer.
Goods remain ours until paid in full.
Pages 2 and later are parsed after you create an account.
{ "document": { "pages": 2, "parsed_pages": 1, "language": "en" }, "pages": [ { "number": 1, "blocks": [ { "type": "heading", "text": "Invoice", "bbox": [48, 52, 132, 84] }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Harbor Street Joinery, 14 Dock Lane, Portsmouth" }, { "type": "key_value", "pairs": { "Invoice no.": "INV-2026-0418", "Issued": "Oct 14, 2026", "Due": "Nov 13, 2026" } }, { "type": "table", "columns": ["Description", "Qty", "Unit", "Amount"], "rows": [ ["Oak countertop, 2.4 m", 2, 640.00, 1280.00], ["Cabinet doors, shaker", 12, 85.00, 1020.00], ["On site fitting", 1, 450.00, 450.00] ] }, { "type": "total", "label": "Total due", "value": 2983.75, "currency": "USD", "confidence": 0.98 } ] } ], "fields": { "invoice_number": { "value": "INV-2026-0418", "confidence": 0.99, "page": 1 }, "total": { "value": 2983.75, "confidence": 0.98, "page": 1 }, "due_date": { "value": "2026-11-13", "confidence": 0.97, "page": 1 } } }
Downloads from the demo include a watermark field and cover page one only.
Page one is parsed in your browser, so your file never reaches our servers.
One demo per day from this network. Create an account to parse more pages.
$ curl https://api.pdfparse.ai/v1/parse \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $PDFPARSE_API_KEY" \ -F file[email protected] \ -F outputs=json,markdown,csv
Nanonets and PdfParse side by side
A Nanonets OCR alternative needs to fit the work around extraction too. Nanonets is a no-code workflow platform built from blocks. PdfParse supplies parsing outputs for your application to consume. Compare both the extraction result and the workflow code you maintain.
| What matters | Nanonets | PdfParse |
|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Block runs multiplied by each block's price | Monthly page allowance, including scans at the same page price |
| Entry price | Starter is $100 per month for 100 credits after introductory credits | Starter is $49 monthly or $24 per month billed yearly, with 2,000 pages |
| Extraction | Data extraction AI is included on Starter; extraction blocks cost $0.30 per run | PDF extraction on every plan; custom schemas start on Growth |
| Output formats | Confirm formats returned by your configured workflow | JSON, Markdown and CSV in one call |
| Tables | Evaluate extraction blocks against your own tables | Table extraction and CSV output on every plan |
| Schemas | Confirm schema controls for your extraction workflow | Growth includes up to 10 schemas with field confidence and source pages |
| Workflow builder | No-code blocks, with email integration on Starter | API with Python and Node SDKs; Growth adds webhooks and batch jobs |
| Deployment | Enterprise offers private cloud or on-prem deployment and US, EU or APAC residency | Managed API; Enterprise offers an EU or US processing region |
| Who it suits | Teams assembling document workflows without writing application code | Developers and ops teams integrating extraction into an application |
Nanonets rates here come from its public pricing page at nanonets.com/pricing, checked October 23, 2026. Count runs in your own workflow before comparing a block rate with a page allowance.
What 5,000 documents a month cost
This is list rate arithmetic. Assume each document triggers one extraction run at $0.30, one validation run at $0.10 and one export run at $0.02. That totals $0.42 per document run, or $2,100 for 5,000 documents, before introductory credits or volume discounts.
| Document assumption | PdfParse pages | Nanonets assumed block cost | PdfParse subscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 documents, 1 page each | 5,000 | $2,100 | Growth at $149 monthly or $74 monthly equivalent billed yearly |
| 5,000 documents, 3 pages each | 15,000 | $2,100 | Scale at $499 monthly or $249 monthly equivalent billed yearly |
The Nanonets column assumes the same three runs per document regardless of length. It is arithmetic, not an invoice quote or a statement about how every workflow runs. Additional runs change the total. Nanonets Growth offers quoted volume pricing and up to 40% volume discount.
PdfParse counts pages, not documents. A 5 page document uses 5 pages. Yearly figures require an annual subscription. The table compares extraction costs, not equivalent workflow features or guaranteed results.
What makes switching worth evaluating
Switching is worth testing when your application needs extraction outputs and already handles the surrounding business logic.
- Budget from page volume. A flat page price applies to digital PDFs and scans within your allowance. Unused capacity raises the effective cost of the pages you process.
- Request the outputs together. Send JSON to application logic, Markdown to text processing and CSV to table consumers from the same call.
- Review uncertain fields. Growth schemas return confidence and source pages, helping reviewers check values against the original PDF.
- Connect asynchronous work. Growth includes signed webhooks and batch jobs. Account for any Nanonets approval or routing work your application still needs to perform.
How to evaluate a move from Nanonets
Keep the comparison tied to your current workflow and its acceptance criteria.
-
1
Inventory the blocks each document runs. Include extraction, validation, export and any repeated runs. Separate essential integrations from steps your backend already performs.
-
2
Count monthly pages as well as documents. Include scans and longer files, then choose an allowance that covers the workload without assuming every document has one page.
-
3
Put POST /v1/parse behind your ingestion interface using the Python or Node SDK. Request JSON, Markdown and CSV together, keeping document identifiers attached to the results.
-
4
Create required field schemas through POST /v1/schemas on Growth or above. Compare missing values, confidence, source pages and table relationships against your existing validation rules.
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5
Map signed webhooks and batch jobs into your completion handlers. Review output quality, subscription utilization and replacement workflow code before deciding which processing to move.
Request three outputs in Python
Use the Python SDK to request the output bundle and print the Markdown. Read the API key from your runtime environment instead of putting a credential in source code.
The output request does not define a custom field schema. Create schemas separately through POST /v1/schemas on Growth or above, then follow the API documentation for their use.
import os
from pdfparse_ai import PdfParse
client = PdfParse(api_key=os.environ["PDFPARSE_API_KEY"])
result = client.parse("document.pdf", outputs=["json", "markdown", "csv"])
print(result.markdown)When Nanonets is the better pick
Nanonets is the better pick when the workflow platform meets requirements beyond PDF extraction.
- Nondevelopers need a no-code workflow builder, approval steps or email workflows. Starter includes email integration and cloud storage connectors.
- You depend on ERP or database integrations. Growth adds those connections; Enterprise lists Salesforce, SAP and Oracle connectors.
- You require HIPAA compliance or private cloud or on-prem deployment. Nanonets lists these on Enterprise. PdfParse does not offer a HIPAA BAA on its plans.
- You need classification, barcode or signature detection blocks. Nanonets Growth includes those capabilities alongside generative AI and custom Python blocks.
Choose a plan for your monthly PDF volume
Every plan includes the three outputs. Schemas, signed webhooks and batch jobs start on Growth. Yearly prices are monthly equivalents of annual subscriptions.
| Plan | Yearly billing | Monthly billing | Pages per month | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $24 per month | $49 per month | 2,000 | Standard outputs and scanned PDFs |
| Growth | $74 per month | $149 per month | 7,000 | Up to 10 schemas, webhooks and batch jobs |
| Scale | $249 per month | $499 per month | 24,000 | Unlimited schemas and zero retention mode |
| Enterprise | $749 per month | $1,499 per month | 72,000 | An EU or US processing region |
When the allowance runs out, parsing pauses without automatic overage charges. More pages require a higher plan. Unused pages do not roll over.
- Starter 2,000 pages, 1 API key, 1 seat $49 per month $24 per month, $288 billed yearly
- Growth 7,000 pages, 5 API keys, 3 seats $149 per month $74 per month, $888 billed yearly
- Scale 24,000 pages, 20 API keys, 10 seats $499 per month $249 per month, $2,988 billed yearly
- Enterprise 72,000 pages, unlimited API keys with per key limits, 25 seats $1,499 per month $749 per month, $8,988 billed yearly
FAQ
What is the best alternative to Nanonets
PdfParse is a strong Nanonets alternative for developers who need PDF fields, Markdown and CSV tables with predictable page based billing. Growth adds schemas with field confidence and source pages. Nanonets remains a better fit when nondevelopers need a workflow builder, approval steps or ERP integrations.
How much does Nanonets cost
Nanonets Starter costs $100 per month for 100 credits after introductory credits. Block rates are $0.02 per simple operation run, $0.10 per standard AI run and $0.30 per complex AI run. Total cost depends on the number of runs at each block price. Growth and Enterprise use quoted pricing.
Is Nanonets free
Nanonets offers $50 in free credits to start without a card, followed by paid Starter access at $100 per month for 100 credits. This introductory credit is not an unlimited ongoing allowance. PdfParse offers a page one browser preview without a card; ongoing API use requires a subscription.
Does Nanonets have an API
Yes, Nanonets includes API access on Starter alongside data extraction AI, email integration and cloud storage connectors. Its platform organizes processing into workflow blocks, so estimate the runs your API driven workflow triggers. PdfParse provides a parsing API with Python and Node SDKs and three output formats in one call.
Is PdfParse cheaper than Nanonets
PdfParse costs less in the stated extraction, validation and export example, but your actual workflow determines the comparison. For 5,000 single page documents, Growth costs $149 monthly or $74 monthly equivalent billed yearly, versus $2,100 in Nanonets list rate arithmetic. Include discounts, document length, unused allowance and replacement workflow work.
Test your workflow with your own PDF
Try page one in your browser without a card. Compare fields, text and tables, then evaluate the API against your volume and workflow requirements.