Preliminary information
Before getting to the heart of the tutorial, there are some clarifications regarding the conversion of PDFs to Word files that it is my duty to do. As I mentioned at the beginning, keep in mind that, although they have been converted to DOC or DOCX (i.e. the native formats of Word), not all files that were originally PDFs can be edited at will.
To be more precise, the PDFs they originally were scanned as pictures, can only be modified by adding new elements, without however going to directly affect the text. The situation is different for PDFs composed of texts: these can be edited freely, by inserting new elements but also and above all by modifying the already existing ones, like normal Word files.
To generate documents with editable text starting from paper documents or PDF scanned as images, it is essential to resort to the use of programs with support for OCR technology (acronym for "optical character recognition"), ie tools capable of carrying out optical character recognition and therefore generating editable text documents.
Free program to convert PDF to word
Having made the necessary clarifications above, I would say that we can finally get to the heart of the tutorial and go and find out which one program to convert PDF to Word can do more for you. You will find listed below those that, in my humble opinion, represent the most interesting in the category and that can be used free, be on Windows that of MacOS.
Word (Windows / macOS)
To turn your PDF files into DOC or DOCX documents, you can also make use of the same Word. Maybe not everyone knows, in fact, but starting with the 2013 version of Microsoft Office, the famous word processor included in the well-known office suite is able to import PDFs and edit them, just like common Word files. This way, you can select any PDF, edit its content (a basic OCR feature is included) and save it as a Word file.
Microsoft Office, which is available for both Windows that for MacOS, it's not free, but you can still use it at no cost for a trial period of 30 days. To find out how to download it for free, follow the instructions on what to do that I gave you in my guide focused on how to download Office for free.
That said, to use the program for the purpose of this guide, start it by selecting the collegamento annexed to Start menu (if you are using Windows) or by clicking on the relevant icon that you find in Launchpad (on macOS), then click on the menu Fillet situato in alto a sinistra, selects the voice apri from the latter and open the PDF document of your interest.
Successively click on your button OK (to accept any alterations to the layout of the file), select the item Save with name from the menu Fillet and save the file by choosing the format DOC o DOCX.
Doxillion Document Converter (Windows / macOS)
Another piece of software that I recommend you consider is called Doxillion Document Converter. It is a free program (for personal use), available for both Windows and macOS and very easy to use, thanks to which you can convert various types of documents from one format to another and which, of course, also allows you to transform PDF to Word file. Note that if the software is used for commercial purposes, the appropriate license must be purchased (at a cost of $ 19,99).
To download Doxillion Document Converter on your PC, go to the program's website and click on the button Download Now (in the case of Windows) or on that Mac downloads (in the case of macOS). Download completed if you are using Windows, april il .exe file obtained and, in the window that is shown on the screen, click on the button Yes. Then select the item I accept the license terms and finish the setup by clicking on the button NEXT.
Instead, if you are using MacOS, extract theZIP archive obtained in a folder of your choice, open the package .dmg inside it and, in the window that appears on the desktop, click on the button Agree. Then drag theprogram icon in the folder Applications on your Mac, right-click on it and select the item apri for two consecutive times, to start the software, however, going around the limitations imposed by Apple on non-certified developers (an operation that must be carried out only at the first start).
Now that you see the Doxillion Document Converter main window, click on the button Add file (s) located in the upper left part of the same and select the PDF you want to transform into Word. Next, specify the location to save the output file by clicking on the button KATEGORIEN, placed in correspondence with the item Output folder, down.
Finally, select the format .doc or that one . Docx give menu to tendin Output formatclick on your button Document Settings to make any adjustments to the final file and start the conversion procedure by pressing the button Convert located at the bottom right.
Adobe Acrobat DC (Windows / macOS)
Adobe Acrobat DC is another program to convert PDF to Word that I strongly suggest you consider. This is the official application to create and edit PDF distributed by the Adobe software house, the same company that developed the PDF format. It acts as an advanced viewer for the aforementioned file type and also includes many tools and functions useful for editing PDFs, exporting them, compiling them etc. Basically it is free, but some functions are reserved for subscribers of the Pro version, which requires the subscription of a subscription that starts at 18,29 euros / month (after a free 7-day trial).
To download Adobe Acrobat DC on your computer, go to the program's website and click on the button Download Acrobat Reader. When the download is complete, if you are using Windows, april il .exe file ottenuto and click on your button Yes in the window that appears on the desktop. Subsequently, wait for the download of the components to make the program work is started and completed, then press the button Ends.
Stai using MacOSInstead, open the package .dmg obtained and double-click the .pkg file present in the displayed window. Then click on the button Continue (twice in a row), type the Password of your Apple account and click on the button Install software. Then complete the setup by pressing the button Close.
Now that, regardless of the operating system used, you see the Acrobat Reader DC window on the screen, choose whether to make the software the default reader for PDFs, then click on the menu Fillet placed in the upper left, then on the item apri attached to it and select the PDF in relation to which you are interested in going to act.
After opening the PDF document, select the tab Instruments present at the top, click on the button apri che trovi sotto the dicitura Export PDF, scegli l'opzione Microsoft Word document (* docx) or that one Microsoft Word 97-2003 document (* doc) that you find in the drop-down menu Convert to and click on the button Export to Word.
Program to convert PDF to editable word for free
If you are looking for a program to convert PDF to Word capable of rendering modifiable in all and for all the output file, you can rely on solutions that, using OCR technology, are useful for this purpose. You will find some reported below.
PDFelement (Windows / macOS)
PDFelement is a program for Windows and macOS that allows you to view, edit, create and convert PDFs in an extremely simple way. Among the various features offered, it also allows you to recognize texts through OCR technology, which is why I chose to tell you about it. Basically it is free, but it imprints a watermark on the output documents and provides other limitations, which can be circumvented by switching to the paid version of the program (with prices starting from 77,23 euros / year and 165,64 euros one-off) .
To download PDFelement on your computer, go to the program's website and click on the button Download for Windows (if you are using Windows) or on that Download for Mac OS (If you are using MacOS).
When the download is complete, if you are using Windows, april il .exe file ottenuto and click on your button Yes in the window that appears on the desktop. Next, hit the button OK, select the voice I accept the terms of the license agreement and click on the button NEXT (three consecutive times). Then complete the setup by pressing the button end.
Now that you see the PDFelement main window, click on the menu Fillet located at the top left, select the item apri, award your bottone Shop by Department and open the PDF document you are interested in taking action.
Next, select the tab Converted that you find at the top of the program window and click on the button OCR, in order to start the procedure for optical character recognition. If you see a warning that you need to download the component for optical character recognition, you agree to it.
At this point, select the option Editable text in the additional window that opens, make sure that the language shown next to the wording Current Language (below) is the right one (otherwise press the button Change Languages to modify it), then define the range of pages on which to act, by clicking on the wording Customize Pages, and pulsating premiere OK.
Then proceed to export the editable Word file you just obtained by clicking on the tab again Converted and then on the button In Word attached to it.
Stai using MacOSInstead, open the package .dmg ottenuto and click on your button Accept in the window that opens on the desk. Then drag theprogram icon in the folder Applications on your Mac, right-click on it and select the item apri for two consecutive times, in order to start the application, however, going around the limitations desired by Apple against non-certified developers (an operation that must be carried out only at the first start).
After viewing the software window on your desktop, open the PDF of your interest by clicking on the menu Fillet placed at the top left and then on the item apri. Next, click on the button Instruments placed in the side menu and select the option OCR text recognition from the latter. If in doing so you see a warning appear indicating that you need to download the component for optical character recognition, you agree.
In the further window that appears, select the language of the document from the list above, adjust the settings relating to the page range and resampling using the appropriate drop-down menus, choose the option Editable Text from the menu Type and click sul pulsating Run OCR.
Finally, export the PDF as a Word file by clicking on the menu Fillet, choosing the voice from the latter Export to and selecting Word from the additional menu that appears.
Free Online OCR (Online)
If instead of installing a new program on your computer you prefer to contact an online service, I recommend that you try Free Online OCR. It is a web service that allows you to transform PDFs into freely editable Word files, quickly and easily. It's free, works from any browser and operating system, and requires no registration. Note that the maximum size allowed for uploaded files is 15 MB.
To use it, go to the Free Online OCR home page, click on the button Select file and select the PDF present on which you are interested in going to act from your PC. Then, using the first drop-down menu, indicate the language in which the text of the document is written, then choose the option Microsoft Word (docx) from the second menu.
To conclude, click on your button Converted and proceed with the download of the converted file, by clicking on the button Download the output file which is located at the bottom. If before downloading the final file you want to make some changes to the text, I inform you that you can do it by intervening on the preview that is shown at the bottom of the page.
Program to convert PDF to Word for free online
Don't want or can't install a "traditional" program to convert PDF to Word on your computer? No problem. There are numerous online services free that allow you to get the same result by simply opening the browser. In the following lines you will find the ones I think are the most interesting. Try them out now.
iLovePDF
The first online service I invite you to put to the test is iLovePDF. It is a free solution that works from any browser and operating system that, without having to register, allows you to create, edit, unlock and convert PDFs. Note, however, that it allows you to upload only one file at a time and that this must have a maximum size of 100 MB. To get around this limitation, by bringing the maximum size allowed to 1GB, it is possible to subscribe to one of the paid plans (with costs starting from 6 euros / month), which also allow you to take advantage of other extra features. Also keep in mind that the service protects the privacy of users by removing all documents that are uploaded to its servers within a few hours.
To use iLovePDF, go to the web page of the service, click on the button Select PDF file and choose the PDF file of your interest. Alternatively, you can drag it to the browser window or you can upload it from Google Drive or from dropboxby clicking on the appropriate buttons.
Ad upload avvenuto, fai clic sul pulsador Converti to Word located at the bottom right and waits for the conversion procedure to start and complete. Subsequently, the download of the final Word file will start automatically (if not, you can force it by clicking on the button Download Word).
PDF Candy
Another service to convert PDF to Word online that I recommend you consider is PDF Candy. Thanks to this Web service it is possible to perform various types of operations on PDF files, such as unlocking them, modifying their metadata, merging them, dividing them, etc. Of course, it also allows you to convert, otherwise I wouldn't even be here talking to you! It's free, works from any browser and operating system, and requires no registration. Furthermore, it does not set limits for uploading and protects the privacy of users by quickly removing the files that are uploaded to its servers.
To use PDF Candy, go to the home page of the service, click on the button Add files and select the PDF saved on your computer that you want to convert to Word. Alternatively, you can drag the document directly into the browser window or you can pick it up from Google Drive or from dropbox, by clicking on the icon of the service of your interest.
Then wait for the upload and transformation procedures to be started and completed, then download the final file to your computer by pressing the button Download file. You can also decide to save the returned Word document on Google Drive or Dropbox, by clicking on the appropriate icons.
App to convert PDF to Word
Are you looking for some Whatsapp that allows you to convert your PDF files to Word directly and comfortably from your smartphone or tablet, without having to go through your PC? Then you can try the solutions of this type, available for both Android that for iOS / iPadOS, which I have included in the list below. I sincerely hope they are able to satisfy you.
- PDF to Word Converter (Android / iOS / iPadOS) - application that, as the name implies, allows you to convert PDF documents into editable Word files. It is free, but offers in-app purchases (with prices starting from € 5,99) to unlock some extra functions, such as the ability to convert documents that are given “at meal” faster.
- iLovePDF (Android / iOS / iPadOS) - is the app of the online service I told you about in the previous lines and, just like the latter, it allows you to perform various operations on PDFs, including the ability to convert them into Word files. It's free, but offers in-app purchases (with prices starting at € 5,99) to unlock extra features, such as the ability to upload large files.
- Able2Doc PDF to Word Converter (Android / iOS / iPadOS) - another application that allows you to convert PDFs into Word files, which can be edited if necessary. It's very easy to use and it's free, although it offers in-app purchases (at a base cost of € 3,49) to unlock additional features, such as the ability to convert files more quickly.
