What it does
MegaParse is a document parser: it reads files such as PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint slides, Excel sheets and CSV files and turns them into text an AI model can work with.
Its makers say it focuses on losing no information, keeping tables, headers, footers, tables of contents and images. A "vision" mode uses AI models that can see images to read pages more accurately.
It can be used from Python code or run as a small web service.
Who it's for
Developers building AI apps that need to read and understand documents.
Can I use it without coding?
Developers only. It is a Python library that also needs a few extra tools installed. New to this? Start here.
Can I run it?
- Cost
- Free, but needs an AI accountThe software is free, but it uses an online AI service (like OpenAI or Anthropic), which usually charges for use.
- Computer
- An ordinary computer is fine
- Privacy
- Sends what you give it to an online service
- API key
- Needed. An API key is a password-like code from an online AI service. What's that?
Try it
Using Claude Code, Cursor or another AI coding assistant? Paste the prompt and it will walk you through the setup.New to this?
Before you install
- Only download from the official GitHub page. Copies with similar names exist for many popular projects.
- License (Apache-2.0): Permissive: free to use, change and share, including for business.
- Keep your API key private. Never paste it into websites or share it, and set a spending limit with the AI service.
- What you type or upload is sent to an online service. Avoid sharing private or sensitive information.
- More on staying safe