Convert PDF to Word (.docx)
Convert PDF files to fully-editable Microsoft Word documents. Tables, columns, fonts, and images are preserved. Works with both digital and scanned PDFs (OCR).
Drag & drop a file
or browse from your computer · max 100 MB
Converting a PDF to Word is the fastest way to make it editable. Whether you need to update an old contract, extract text from a research paper, or repurpose a marketing flyer, converting back to .docx gives you a fully editable document with the original layout, fonts, tables, and images preserved as faithfully as possible. PDFOnly's PDF-to-Word converter handles both digital PDFs (born in software) and scanned PDFs (camera or scanner output) using OCR for the latter — so you get an editable result in either case.
How to pdf to word step by step
- 1
Drop your PDF
Upload any PDF up to 100 MB free (200 MB on Pro). Both digital and scanned PDFs work — we auto-detect which type it is and route accordingly.
- 2
We detect text vs scan automatically
If your PDF has a text layer, we extract it directly with the original formatting. If it's a scan (image-only), we run OCR in the language(s) we detect from the page content.
- 3
Layout reconstruction
We use LibreOffice's PDF import filter, which is the most layout-faithful open-source converter. Tables become real Word tables, columns stay in columns, fonts are mapped to their closest available Word fonts.
- 4
Download your .docx
Open in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or LibreOffice. Most documents are 95%+ accurate — complex multi-column legal forms may need light cleanup, but for typical text and table content the output is editable as-is.
Why pdf to word on PDFOnly
OCR built in
Most free PDF-to-Word tools fail silently on scans, giving you an empty Word doc with images. We detect scans and run OCR automatically so you always get editable text.
Tables preserved
Tables in PDF have no semantic structure — every cell is just a positioned text run. We reconstruct table boundaries from the visual layout so they become real Word tables, not pasted blocks of text.
Privacy by default
Your contract, research paper, or scanned form never leaves an isolated processing worker, is never used to train AI, and is auto-deleted within an hour.
What people use pdf to word for
A few common scenarios. If your workflow looks like one of these, this tool is a good fit.
Edit an old contract that only exists as PDF
Open the converted .docx in Word, redline the changes, and re-export as PDF. Standard workflow for legal teams updating templates whose original Word source is lost.
Repurpose research papers for citations
Convert a PDF paper to Word so you can quote large sections accurately into your own writing. Beats copy-pasting from the PDF reader, which often introduces line breaks and ligature artifacts.
Make a scanned form fillable
Convert a scanned tax form or government PDF to Word with OCR, fill in the fields directly, and re-save as PDF. No printing, no scanning back in.
Translate a PDF section by section
Word handles translation tools (Microsoft Translator, machine-translation plugins) better than PDF readers. Convert first, translate the editable text, re-export.
What you get
- Output is true Microsoft Word .docx — opens cleanly in Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice
- Layout preservation: tables, columns, headings, fonts, and inline images stay intact
- Automatic OCR for scanned PDFs — 100+ languages supported
- No file-size watermark, no signup required for files under 100 MB
- Files auto-deleted within an hour, never used to train AI models
- Handles password-protected PDFs (you provide the password first via Unlock PDF)
Frequently asked questions
Will the layout be preserved exactly?
For typical documents — articles, reports, contracts, manuscripts — the layout is preserved very faithfully. Complex multi-column legal forms or PDFs with overlapping graphic elements may need light cleanup. The text content is always 100% editable; the question is just visual fidelity.
Can I convert a scanned PDF to Word?
Yes. We detect scanned (image-only) PDFs and run OCR automatically in 100+ languages including Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, German, Russian. The output Word doc has the recognized text fully editable. Accuracy is 95%+ on clean scans, lower on faded or skewed pages.
Will my fonts come through?
Common fonts (Arial, Times, Calibri, Helvetica) come through directly. Specialty fonts that aren't installed in Word are mapped to their closest match. The text remains fully readable and editable; visual fidelity depends on whether your reader has the same fonts installed.
Is the output a real .docx or a Word-flavored RTF?
It's a real .docx — the modern Microsoft Word format. Opens natively in Word 2007+, Google Docs, LibreOffice, Pages, and any other modern document editor.
Can I batch-convert many PDFs at once?
The web tool processes one PDF at a time. For batch conversion, use our API (Pro plan) — POST a list of PDFs to /v1/tools/pdf-to-word and get back signed download URLs for each .docx.
What if my PDF has form fields?
Form fields are converted to Word's native form controls when possible. The output remains fillable in Word. Complex JavaScript-driven PDF forms may need manual cleanup.
Why did my conversion drop some images?
Most likely those images are stored as PDF inline shading or vector patterns that LibreOffice's import filter can't represent in Word. Convert with our PDF to JPG tool first, then re-insert the images manually if needed.
Ready to pdf to word?
Free to use for the basics. Files are auto-deleted within an hour and never used to train AI.
Open PDF to Word