How to convert PDF to Word DOC for free: a comparative test
Description: this posting will compare a number of different possible ways to convert PDF files into Word Doc format, including freeware programs and free web and email services. Six different programs/services are tested: (1) PDF2HTMLgui, (2) the Koolwire email PDF to DOC conversion service, (3) the Zamzar web service, (4) Free PDF To Word Doc Converter, (5) Adobe PDF to HTML email conversion service, and (6) the MediaConvert web service.
In order to do this test I created a PDF document using Open Office’s export to PDF function that had the following elements (1) a two-column table with special formatting, which contained (2) three thumbnail-szied jpeg images. My PDF document also contained (3) working hyperlinks; and (4) it featured text that was bolded; (5) contained bulleted points, as well as (6) a numbered list.
For the sake of simplicity my PDF was only a single page. To see what the document looked like click on the screenshot to the right.
The objective: was to get a converted document that could be loaded into MS Word where the text/contents could be edited and subsequently saved as .DOC format, which is to say any of the following formats would be satisfactory: .DOC, .HTML, and .RTF.
Comparative results: look for them at the bottom of this positng.
#1: PDF2HTMLgui: this is a GUI for the open source PDF2HTML. It took me a long time to find this on the net, as the project seems to have been abandoned (download link provided below). Some notes on this one:
- Very straightforward interface.
- You will need to point the program to both the PDF2HTML executable. You will also need to download and install Ghostscript and point it to
that. - Note: use the “no frames” option to get a single HTML file rather than an index page that points to the different individual pages of your document.
- Download link: click here to download. Note that the zip archive contains both PDF2HTMLgui and PDF2HTML v0.39. You can go to the PDF2HTML project page to check for newer versions of the latter (at the time of this writing there was an experimental version 0.40 available, which I did not test). Go here to download the latest version of Ghostscript.
- The results: see the results section below
#2: Koolwire (doc[at]koolwire.com): Koolwire is a web service that allows you to upload a PDF file or send it via email as an attachment, will convert it to RTF format for you, and will email the converted document back. Here are more notes on this one.
- You can email a file that is less than 10 megs in size. Files over 10 megs can be uploaded through the Koolwire website Koolwire also provides conversion to PDF, MP3, and WAV
Once I had sent in my email to “doc[at]koolwire.com”with my document attached (subject lines and message content do not matter), I received the converted document in within two minutes, as an attachement (not a download link).- Privacy policy: their legal blurb states that users will not receive any unsolicited emails at any point. They also maintain “the right (but not the obligation) to verify Content (i.e. view your documents) at their sole discretion”.
- Results: see the results section below.
#3: Zamzar: this is a web-based file conversion service that I first reviewed in Feb, 2007. Zamzar will let you upload a file through its web interface, convert it, then email you a download link. It covers a very wide range of possible input and output formats. More notes as follows:
Max uploadable file size is 100 megs in the free version.- Response time: is variable: I converted three documents over 3 days. For two of these that were performed mid-day it took two hours to get my download link. A third file that was uploaded past midnight took around 5 minutes.
- Privacy policy: your files are deleted once the conversion happens and the converted files are deleted once the download link expires. Also, to quote “files stored for download are only accessible by Zamzar”. Another quote: “Zamzar does not rent, sell, or share your personal information or email address with any other companies.” Not sure if they will send you promotional emails, but I have not received any.
- Results: see the results section below.
#4: Free PDF to Word Converter: this is a program that, when I first tested it seemed to finally provide a fully freeware PDF to Word solution. What I did not realize that after a while the program starts asking for one-off registration keys that you can visit a page and obtain a free code. More notes on this program:
You will need to get a key every time you do a conversion, which involves visiting a page full of ads and solving a math problem (no joke). The end result is a kind of innovative - and very annoying - nag screen that moreover prevents the use of this tool if you are not connected to the internet.- Performance: once you do get the registration key the program converts your document very quickly.
- Results: see the results section below.
#5: Adobe email conversion service (pdf2html[at]adobe.com): Adobe provides a PDF conversion service by email similar to 
#5: Koolwire (#2 above). However, it seems that only conversion to HTML is offered (no RTF or DOC). For more info, go here. Here are more notes on this one.
- The PDF file to convert is sent to “pdf2html[at]adobe.com], the subject and message content are not important. Adobe also provides conversion to TXT (pdf2txt[at]adobe.com).
- It took about a minute to get my converted file sent to me by return email once I had sent the document it. This arrived as an attachement (not a download link).
- Privacy policy: not sure, but I assume its the same as the others above.
- Results: see the results section below.
#6: Media-Convert web service: another web-based file conversion service simialar to Zamzar (Freewaregenius review here, Nov 2006). You can upload your file up to a max of 150 megs to Media-Convert and download the converted version. Here are more notes on this service.
- You do not need to provide an email address to use the service (nothing is emailed to you).
- Supports many input and output filetypes. I converted PDF to RTF
- Unlike Zamzar, you do not have to wait for hours between uploading your file and downloading the converted file (my file converted and I got a download link in under 1 minute).
- Privacy policy: not sure, but I assume its the same as the others mentioned above.
- Results: see the results section below.
Comparison of Results:
Image handling:
- (1) PDF2HTMLgui: although the images were imported into the converted documented, they were not placed in their proper location on the page but simply placed on the top of the document.
- (2) Koolwire: did an excellent job for both importing and placement of images. Best treatment.
- (3) Zamzar: all three images plus the visual formatting of the table were converted into one image. The document seems to have been split into “text” and a single image comprising all visual elements.
- (4) Free PDF to Word Converter: imported images more or less with the right placement.
- (5) Adobe email service: simply truncated/did away with the table and all its contents, including the images. I am not sure if it would have otherwise imported images if they were not inside a table.
- (6) Media-Convert: imported images more or less with the right placement.
Handling of the table: none of the resulting documents actually contained an editable table; tables were generally “recreated” using floating text boxes that aimed to approximate the layout and look of the original table:
- (1) PDF2HTMLgui: did not recreate a table or its formatting; the contents of the table were “flattened” into a single column
- (2) Koolwire: did the best job of “recreating” the table using text boxes, including producing the most faithful re-creation of the formatting. Best treatment.
- (3) Zamzar: created text boxes that approximated the placement of the text inside the table fairly well. The visual formatting of the table was converted into a background image (that moreover included all images on the page, see the images section above).
- (4) Free PDF to Word Converter: although it ignored the table and its formatting, this meant that you at least didn’t have to deal with a large number of floating text boxes. The placement of the text was faithful to where it was located inside the table.
- (5) Adobe email service: simply truncated/did away with the table and all its contents, including the images.
- (6) Media-Convert: set to re-create the table using floating text boxes, but did not handle the table’s formatting. Both the text and images were more or less correctly placed where they otherwise would have been inside the table.
Handling of text and/or text boxes : this is probably the most important element, since it is probably safe to assume that the point of converting a PDF to Doc is to allow for editing the text of the document.
- (1) PDF2HTMLgui: the text was re-cast into a single column, but the continuity of the text was interrupted by carriage returns at the end of each line.
- (2) Koolwire: employed a continuous text without carriage returns, most conducive to easy editing. Best treatment.
- (3) Zamzar: continuous text in a single text box, but with carriage returns at the end of each line.
- (4) Free PDF to Word Converter: continuous text in a single text box, but with carriage returns at the end of each line.
- (5) Adobe email service: the text that was imported (text outside the table) was continuous text without carriage returns.
- (6) Media-Convert: each line of text was its own text box, crowding the page with dozens of separate text boxes and making the editing process very complex and time consuming.
Handling of text formatting: this comprises font style and color, bulleted points, numbered list, and working hyperlinks
- (1) PDF2HTMLgui: the formatting was preserved, including style, font color, bullet points, and numbered list. Hyperlinks were preserved.
- (2) Koolwire: same as above.
- (3) Zamzar: same as above.
- (4) Free PDF to Word Converter: same as above, except no working hyperlinks.
- (5) Adobe email service: not enough info, because the table was removed. Bullet points and numbered lists were preserved, as was the text style.
- (6) Media-Convert: each text box had a single text style (e.g. if there was a bolded word in a row the entire row was bolded). Bullet points, and numbered list preserved, Hyperlinks not working.
Best way to load into MS Word:
- (1) PDF2HTMLgui: open the HTML file with a browser then select the contents of the page and paste into Word and save as DOC format. This will get rid of the dependency on external image files.
- (2) Koolwire: simply open RTF file with Word.
- (3) Zamzar: simply open DOC file with Word.
- (4) Free PDF to Word Converter: simply open DOC file with Word.
- (5) Adobe email service: same as #1 above.
- (6) Media-Convert: simply open RTF file with Word.
The verdict:
- (1) PDF2HTMLgui: a good choice if your document does not contain tables or if you do not care to email and/or upload your file to a web service. You might need to do a good degree of manual work to re-constitute your document though.
- (2) Koolwire: the best all-round solution, and the best at handling all of the different elements. A Freewaregenius PICK.
- (3) Zamzar: does an OK job, but has 2 strikes against it. (1) The unpredictability of lag time between the time you upload your file to the time you get your link (which can take a couple of hours), and (2) the way it lumps all visual elements/images into a single background image.
- (4) Free PDF to Word Converter: does an OK job, but not great, and is simply too annoying with the visiting a web page and obtaining a code business every single time you need to run a conversion.
- (5) Adobe email service: a big disappointment.
- (6) Media-Convert: is an OK option. The handling of text rows each in its own text box is a big liability though, and can translate into lots of manual work if you are interested in editing the text.
Lastly, if you know of a free PDF to DOC conversion service that was not covered here please let me know.
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I convert a pdf (246kb) to rtf via koolwire, I got a 6.8 mb big rtf, which did not load neither into ms word 2003 nor word 2007.
Same file convert with zamzar loads in word, but layout is extremly ugly
@Kurt,
If you want, send the document to me (say, with DivShare) and I will investigate.
Just converted a 1.56 mb pdf file to a 2.88 mb word document by koolwire. Program did a great job. Loaded into word 2003 no problem at all.
Thanks Samer
koolwire works great for me too.
tried to convert one chapter of my thesis, which I am writing in Latex, and everything looks nearly like in the original. Even the equations are preserved.
Great pick!!!
@Samer,
I have uploaded thte original pdf at:
http://members.chello.at/trinko/1a.pdf
the converted rtf is uploaded at:
http://members.chello.at/trinko/1a.rtf (6,8 MB!!)
Thanks
Kurt
@Samer,
I tried it once again, now it worked - the file loads into ms word, *but* the layout is in my humble opion not ok (But my pdf-file contais lots of tables, so maybe its fine for other pdfs)
Kurt
Thanks. Great post.
@Kurt,
I agree with you that the forms are not adequate. All of the PDF to DOC converters mentioned above create text boxes to approximate the look of the original document and do not create real tables.I don’t really have any better ideas/suggestions, unfortunatley.
Nice post - good info Samer!
thaxxxxxxx
thanks for sharing…
Samer,
Unfortunately I can’t say this works well. I’ve uploaded three different files to Koolwire and NONE were even converted. I received an email saying they failed to convert, check the rules, etc. Which of course didn’t matter as the rules were followed to the letter. Big disappointment, oh well.
I do agree with your assessment of Free PDT to Word Converter…much too much trouble.
I’ll keep trying Koolwire but so far not impressed.
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[...] için çeşitli programlar ve web servisleri bulunuyor. Peki ama bunlardan hangisi daha iyi? İşte şuradaki inceleme yazısında bu sorunun cevabını bulabilirsiniz. Bu yazıda oldukça detaylı bir [...]
Excellent!
[...] (creator of the most excellent Freewaregenius blog) did a recent comparison of many of the free applications that can be used to convert .pdf files into editable MS Word .doc files. His verdict? Online service Koolwire did the best job [...]
Samer,
Excellent review site! However, big disappointment with KoolWire for me. Six attempts to convert PDF to RTF and no joy. No response even. File size is 2.1 MB. Four e-mail uploads - no response. Two direct uploads - no response. It’s like I’m sending e-mail and uploads into the abyss. This thing would be great if it worked. Advice?
great information here. I have a question regarding PDF software, though. Have you ever ran across a piece of software that will translate the language of a PDF? or do you know of a way to translate the language of an entire word document after it has bee n converted from PDF? thanks…
@Justin,
Try Lingoes for translation http://www.freewaregenius.com/2008/04/01/translate-any-text-or-lookup-any-word-anywhere-with-lingoes/
thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
PLEASE REPLY:
Samer,
Excellent review site! However, big disappointment with KoolWire for me. Six attempts to convert PDF to RTF and no joy. No response even. File size is 2.1 MB. Four e-mail uploads - no response. Two direct uploads - no response. It’s like I’m sending e-mail and uploads into the abyss. This thing would be great if it worked. Advice?
[...] için çeşitli programlar ve web servisleri bulunuyor. Peki ama bunlardan hangisi daha iyi? İşte şuradaki inceleme yazısında bu sorunun cevabını bulabilirsiniz. Bu yazıda oldukça detaylı bir [...]
[...] [...]
I think this is a good article that clearly lays out the options.
Going in reverse (as in doc -> pdf) koolwire was absolutely terrible and zamzar performed badly.
Best of the bunch by far was media convert, it accurately converted “unusually” formatted doc files into pdf AND has less security issues as you are not required to give any personal information.
Hi nice work, but i think its missing the unicode support study, i tested the zamzar so far and it does not convert unicode characters in the doc file
You have done a good job! I have tried all these converters, plus a few more, and I too find KoolWire being the best. Zamzar is ok, but all text ends up in different text blocks and makes it hard to copy.
Both KoolWire and Zamzar replied back within a few minutes (PDF file size ~10 MB, at time 13.00 GMT 1).
BTW - Adobe have added support for PDF to txt, but the mail address didn’t work
Thanks so much for the great work!
I have tried so many converters and yours pick of koolwire is the best after I tried it!!!!
[...] previously written a comparative review free of PDF to Word DOC solutions, comprising mostly online converting services. I concluded then that the email/online service [...]
thx~~
Very helpful
Odd… Koolwire doesn’t seem to be working right now. I tried both by email and by the website.
Never mind, guess it was just really big.
[...] tested simple text pages, and I my experience matched that of most of the online reviewers (look here). Koolwire converted flawlessly and quickly (a couple of minutes), whereas Zamzar put everything [...]
FYI - With current versions of Acrobat, you can copy and paste text directly into word. The formatting may not be great, but the operation is simple.
the option of copying and pasting from acrobat to word can be disabled by the author if they set a security code and lock the document. In such cases one can not copy and paste and can not even do highlighting, underlining and commentating on the locked document.
[...] How to convert PDF to Word DOC for free: a comparative test - review & download link | freewareg… [...]
I tried to convert PDF files which contained tables, but the conversion was very poor.
Hi is there any software (Freeware) to convert a PDF file to doc along with Equations (Math book).
if so pl do let me know.
Koolwire did not convert mine either.
No matter what PDF file I send to Koolwire, I can only get a message that says it was not converted.
Right now it looks like it does not work at all.
Always the same :
“Thank you for using Kool Converter, the free file conversion service.
We were not able to convert your files. Please check the
koolversion rules or the FAQ section and try again.
The Koolwire team”
Those 2 websites seems to be abandonned
hi its is very cool…..
Just tried Koolwire - no good. When it goes to the download page it is blank. Tried several times nothing happened.
I used the Kool conversion method. The problem was the documents were returned in Word doc form, but I didn’t know on my end that when we scan documents into our copier/scanner that they are converted to image pdf files. This means no software can convert them! I had to take the originals to a scanner where the OCR function was set up on it. So, it may not be the conversion products discussed on the site.
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Hi is there any software to convert a PDF file to doc along with Equations (Math book). if so pl do let me know.
Hi is there any software to convert a PDF file to doc along with Equations (Math book). if so pl do let me know.
Hi, Samer. Thanks very much for the comparison. Have you tried pdf995? With an add-on of Omniformat, it is supposed to convert pdf into html or doc. For me, the html conversion went fine, but I couldn’t get it to convert to doc. Anybody care to try?
It converts it but opens in word with all blank white pages.
I found a cool web site which allows free PDF to Word conversions. No registration or email address is required and your files are available for download immediately.
http://pdfundo.net/
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KoolWire didn’t work for me either. I think I figured out why. The original PDF file I was trying to convert has some security settings which prevented it from being converted. Oh well…
KoolWire converted my pdf (9MB) to rtf (1MB). When I open it in MS Word 2003, it says 13 characters and nothing at all appears. Please help. Ideas?
I just tried to convert using KoolWIRE yet after attempting I was sent an email back stating they were unable to complete to conversion but stated no reason as to why not. Any suggestions?