Nougat
An early model that converts scientific PDFs into text with formulas. Now outdated and outperformed by almost all modern OCR models.
The last open version came out in Sep 2023. The family has not been updated for a long time: the model still works, but do not expect fixes or new sizes.
- Developer
- Meta, USA
- First release
- Sep 2023
- Latest release
- Sep 2023
- Sizes
- 250M – 350M
- License
- Commercial use with conditionsLarge version: CC-BY-NC 4.0 (non-commercial); small version: CC-BY 4.0
- Russian
- Not supported
- Running
- On your own serverAlso runs without a GPU
- Industries
- Science and research, Education, Documents and accounting
What it does
- Converting scientific papers from PDF into text with formulas
- Digitising technical documentation
Where it is used
Hardware requirements
Versions
- Nougat small / base
How to run it
I can set this up end to end: pick the model size, deploy it on your server and connect it to your systems.
Frequently asked questions
Can Nougat be used in a commercial project?
With conditions. License: Large version: CC-BY-NC 4.0 (non-commercial); small version: CC-BY 4.0. Restrictions vary — region, company revenue, attribution requirements. Have a lawyer check the terms before a commercial launch.
What hardware does Nougat need?
At minimum: Laptop or regular PC, up to 8 GB of VRAM — smaller versions. Some versions also run on an ordinary CPU, without a GPU. You can calculate the exact VRAM for your model size and context in the hardware calculator.
Does Nougat support Russian?
No. The model card lists its languages and Russian is not among them.
Where can I download Nougat and what does it cost?
The Nougat weights are open and free to download. You only pay for the hardware it runs on and for the setup. Source links are at the bottom of this page.
How I deploy it for clients
- SelectionI pick the model size for your task and hardware and test it on your examples.
- DeploymentI deploy it on your server or in a closed network and provide an API.
- Fine-tuningI fine-tune it on your data (LoRA) or connect a knowledge base — whichever is cheaper for the task.
- IntegrationI connect it to your CRM, ERP, bot, website or team chat and set up monitoring.
Similar models
One of the first general-purpose new-generation OCR models: text, formulas, tables, sheet music and diagrams. Small and runs on low-end hardware, but already behind newer models.
DetailsDocuments and OCRolmOCRAi2 (Allen Institute for AI) · USACommercial use allowedA model and toolkit for converting PDFs into clean text at scale, preserving reading order, tables and formulas. Built to process millions of pages.
DetailsDocuments and OCRMinerUShanghai AI Laboratory (OpenDataLab) · ChinaCommercial use allowedA popular open tool for converting PDFs to Markdown with its own small model. MinerU2.5-Pro was improved through data alone, without growing in size. Languages on the card: Chinese and English.
DetailsSource: huggingface.co/facebook/nougat-base. Data checked against the model card on 22 Sep 2026. Have a lawyer review the license before commercial launch.


