Convert PDF to Word for free

How it works

1. 1

   Upload the PDF.

2. 2

   Tick "Use OCR" if the PDF is a scan.

3. 3

   Convert it on the server.

4. 4

   Download the .docx and open it in your word processor.

About the PDF to Word

Retyping a PDF by hand to make a few changes wastes an afternoon. This converter reads the text, fonts and positions on each page and rebuilds them as a Word document: headings, paragraphs, bold and italic runs, colours and ruled tables. The result is a normal .docx you can open in Word, LibreOffice or Google Docs and keep editing.

What you can do

• Turn a text-based PDF into an editable .docx with paragraphs that reflow instead of fixed text boxes.
• Keep tables as real Word tables, with column widths, cell shading and borders taken from the original.
• Preserve text styling such as bold, italic, underline, font size and colour.
• Tick "Use OCR" for scanned documents so the text is recognised before conversion.
• Get the file back named after your PDF with "-converted.docx" on the end.

When it works best

• Updating a CV, letter or report when only the PDF export survived.
• Reusing clauses from a contract or policy without copying line by line.
• Editing a form or invoice layout made of simple tables and text.
• Translating a document, where you need the text in an editor that keeps its structure.

Things to know

• Pictures, charts and drawings are not carried into the Word file; only text and tables are rebuilt.
• Complex magazine-style layouts with overlapping columns may need some tidying after conversion.
• OCR recognises English and Bengali text and makes the conversion noticeably slower, so leave it off for PDFs whose text you can already select.
• PDFs up to 25 MB can be converted. The .docx is stored on our server only until you download it, and an automatic sweep deletes it within about 30 minutes.

Frequently asked questions