How to convert PDF to DOCX?

PDF is the worldwide standard for documents. However, PDF editing is not always possible without paying for a comprehensive solution. DOCX is more suitable for changing content in documents. In this article, we cover the 5 top apps to convert PDF to DOCX.

Before we begin conversion from PDF, you need to know that your output Word document might not look exactly the same. Although most of the content will normally remain intact, some formatting may be lost or distorted.

Another thing you should keep in mind is copyright. People often use PDF files to protect intellectual property from illegal copying and redistribution. Always make sure you have the owner’s permission to pull out PDF content and use it after converting to Word.

5 best apps to convert PDF to DOCX

With numerous popular office apps and online services, you can easily make editable DOCX files from PDF. There are free and paid options available for any computer or browser.

ONLYOFFICE

ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors is a free office suite for Windows, Linux, and Mac. In our app, you can convert PDF to DOCX and edit the output documents.

The process is absolutely straightforward. Just open your PDF document and follow these steps:

• Go to File —> Save as.
• Choose DOCX.

Try ONLYOFFICE in the cloud or on your desktop today — it’s free and secure!

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Need to convert PDF to Word online? Create a free account at ONLYOFFICE DocSpace or get ONLYOFFICE Docs for your business.

We’re constantly improving both PDF and DOCX compatibitily, so that any content gets displayed without distortions. This is why ONLYOFFICE is among the best ways to make Word document from PDF on any operating system and in any browser.

Adobe Acrobat

Adobe is a developer of a PDF standard. Using their worldwide popular software Adobe Acrobat, you can do virtually everything with PDF files. Here’s how to convert them to DOCX online:

• Open the Adobe converter and upload your PDF. You can select one from storage or just drag’n’drop it to the working area.

• When the conversion is complete, click on Download to save an output Word document on your computer.

Optionally, you can sign in to store the DOCX file online. Otherwise, it will be deleted from Adobe servers.

Offline conversion to Microsoft formats is unavailable in Adobe Acrobat. However, it’s native PDF support speaks for using Adobe to effectively save formatting in the output files.

Google Docs

Google’s office suite also has an option for converting PDF to Word files. Here are the steps:

• Find your PDF in Google Drive
• Right-click it and go to Open with —> Google Docs
• Go to File and download it as Microsoft Word (.docx).

Google doesn’t initially focus much on PDF, so you’ll probably notice distortions in files with complex formatting. Still, it’s suitable for converting simple documents quickly and free.

Wondershare PDFelement

PDFelement is a paid app for Windows and Mac. Developed by Wondershare, this solution is a good Adobe alternative for business teams or individuals that often work on PDF files.

The conversion process is very simple.

• Open a PDF.
• Go to Convert and choose To Word.

See this step-by-step guide for Windows:

PDFelement is a nice way to process PDF documents on your desktop, without uploading them to third-party clouds. Also, it makes sense to consider this solution if you need something more than a simple conversion.

Convert.io

There are so many free online PDF to Word converters online, Convert.io is just one of them. Still, the functionality is pretty similar in each of them.

• Open Convert.io and upload file from your computer, Dropbox or Google Drive.
• Click on Convert.
• Download the output DOCX file.

The online conversion is free and fast. But there’s always place for concerns about privacy, especially when it comes to documents with personal or corporate data. Plus, you’ll need a paid subscription for more than 25 concurrent conversions or larger files (>100 MB).

All these methods help you convert PDF to DOCX. Choose the suitable one depending on your needs or platform.

PDF vs. DOCX: What’s the difference?

Both PDF and DOCX formats have benefits and drawbacks. Let’s get a closer look to each extension.

PDF is a format developed by Adobe for presenting documents with text, graphics, clickable links, audio and video files etc. These advantages make PDF the international standard for document workflow:

• Content security options (watermarks, passwords, digital signatures etc.);
• Authenticity of graphics;
• Suitable for diverse contents, including 3D models and interactive fields;
• Intuitive interface and easy navigation;
• Compression without quality loss.

DOCX is a popular format of text documents developed by Microsoft. It provides more opportunities to edit a document than PDF. You can work with DOCX content using traditional office tools, third-party add-ons, and macros. DOCX is a good choice, if you want to:

• Share text documents to someone
• Copy and edit the content
• Print out text files
• Make simple notes

As you can see, there’s no better or worse format. Each one is preferable for specific tasks.

Why convert PDF to DOCX?

You know how to convert PDF to Word documents already, but what are the main purposes of such conversions? These are top reasons.

Copying content. PDF often prohibits copying text and objects from a file for further pasting it into another. DOCX removes such limitations. However, you should always be sure that using content from a PDF isn’t restricted by copyright and other laws in your country.

Edit PDF documents. Imagine you’ve drafted a document in a free office suite and saved it as PDF. Suddenly, you notice a minor but annoying mistake. Most apps provide PDF editing as a premium feature. Obviously, you don’t want to pay for a monthly subscription just to correct spelling. The way out is to convert PDF to Word for free.

Is it safe to convert PDF to Word online?

Mostly, yes. The service will need your file in their cloud storage anyway to complete the conversion.

However, it’s not recommended to convert PDF documents with the high level of confidentiality online.

Final words

Today, we learned how to convert PDF to DOCX on Windows, Linux, Mac, and online. We also covered the main specifications of both formats and came across the 5 best apps for conversion.