Some people need to keep their Word documents secure and safe. A lot of them do not want other people to change their work, or simply do not want to share. In these cases, they use a very popular solution – convert PDF files into a Word document, in order not just to make them editable (or remove the protection), but also simply to obtain the files in a common or generally accepted format. This is when free programs to change PDF to Word comes into play.
There are times when you need to change from pdf files to word documents. Maybe your job requires that you work with Microsoft Office, or perhaps you just want to be able to edit the files. Whatever the motivation may be, it is possible, and you can learn how using a program to change pdf files to word documents.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to convert a PDF document to Microsoft Word, so that you are able to edit the content? It’s easy as 123 with our free, fast and reliable PDF to Word converter. Save time and money by avoiding the unnecessary purchases of over-priced software and steeply-priced formatting services. Instead, use our tool to convert your PDF files instantly into editable Microsoft Word or Open Office documents.
It is very confusing to change PDF to Word format as you not only need to purchase the expensive software but also need to learn how to use the tool. But now you can do this task with a simple do-it-yourself PDF to Word document conversion method.
How to Convert a PDF to Word
- Choose the PDF you want to convert from your computer.
- Our PDF to Word converter will begin extracting the text, images, and scanned pages (OCR) from your PDF.
- A perfectly formatted Word document is created in seconds and ready to download. Our PDF to Word converter then wipes out any copies of your file from our server, keeping your data safe.
Wondershare PDFelement
Wondershare PDFelement from iSkysoft is a PDF software option that offers many of the same editing features as the other PDF editors on our list. And while it does offer a free trial, it is still largely pay-to-use software. Of the paid versions, there are two main types: PDFelement and PDFelement Pro. If you’re fine with using a watermarked version of the software, you can probably get by with just the free trial since iSkysoft says that it “functions identically to the paid version.” The free trial does have a page limit on how many pages can be saved or converted, and the software does mention a few other limitations when you try to save a document in the trial version. But if you simply need to make and save edits on a PDF for just a few pages and you don’t mind a watermark, the free trial version could work for you.
If you don’t want the watermarked trial version, but you only need the software for just basic editing, you may want to consider purchasing the standard PDFelement software license that comes with the ability to do things like create and edit PDFs, convert them, add annotations and comments, reorder and delete pages, and password-protect your PDFs. This version usually costs $69 per year with a yearly subscription or a one-time $79 fee for a perpetual license.
If you need more professional PDF editing features beyond what PDFelement can provide, like Bates numbering or redaction, you’ll need to opt for PDFelement Pro. This version is normally $129 per year with a yearly subscription, $40 for three months with a quarterly subscription, or a one-time fee of $159 for a perpetual license.
Wondershare PDFelement is available for both Windows and MacOS devices. The availability of certain software features will vary among these operating systems. Some features are only available in the Windows version.
pdfFiller
The best PDF editor for advanced features
SPECIFICATIONS
Developer: airSlate IncAvailable for: Browser, iOS, AndroidFree version: NoFree trial for paid version: Yes, 30 daysTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Easy to use+Others can fill your forms+Web and mobile apps available+Spellcheck function
REASONS TO AVOID
-More of a learning curve
With an intuitive interface and simple explanatory guides, pdfFiller makes filling forms easy both for yourself and whoever you need to send the form to. But, despite the name, it’s not only for simple form filling. It can also edit PDFs in many different ways, including merging PDF files, splitting PDFs into separate files and converting them into .doc, .docx, .rtf, .ppt, .jpeg, .png, and .txt formats (and vice-versa).
When we reviewed pdfFiller, we found it made it easy to add text to PDFs and to adjust the font, colour and size of the characters. It also has tools for redacting, highlighting and drawing. The editing options are fairly flexible, and you can add images, logos, notes, URLs and videos. You can also make changes to pages, including rearranging, adding extra pages, duplicating and deleting. You can also save templates, which we can see could be a nice time saver.
The extras depend on the plan you pay for, but with the more expensive plans, you do more than edit PDFs. You can also create fillable PDF forms from zero and send them out to be signed using the SignNow service. You can even sell them online. A lot of these extra features won’t be of use to everyone but if you do work a lot with forms, they could help you save time.
PDF-XChange Editor
The best free PDF editor for Windows
SPECIFICATIONS
Developer: Tracker SoftwareAvailable for: WindowsFree version: YesFree trial for paid version: N/ATODAY’S BEST DEALSCHECK AMAZONVisit Site
REASONS TO BUY
+Lean and fast +Customisable interface +Free
REASONS TO AVOID
-Website design is off-putting
Want a capable PDF editor for Windows but have zero money to spend? Then we can recommend PDF-XChange Editor. Despite being free, it offers most of the standard features you’ll probably be looking for, including the ability to create, view, edit, annotate, and digitally sign PDF files.
It benefits from a lean and fast interface, making it easy to edit PDFs without any noticeable lag. You can customise the interface too, which is potentially very handy if you have a specific way of working, or need to do a lot of repetitive PDF editing tasks.
You can make your PDF documents searchable with OCR; convert scans and image files into PDFs; and the recognition feature supports base language packs for English, French, German, and Spanish. Admittedly the website you download PDF-XChange Editor from is a bit of a horror show, design-wise. But the app itself is nicely up-to-date and we’ve found it functions pretty impressively for a free download.
Skim
The best free PDF editor for Mac
SPECIFICATIONS
Developer: Christiaan Hofman, Adam Maxwell, and Michael McCrackenAvailable for: MacFree version: YesFree trial for paid version: N/ATODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Free and open source +Great note-taking features +Split-screen display
REASONS TO AVOID
-Not a full-featured editor
A decent free PDF editor for Mac is hard to come by. However, if you’re an Apple user with no cash to spend, then the open-source app Skim is a pretty good option and is certainly a step up from the free Preview tool that you’ll already have installed on your machine. Skim comes from a different place from other software on this list, having been originally designed to help people read and annotate scientific papers in PDF form. That said, it works well for viewing and editing all kinds of PDF, whether you want to view or edit them.
The nifty app gives you the ability to add and edit notes; highlight important text, including one-swipe highlight modes; make snapshots for easy reference; create navigation systems using a table of contents or thumbnails; and turn your PDFs into professional looking presentations, with built-in transitions.
Skim also offers split display, allowing you to view two parts of the same document at once. Plus it comes with some smart cropping tools, a magnification tool, automatic download of remote PDFs and support for Apple Remote Control Interaction with LaTeX, SyncTeX, and PDFSync.
In our experience, we found that the interface wasn’t particularly user-friendly, and essentially it’s more of a PDF reader and note-taker than a full-featured editor. But what it does, it does very well indeed, and all for free.
Libre Office
The best PDF editor for Linux
SPECIFICATIONS
Developer: The Document FoundationAvailable for: Linux, Mac, WindowsFree version: YesFree trial for paid version: N/ATODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+View and edit PDFs+Range of export types+Free and open source
REASONS TO AVOID
-Fairly basic features
Most Linux distributions feature a PDF viewer but not necessarily a PDF editor. For that, we recommend Libre Office Draw: a suite of productivity tools that include all the standard features for viewing and editing PDFs. Your main go-to here will be the Draw tool, a vector graphics editor which enables you to open and PDF files, make simple edits and changes, and add text, images and text boxes.
Once you’re done, you can export your PDFs as other file types if you wish. Other options include adding a watermark, setting the compression level, adding permissions and encryption, and adding a digital signature. We’ve found that the loading of PDFs can take a little time, and Libre Office’s PDF editing tools are basic compared to the other apps on this list. That said, it’s free, easy to use, and covers most PDF editing needs without the need for expensive software.
Nitro Pro PDF File Editor
The Nitro Pro PDF editor offers many PDF editing features similar to other PDF editors for Windows 10 listed above. Its features include the ability to edit, create and merge, review, and collaborate, among others. In addition, the Nitro editor will allow you to fill, sign, and secure your PDF files. It supports all windows operating systems and comes in 2 versions, personal and business. The professional version costs $179.99 and has its own set of more advanced features.
Pros
- It is easy to use and also fast.
- Includes OCR technology for editing scanned PDFs.
Cons
- It is expensive in comparison to other top PDF editor software.
- The trial version has limited features.
Price: The professional version costs $179.99 with its own set of features.
System Support: It can work on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10/11 PDF editor.
How to Convert Word to PDF, Free or Not?
Invented by Adobe in the 1990s, the PDF was a proprietary file type protected by patent up until 2008. Since then, manipulating and converting PDF’s has become free from royalty obligations, however, converting PDF’s to Word documents remains difficult as few free products offer this service.
For a long time, converting PDF to Word was only possible through Adobe’s proprietary software Adobe Acrobat. Fortunately, a number of free PDF to Word converters have recently popped up with great success, democratizing this service once and for all.
With an abundance of free development kits and converters available both online and for download, manipulating PDF’s has never been easier. Beyond converting to Word, PDF’s can also be converted to other file types like image files. While the PDF creator Adobe still holds the patent to the PDF, they have released it to the public royalty free. This means anyone can use and manipulate PDF’s so long as they comply with Adobe’s original PDF specifications.
Conclusion
PDF is a normal document format, which is widely used in the internet world. People easily go to the website and download any PDF data. However, when we want to make changes or print the PDF files, you cannot open it normally with Office application like Word or Excel. If you want to edit or print the PDF files as Word document, you need special software like PDF to Word converter.
Convert your PDF files to Microsoft Word without losing any of the information with this free program. All you need to do is upload your file and wait for the conversion. All that’s left are the formatting and layout choices that you have in a word processor.