How accurate is the conversion?

Letters, reports and articles convert cleanly, including two-column papers, which are read column by column. Headers, footers and page numbers go into Word's own header and footer, a paragraph split across two pages becomes one paragraph again, and centred or right-aligned lines keep their alignment. Sidebars, text wrapped around pictures and heavy graphic design still need some tidying, because that structure has to be inferred rather than read.

My PDF is a scan. Will the text be editable?

Only with OCR. A scanned PDF is a photograph of a page, so there is no text to extract until optical character recognition reads the letters from the image. Turn on ‘Recognise text (OCR)’ under Advanced options and pick the language of the document. Without it, a PDF that is entirely scanned is refused rather than converted into an empty file.

Why do the fonts look different?

The Word document asks for the font the PDF was set in, by its usual name, such as Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial. If that font is on your computer, the text looks as it did. If the PDF used a font you do not have, Word shows a substitute: the words stay correct, but spacing and line breaks can shift a little.

Do headings and tables come back as real Word headings and tables?

Where they can be recognised, yes. A short line set noticeably larger than the body text becomes a Word heading, so the navigation pane works, a detected table becomes a Word table with its first row in bold, and bulleted lines become a Word bulleted list. All three are inferred from how the page looks, so a heading styled only in bold at body size stays an ordinary paragraph.

What happens to charts, diagrams and links?

A chart or diagram drawn in the PDF becomes a picture in the same place, with its labels, and photos come across as pictures too. A logo printed on every page is placed once, in the header or footer. Web links stay clickable. A chart cannot become an editable Word chart, because the PDF holds only its drawing, not the numbers behind it.

Is my document read or stored by anyone?

No. Conversion is fully automated, nothing is read by a person, and the file is deleted from our servers as soon as the job finishes. The result is deleted an hour later. See our privacy page for the full policy.

Is this converter free?

Yes. Every conversion on ConvertNicely is free to use, with no account, no watermark on the result and no limit on how many files you convert.

What happens to my files?

Your uploaded file is deleted from our servers the moment the conversion finishes, whether it succeeded or failed. The converted result is deleted automatically one hour later, and you can delete it yourself at any time with the Delete button.

Is there a file size limit?

Files up to 50 MB are accepted for this conversion. Larger limits apply to paid plans in future, but the free limit is generous enough for the overwhelming majority of Word conversions.

Do I need to install anything?

No. ConvertNicely runs entirely in your browser and on our servers, so there is nothing to download or install. It works the same on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. The whole site is built mobile-first, so you can upload from your camera roll or files app, convert, and download the result without leaving your browser.

Free

Convert PDF to Word

PDFs are built for reading, not editing. This tool reconstructs the text, headings, tables and images into a .docx file you can open in Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice and actually change — flowing paragraphs you can retype, not a picture of a page.

Also known as: PDF to DOCX · PDF to DOC · PDF to Word converter

Files up to 50 MBTypically under a minuteNeed Word to PDF instead?

Drop your file hereor choose a file from your devicePDF · up to 50 MB

Encrypted upload · deleted right after conversion

Your files are deleted automatically

Uploads are removed as soon as processing finishes, and converted files are deleted after 1 hour. Read our privacy policy.

How to convert PDF to Word

Step 1
1. Add your PDF file
Drag your PDF file into the box, or choose it from your device. It can be up to 50 MB.
Step 2
2. Choose your settings
Optional settings are under Advanced options; the starting values suit most files.
Step 3
3. Press Convert to Word
The work happens on our servers, and you can follow its progress.
Step 4
4. Download your Word file
Your upload is already deleted, and the result is deleted after one hour.

Worth knowing

PDF stores where marks appear on a page, not the structure behind them, so this conversion is a reconstruction rather than a perfect reversal. Letters, reports and two-column papers convert well; magazine-style layouts with sidebars and text wrapped around pictures usually need tidying afterwards.

Why convert PDF to Word?

Updating a contract or form when the original document is lost
Reusing text from a report without retyping it
Translating or rewriting a document that only exists as a PDF
Correcting a typo in a finished PDF you no longer have the source for

PDF vs Word

Comparison of PDF and Word
Property	PDF	Word
Editable	Not easily	Yes, as flowing paragraphs
Layout	Fixed on every device	Reflows to Word's margins
Structure	Text placed on a page	Headings, paragraphs and tables
Best for	Reading and sharing	Revising and reusing

Frequently asked questions

Page updated 5 October 2026

All Document converters

Convert PDF to Word

How to convert PDF to Word

1. Add your PDF file

2. Choose your settings

3. Press Convert to Word

4. Download your Word file

Why convert PDF to Word?

PDF vs Word

Frequently asked questions

Word to PDF

PDF to Excel

PDF to PowerPoint

PDF to JPG

Convert PDF to Word

How to convert PDF to Word

1. Add your PDF file

2. Choose your settings

3. Press Convert to Word

4. Download your Word file

Why convert PDF to Word?

PDF vs Word

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is the conversion?

My PDF is a scan. Will the text be editable?

Why do the fonts look different?

Do headings and tables come back as real Word headings and tables?

What happens to charts, diagrams and links?

Is my document read or stored by anyone?

Is this converter free?

What happens to my files?

Is there a file size limit?

Do I need to install anything?

Does it work on a phone?

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