How to turn a PDF into Word

Even if you are not a great computer expert yet, you will surely know that PDF documents cannot be edited as freely as Word files. Sure, there are programs that allow you to add writings, notes and images to them, but the flexibility of DOC / DOCX files continues to remain light years away. That’s why in some circumstances it can be useful to know how to turn a PDF into Word … and I’m here today, ready to show you how to do it.

Believe it or not, to perform the operation in question just use some special programs, online services and apps through which you can transform PDF files into DOCX or DOC in a flash. How do you say? Are you not particularly well versed in new technologies and fear that the use of these tools may be too complicated for you? But don’t worry! I can assure you it’s as easy as drinking a glass of water! Take a few minutes of your free time to read the information contained in this guide, follow my instructions carefully and you will see that everything will go smoothly.

If you want to know more, therefore, I suggest you get comfortable in front of your multimedia station and immediately start using the solutions that you find reported in the post. I am sure that, in the end, you will be able to tell yourself happy and satisfied and that if necessary you will also be available to explain to your friends in need of receiving a similar tip how to get the same results. Are you ready? Yup? Very well. So let’s ban the chatter and proceed.

Index

• Preliminary information
• How to turn PDF to Word for free
  • Word (Windows / macOS)
  • Doxillion Document Converter (Windows / macOS)
  • Adobe Acrobat DC (Windows / macOS)
• How to turn PDF to Word online
  • DocsPal
  • Free Online OCR
• How to turn PDF to Word on smartphones and tablets

Preliminary information

Before getting to the heart of the tutorial, going to explain how to transform a PDF into Word, there is some preliminary information that it is my duty to provide you to allow you to have perfectly clear ideas on what to do.

Let’s start from a fixed point: not all PDF documents that are transformed into Word files, therefore in DOC or DOCX formats, can be edited at will. This essentially depends on how the PDFs were originally processed.

Let me explain: PDFs that were originally scanned as images can only be edited by adding new elements, but unfortunately, it is not possible to go directly to the text present in them. On the other hand, the situation is different for PDFs made up of texts, which can be modified freely, adding new elements but also and above all modifying those already present in them, like what happens with any Word document.

To create PDF documents with editable text you need to use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology, which allows you to perform optical character recognition to detect text. To use them, just use programs, online services and apps that explicitly declare support.

How to turn PDF to Word for free

Having made the necessary clarifications, we can finally get to the heart of this guide and find out how to turn a PDF into Word for free. Below, therefore, you will find those that, in my opinion, represent the best programs for Windows and macOS currently available on the market.

Word (Windows / macOS)

If you intend to transform a PDF into Word by acting as a computer, you can first turn to the same Word from Microsoft. Not everyone knows this, but starting from the 2013 version of Microsoft Office, in fact, the famous word processor, an integral part of the suite, allows you to import PDFs and edit them, just like what you can do with any Word file. In this way, you can edit the content of PDFs (a basic OCR function is included) and save it as a DOC or DOCX file.

The office is available for Windows operating systems and also for macOS, so it can also be considered an excellent solution to transform a PDF into Word Mac, but unfortunately it is not free (the most recent version, which includes a subscription to Microsoft 365, features costs starting from 7 euros/month or from 69 euros/year). Fortunately, however, there is a 30-day trial period available. For all the details of the case, I refer you to reading my specific guide on how to download Word for free.

Having said that, to use Word for your purpose, first start the program by selecting the relative link in the Windows Start menu or select the icon in the macOS Launchpad, then click on the File menu at the top left, select the item Open from the latter and open the PDF document on which to go to act.

Then, click on the OK button (to accept any alterations to the layout of the file), click again on the File menu and choose the Save as option from the latter, then save the document by choosing the DOC or DOCX format.

Doxillion Document Converter (Windows / macOS)

Another tool you can rely on to turn PDF to Word is Doxillion Document Converter. It is a zero-cost software (if used for personal use, while if used for commercial purposes the license must be purchased at a cost of $ 19.99), usable both on Windows and on macOS and thanks to which it is possible to convert various types of documents from one format to another, so also PDFs in DOC or DOCX files. It’s super easy to use and even works in batches.

To download the program to your PC, visit its website and click the Download Doxillion PDF and Document Converter for Windows/mac OS X link above.

When the download is complete, if you are using Windows, open the .exe file obtained and, in the window that appears on the desktop, click on the Yes button, then select the option Continue to install the Italian version (v x.xx), select the voice I accept the license conditions and complete the setup by clicking on the Next button.

If you are using macOS, on the other hand, extract the ZIP archive obtained in a location of your choice, open the .dmg package inside it and, in the window that is shown to you, click on the Agree button. Then, drag the program icon to the Mac Applications folder, right-click on it and select the Open item twice in a row, in order to start the software, however, going around the limitations imposed by Apple on non-certified developers (operation that must be performed only at the first execution).

Once the Doxillion Document Converter main window is displayed, click on the Add File button located at the top left and select the PDFs you want to act on. If you want, you can also add an entire folder of files by clicking on the Add folder button.

Next, select the .doc or .docx format from the Output Format drop-down menu, click the Document Settings button to make any adjustments to the final file and start the conversion procedure by pressing the Convert button located at the bottom right.

By default, the output files are saved in the same location as the source files. If you want to change this behavior, before starting the conversion click on the Browse button next to the wording Output folder and indicate the location on your computer where you prefer to save the PDF converted to Word.

Adobe Acrobat DC (Windows / macOS)

You can also perform the operation covered by this tutorial by using Adobe Acrobat DC, the official program for creating and editing PDFs made available by Adobe, the company that developed the format in question. It is available for both Windows and macOS and acts as a viewer, but it also includes many tools for making various changes to PDF documents. Basically, it is free, but some functions are available only for those who decide to subscribe to the Pro version (which has a basic cost of € 18.29), which you can try for free for 7 days.

To transform a PDF into Word with Adobe Acrobat, visit the program’s website and click the Download Acrobat Reader button.

When the download is complete, if you are using Windows, open the .exe file obtained and click on the Yes button in the window that appears on the desktop. Then, wait for the download of the components necessary to make the program work, then click on the Finish button.

If you are using macOS, on the other hand, open the .dmg package obtained and double-click on the .pkg file in the window that appears. After doing this, hit the Continue button twice in a row, type your Apple account password and click the Install Software button. Conclude the setup by clicking on the Close button.

Once the Acrobat Reader DC window appears on the screen, choose whether to make the software the default reader for PDFs or not, then click on the File menu at the top left, click on the Open item in it and select the PDF to convert in Word file.

Now that you are viewing the PDF document, select the Tools tab at the top, click the Open button under the Export PDF heading, select the Microsoft Word Document (* docx) option or the Microsoft Word 97-2003 Document (* doc) option that you find in the Convert to the drop-down menu and press the Export to Word button.

How to turn PDF to Word online

You don’t want or can’t download new programs to your computer and then would you like to understand if there is a way to turn PDF to Word online? The answer is yes. In fact, below you will find some of the best Web services useful for the purpose you can rely on. They work directly from the browser window, regardless of the operating system you are using.

DocsPal

The first service I suggest you use to transform a PDF to Word is called DocsPal and it allows you to convert all major digital document formats together. It is free, requires no registration and allows you to upload up to 5 files at the same time, for a maximum total weight of 50 MB. It should be noted that the files uploaded to the service are kept on the servers of the same for a maximum of 5 days, after which they are removed, so the user’s privacy should be guaranteed.

To take advantage of DocsPal, connected to the home page of the service, click on the button Browse the file that you find in the Step 1 section and select the PDFs you want to convert to Word. Alternatively, drag and drop documents directly into the navigator window. And if the PDFs you want to act on are already online, you can download them from thereby entering the relevant URL in the Enter the file URL field.

After completing the above steps, select the DOC – Microsoft Word Document format or the DOCX – Microsoft Word 2007 Document format from the drop-down menu that you find in the Step 2 section. Finally, click on the Convert Files button located at the bottom.

In a few moments, you will be returned the output document, which you can download by clicking on its name at the bottom of the new page displayed, under the heading Converted files. If you want to receive a link to download the file by e-mail, check in advance the Send a download link to my email address (optional) option that you find in the Step 3 section and type your email address in the field provided.

Free Online OCR

I suggest you pay special attention to the Free Online OCR Web service as well. As the name implies, it is a free solution that does not require registration, which allows you to transform a PDF into an editable Word, in a fairly simple and fast way. The only thing to take into account is that the maximum size allowed for uploaded files is 15 MB. As for the privacy issue, exact information is not provided regarding the deletion of files from the service’s servers.

To use Free Online OCR, visit the home page of the service, click on the Select file button and select the PDF to be transformed into a Word file. Then select the language in which the document text is written from the first drop-down menu, then choose the Microsoft Word (docx) option from the second drop-down menu.

In conclusion, click on the Convert button and download the returned file by pressing the Download output file button at the bottom. Before downloading the final file, you can also make changes to the text, acting on the preview that is shown at the bottom of the page.

How to turn PDF to Word on smartphones and tablets

Now I want to point out a whole series of apps that you can use to transform a PDF into Word on smartphones and tablets, so without necessarily having a computer at hand. Find them below. They are available for both Android and iOS / iPadOS.

• PDF to Word Converter( Android / iOS / iPadOS ) – this is a free app by which you can turn PDF documents into Word files. The only thing to keep in mind is that it takes 1 hour to complete the conversions. To get around this limitation and unlock other additional functions, you need to make in-app purchases (with prices starting from € 5.99).
• PDF Conversion Suite( Android ) – specific app for Android devices that allows you to convert PDF files that are fed to you in various formats, including Word, of course. It’s free, but some additional features must be unlocked via in-app purchases (starting at € 2.59)
• easyPDF( iOS / iPadOS ) – application available only for iPhone and iPad that allows you to transform a PDF into Word and also perform the reverse operation. It is totally free.