PDF to Text
Convert PDF to plain text online. Native text is read directly; scanned pages are recognised with OCR. Download as TXT.
By source:Scanned PDF
What we accept
LIMITS PER FORMAT
1 FORMAT
Max size
20 MB
Pages
up to 20 per job
Files per job
1
Why people use this tool
Previewable output, built-in OCR and a simple upload-to-download workflow.
Native and scanned
Real text is read directly; scanned pages go through OCR. Review the result for missing or misread text.
Page by page
Up to 20 pages per job. Pages appear in order; check the text order within complex pages.
Private by default
Files travel over TLS. Results expire after 1 hour; see Privacy for cleanup and input expiry.
Reads photos and scanned pages
Clear printed English gives the reader more to work with. Blur, shadows and tilted pages can cause missed or misread text.
Text grouped by page
Pages stay in order. Within a page, columns, lists and headings may need checking before you reuse the text.
Review before you download
Read the extracted text in the result panel, then copy it or download a TXT file. Compare it with your source when accuracy matters.
How to convert a PDF to text for free
Four steps, all of them in the browser. Nothing to install and no account — then convert to TXT.
Add the file
Drop a PDF or choose one from your device.
It reads the page
Wait while each page is read or recognised.
Fix anything that's off
Review each page's extracted text against your PDF.
Copy or download
Copy it or download it as TXT.
What the text result includes
The result is plain text grouped by page. Recognition and reading order depend on the source, so review it before use.
In the result
Plain text you can review, copy or download as TXT.
Page sequence
Pages appear in source order. For an image batch, the order of the images becomes the page order.
Text found
The result contains the words the service could read. Check names, numbers and missing words against your source.
Line breaks
Detected text blocks are separated by line breaks in TXT. Paragraph and heading structure can vary with the source.
Warnings
If processing reports a page warning, it appears with the result so you know what to review.
Check before use
Check the source before relying on the result.
Reading order
Columns, lists, headers and footnotes can be read out of order, especially on complex pages.
Layout and images
TXT does not retain fonts, pictures, tables or exact placement. Reformat the text if you need those details.
About plain text
Plain text stores characters and line breaks, not the layout of the original page.
Scanned pages are read with OCR, so proofread names, numbers and small print before you rely on the text.
PDF to text questions
Answers to common questions about PDF to Text.
Does it work on scanned PDFs?
Yes. Pages with a text layer are read directly; pages that are only images go through OCR. You can mix both in one file.
Is the reading order preserved?
Pages appear in order. Text within a page may be reordered, especially with columns, headers, footnotes or complex layouts. Review it against your PDF.
How many pages can I convert?
Up to 20 pages per job, and each file can be up to 20 MB. Split a longer PDF first or run it in two batches.
Other tools in the set
Same reader, same price, same hour-long retention. Pick the one that matches what you need out the other end.