PDF guides5 min read
How to convert PDF to Word online for free
Turn a PDF into a Word document you can edit, right in your browser, without uploading the file.
Converting a PDF to Word sounds like it should be a one-click job. Sometimes it is. Often it isn't, and it helps to know why before you start.
A PDF doesn't really know what a paragraph is. It knows where each letter sits on the page and which font to draw it in, and that's about it. So when you convert to Word, the converter has to look at all those letters and work out where the paragraphs, headings and tables were. Most of the time it guesses well. Sometimes it doesn't.
If the PDF was made from a Word file in the first place, you'll usually get something very close to the original. A two-column journal article, a glossy brochure or a scanned contract gives the converter much less to go on, so expect to do some tidying.
The good news is that you can find out in a minute or two. Convert it, open it next to the PDF, and you'll know quickly whether to keep editing or just retype the messy part.
When you might need this
- You need to change a few lines in a PDF and don't want to retype the whole page.
- You want to reuse some paragraphs, headings or tables in a new document.
- Someone wants to review it in Word with comments or tracked changes.
- The original Word file is lost and the PDF is all you have.
- You're translating or reorganizing something that only exists as a PDF.
How to do it
- Open the PDF to Word tool.
- Pick your PDF or drag it onto the page. The pages show up once your browser has read the file.
- Decide whether to turn on detection for tables without borders. It helps with bank statements and financial reports. For normal text, leave it off.
- Click convert and wait. Each page is looked at separately, so a long document takes longer.
- Download the Word file and open it next to the original PDF. Go through it page by page.
- Fix anything that came out wrong. Complicated tables, sidebars and unusual fonts are the usual trouble spots.
Free, with no account. Open it in a new tab and follow along.
Open PDF to WordTips
- Try selecting some text in the PDF first. If you can highlight it, the converter can read it. If you can't, it's probably a scan.
- For a scan, run the OCR PDF tool first, then convert the file it gives you.
- Keep the PDF open next to the Word file while you tidy up. It's much faster than working from memory.
- If you only need one section, split it out first. Ten pages are quicker to convert, and a lot quicker to check, than two hundred.
- Once the text is in Word, apply your own heading and body styles instead of fixing the imported formatting one line at a time.
Common mistakes
- Converting a scan directly. If the page is only a picture of text, there's nothing to pull out, and you'll get an empty or nearly empty document.
- Expecting the layout to match perfectly. The aim is a document you can edit, and that sometimes means spacing moves around a little.
- Converting 500 pages when you needed three.
- Sending the converted file to someone without reading it through first.
How this compares to Smallpdf, iLovePDF and Adobe
Smallpdf and iLovePDF both convert PDF to Word on their own servers. You upload the file, they convert it, and you download the result. For a public brochure that's fine. For a contract or a payslip, you've just put a copy of a private document on someone else's computer.
Adobe's online converter usually does a very good job, which makes sense, since Adobe created the PDF format. It will also ask you to sign in and start pointing you toward an Acrobat subscription fairly quickly.
Our converter runs in your browser, with no upload, no account and no daily limit. To be fair: on very complicated layouts, a big commercial converter may need less cleanup than ours. And because your computer does the work, a huge PDF depends on how much memory you have.
| Criterion | Smallpdf | iLovePDF | Adobe Acrobat online | Easy File Tools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where your file is processed | On their servers, after you upload it | On their servers, after you upload it | In Adobe's cloud, after you upload it | In your browser, on your own device |
| Account or sign-in | Asked for early, and needed once you pass the free allowance | Optional for small jobs, needed for bigger ones | Most online tools need an Adobe ID | Never needed |
| Usage limits | A few free tasks, then an upgrade prompt | Daily task and file limits on the free plan | The free web tools are mostly a preview of the paid plan | No task counters and no daily limits |
| File size ceiling | The free plan limits upload size | The free plan limits upload size | Cloud upload limits apply | We don't set one. Your device's memory is the practical limit |
| Works without a connection | No, their server does the work | No, their server does the work | No, the cloud does the work | Yes for the browser tools, once the page has loaded |
| Cost | Paid subscription for full access | Paid subscription for full access | Paid Acrobat subscription for full access | Free. Every tool is open to everyone |
Other services change their plans and limits often, so treat this as a rough picture and not a price list. Check their websites for the current details.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a scanned PDF become editable?
- Not directly. This converter needs a PDF with real text in it. Run the OCR PDF tool on the scan first, then convert the result.
- Will the formatting stay the same?
- Simple text and headings usually come across well. Multi-column pages, complicated tables and heavily designed layouts often need some fixing by hand.
- Is my file uploaded anywhere?
- No. The conversion runs in your browser, so the PDF stays on your device.
- Why did my table turn into loose text?
- Tables without visible lines have to be guessed from the spacing. Turn on the borderless table option before you convert, and the tool will look for columns that line up.
- What's the biggest file I can convert?
- We don't set a limit. The conversion uses your device's memory, though, so a very large scanned document can still fail on a phone or an older computer. If that happens, split the PDF and convert it in parts.