Iteration Layer vs AWS Textract
AWS Textract returns raw blocks of text and geometry — turning that into structured data is your problem.
Why developers switch from AWS Textract
Textract needs five API calls per document and returns raw strings — not typed, structured data.
Schema in, typed JSON out
Textract returns raw strings, bounding boxes, and confidence floats. You define the structure. We flip this: define the schema you want — 17 typed fields including dates, IBANs, currencies, and addresses — and get typed JSON back.
One call instead of five
A full Textract extraction requires DetectDocumentText or AnalyzeDocument, then async polling with GetDocumentAnalysis, then result assembly. We do this in a single synchronous API call.
No AWS ecosystem required
Textract requires IAM roles, S3 buckets for async, and AWS SDK configuration. Iteration Layer gives you a direct HTTP API with shared credits, EU processing, n8n, and MCP.
Feature-by-feature comparison
We went through the docs so you don't have to. Here's how every feature compares — including the ones where we're not the better choice.
| Feature | Iteration Layer | AWS Textract |
|---|---|---|
| Schema-defined extraction |
Yes
Define the fields you want in a schema and receive typed JSON results immediately |
No
Returns raw text blocks and geometry without schema-based extraction |
| Typed field support |
17 types
Choose from 17 typed schema fields including date, IBAN, currency, address, phone, email, and URL |
None
All extracted values are returned as raw text strings without type information |
| Confidence scores |
Per field
Confidence score between 0 and 1 for every extracted schema field |
Per word
Confidence scores are per word or block, not aligned to schema fields |
| Source citations |
Yes
Verbatim source citation from the document for every extracted field |
No
No source citation linking extracted values back to document text |
| Multi-file support |
Up to 20 files
Process up to 20 files in a single API request with merged extraction results |
Batch only
Single file per API call, with batch processing available via async S3 workflows |
| Supported input formats |
40+ formats
Process 40+ formats — PDF, Office, EPUB, RTF, LaTeX, email, Jupyter, images, and more — in a single API endpoint |
PDF, images
Supports PDF and image files only — no Office document formats |
| API calls per document |
1 call
Single synchronous API call returns the complete extraction result |
5+ calls
Requires starting the job, polling for completion, and assembling paginated results |
| AWS ecosystem required |
No
Direct HTTP API with one API key, shared credits, EU processing, n8n, MCP, and no cloud vendor dependency |
Yes
Requires IAM roles, S3 buckets for async processing, and AWS SDK configuration |
| Government forms |
General
Schema-based extraction that works with any document type |
Specialized
Pre-built models optimized for US tax forms and government documents |
| EU hosting |
EU only
All processing happens exclusively on EU-hosted servers |
EU available
EU regions are available but the service is not restricted to EU-only processing |
| Pricing model |
Per page
Simple, predictable per-page pricing |
Per page
Per page processed with separate pricing for text detection, form extraction, and table extraction |
| Infrastructure required |
None
Fully managed API with no deployment or infrastructure to manage |
None
Fully managed AWS service with no infrastructure to manage |
| GDPR / Data privacy |
Zero retention
No files or results stored beyond temporary 90-day logs |
AWS data policies
Subject to AWS data processing terms with configurable retention policies |
| Data used for training |
Never
Your data is never used to train or improve AI models — guaranteed for all plans |
No (opt-in)
Customer data is not used for training by default since 2023; requires explicit opt-in via AWS Organizations |
Pricing
Start usage-based. Switch to a subscription when your volume becomes predictable.
Usage-based
Graduated pricing. Your effective rate decreases automatically as monthly usage grows.
- No monthly commitment
- Pay only for credits used
- Automatic volume discounts as usage grows
Predictable volume
Fixed recurring credit packs with lower effective credit prices for steady usage.
- Lower effective per-credit prices
- Fixed recurring credit packs
- Predictable monthly budget
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