When converting scanned invoices, reports or images into editable formats, OCR is required. If you are looking for the best free OCR solutions for mac like many others, we collect a list for you: a list of 12 powerful mac free ocr software or services to perform satisfactory OCR on digitized files for 2019-2020. Full List of Mac Free OCR. How to convert PDF to Word to Mac by Doxillion Software: Open Doxillion by NCH Software. Then click on the button Add Files / Add Folder to choose the PDF files, that you want to convert. Select the output folder which can be either same as the source file, or you can specify a specific format for it.
Feb 18,2020 • Filed to: PDF Converter
PDF is a dependable and essential format for sharing and distributing documents online. If you need to convert many PDF files to Word documents, a PDF to Word converter tool can be helpful. There are hundreds of free PDF to Word converter tools you can find online, but it's hard to know which one is best. Luckily, we've outline the top 10 best programs to convert PDF to Word for you, including PDFelement Pro.
Part 1: Top 5 PDF to Word Converter for Mac
1. PDFelement Pro for Mac
PDFelement Pro gives you full control over your PDF files and it is one of the best pdf to word converter on mac. With this application, you can convert PDF to all business formats, including Excel, Word, PPT, Text, Image, HTML, EPUB and many more. You can perform any simple task such as inserting, cropping, rotating, deleting, adding watermarks, extracting and splitting of documents etc. The text editing options of this software have been optimized, providing you with the tools of a professional text editor.
Join, move, link or split blocks of text to achieve more advanced text editing capabilities. Plus, you won't need to worry about disturbing the layout.
2. Nuance PDF Converter for Mac
This PDF to Word converter software application provides a variety of features regarding the conversion of PDF files by Mac users. The program is designed to increase productivity and enhance simple conversion of various documents including PDF formats to Word format. The Nuance PDF Converter for Mac allows the editing and sharing of PDF documents in a secure environment.
Pros:
- As mentioned above, the software application enables you to edit and share PDF documents in a safe environment.
- The program also allows for the conversion of PDF documents to editable formats using OCR.
Cons:
- It doesn't come with innovative editing options.
3. deskUNPDF for Mac
This is a highly user-friendly PDF to Word Converter for Mac that applies a host of state of the art methods to convert PDF files with accuracy and reliability. It has the capability of converting PDF files into MS Office extensions like; Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
Pros:
- Allows the conversion of bulk PDF documents at the same time.
- Allows the conversion of PDF files to text files.
Cons:
- It may change the formatting of your documents.
4. Adobe Acrobat for Macintosh
This is a very powerful and one of the best PDF to Word converter for Mac users that allows them to convert easily and create PDF documents in just a few clicks. This PDF converter offers a variety of Adobe Reader functions as well as other extra features thus allow you to create fillable forms, combine PDF's into one file, edit existing PDF's and more. This beautifully designed software has proved to be intuitive to use whether you are familiar with it or not. The icons are very clear, the features are easy to locate and the in-built templates allows you to start creating forms immediately. Also, Adobe provides detailed online tutorials. Acrobat for Mac includes many features that allow you to integrate multiple PDF's by simply dragging and dropping them into the program window. Edit PDF's efficiently, change text, add text, and even save the PDF's as Word or Excel documents. You can also protect your documents by applying passwords to prevent unauthorized access and copying of your files.
Pros:
- It can convert printed documents into PDF format through scanning.
- It can convert PDF files into a variety of editable formats.
Cons:
- Slow to launch.
- Its premium services are expensive.
5. Doxillion PDF to Word Converter
This is a free PDF to Word converter that will assist you in converting pdf, doc, docx, HTML, RTF, ODT, XML, txt, and WPD file formats. Doxillion gives you the choice of converting bulk documents or converting the documents one at a time.
Pros:
- User-friendly.
Cons:
- Converted documents tend to get realigned.
Part 2: Top 5 PDF to Word Converter for Windows
1. PDFelement Pro for Windows
PDFelement Pro is an all-in-one PDF solution and conversion tool. It lets you edit by adding links, images, and text to your file. With PDFelement Pro, you can also create new PDF files based on already existing PDF documents by adding new pages, you can also rotate, crop, and even extract pages from your PDF document.
2. Hello PDF
This free PDF to Word converter software allows you to convert and edit PDF files for free. It can extract images, shapes, and text and convert PDF to Word format and still preserve the general layout of the original document. It also has the ability to convert files at very high speeds. This is a stand-alone program that enables you to convert PDF files to Word Doc files without having to install Microsoft Word or Any PDF reader.
Pros:
- Free.
- High conversion rates.
- Easy to use application.
Cons:
- The main disadvantage of Hello PDF is that you cannot convert many documents at once. It only supports the conversion of one document at a time.
- The features are limited.
3. Nemo PDF to Word
This free PDF to Word software comes with an intuitive and user-friendly interface that provides 100 % free PDF to Word conversion and lets you convert PDF documents to editable MS Office Word documents. The text, images, charts, everything will remain original even after the conversion process. Please note that this tool supports all types of PDF files. The text, images, charts, everything will remain original even after the conversion process. This program also supports PDF files that are password protected. Apart from Adobe PDF files, this software supports PDF documents created by other tools. With this PDF to Word converter, one can customize his or her output file format (DOC) and specify the destination of the output Word files. Also, you can decide whether you want to convert certain page ranges or all pages of the selected PDF files in Word. Nemo PDF to Word can also assist you to convert many PDF documents at once, improving work efficiency.
Pros:
- Flexible and accurate conversion.
- Quick and easy operation because of its user-friendly interface.
- Free and efficient.
Cons:
- Limited tools are availed with this program.
- You cannot convert scanned documents.
4. SmartSoft Free PDF to Word Converter
This is a free PDF to Word doc converter tool used in the conversion of Adobe PDF files to Microsoft Word Doc documents. This program has the ability of efficiently convert any PDF document to Word format and make duplicates of the original PDF file.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Free to use.
- Produces an exact copy of the original document.
Cons:
- You are not able to convert multiple documents at the same time.
- There are no configuration options or any other additional tools.
5. PDFMate PDF Converter
This is a simple and free PDF to Word converter program that is designed to convert PDF files to other formats. You can use this software to convert any PDF file successfully and easily. The PDFMate PDF Converter comes with clear operations guidelines that makes it easy to use. The program also allows multiple conversions at once, thus saving the user a lot of time.
Pros:
- Can convert scanned PDF files.
- Provides password settings for original PDF documents.
- Allows for batch conversion.
Cons:
- The advanced options can be complex and confusing.
- You cannot pause or stop the conversion process once it has commenced.
Part 3: How to Convert PDF to Word on Mac and Windows
PDFelement Pro makes it easy to convert a PDF file to Word format easily. To save time, you can also convert multiple PDF files to other file formats in batches. Below is a step-by-step tutorial showing you how to convert a PDF to Word on macOS X (10.15 Catalina compatible).
Step 1. Upload PDF Documents to the Program
Launch the program. Click on the 'Open File' button to import the PDF file you would like to convert. The PDF document will open in the program. Click 'File' and hit the 'Export To' button.
Step 2. Start Converting PDF to Word
After clicking the 'Export To' button, choose the output format (Microsoft Office Word) and output folder to save the converted file to. Lastly, click the 'Save' button to start the process.
Step 3. Batch Convert Multiple PDFs to Word
You can also complete batch processing and convert multiple PDF files at one time. To do so, click on 'Tool' and click 'PDF Converter'. In the new window, click on 'Add Files' to import the PDF files you want to convert, and then click on the 'Save' button to start the conversion process.
Why Choose PDFelement Pro to Convert PDF to Word
PDFelement Pro not only can converts PDF documents to MS Word format quickly and easily, but also can preserve the original layout, text positioning, and more. It also comes with various editing tools which allow you to add text, images, annotation, etc. to the PDF file before converting it to Word format.
Why choose this PDF to Word converter:
- Convert native and scanned PDFs to Word and other formats.
- Merge multiple PDF files into one and split PDFs into separate files.
- Edit PDF files as easily as working with a Word processor.
- Fill and create PDF forms. Plus, import and extract PDF form data.
- Protect PDF files by adding passwords and watermarks.
While converting and saving Word documents to PDF files has always been easy, the same cannot be said for converting PDFs into Word documents.
This article will examine some of the best ways to convert PDF to Word in 2020 as well as how to convert Word to PDF. In addition, we will review 10 of the best converters available:
Read along as we examine some of the most popular free PDF to Word converters online. Online converters are the most convenient as they work easily in most internet browsers.
1. PDFelement
The trick is finding a way to convert PDFs to Word or other programs while also being usable and not overly complicated. Wondershare’s PDFelement does just that. They have managed to create a professional, feature-rich application that converts PDFs to Word, Excel, EPUB, PPT, Pages, HTML, RTF, and text formats seamlessly without impacting the simple user interface. Along with its ease-of-use, PDFelement also allows you to annotate files, add text, export data, create forms, integrate password-encryption, and permission-based restrictions.
PDFelement is a full-service solution to create and distribute PDF forms like magic. PDFelement offers a free trial to get you started and then two paid subscription plans. The Standard version is pretty limited without all the fancy features you really want. A better option is to buy the Pro Version to get everything you need.
PDFelement has earned some impressive awards with their fantastic product. Some big-name brands like Hitachi and Deloitte use PDFelement.
👆 SPECS:
Works on: Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP, Mac OS X 10.7 or later
Price: Free Trial/$69 annually
✅ PROS:
- Convert to multiple formats easily
- Feature-rich editing
- Security built in
- Batch processing
- Fun to use
- Affordable
- Money-back guarantee
⛔️ CONS:
- The standard version is limited (no OCR)
2. ILovePDF
ILovePDF converter is one of the simplest pdf tools online that adopt the minimalist approach towards PDF conversion. It offers a comprehensive set of free PDF processing tools, covering file conversions, compression, merging, watermarking, rotation, splitting, and more.
You can register to get more free features (15 MB files, 2 hours of link life and 10 downloads). There is also a premium version without ads, premium access to an iLovePDF mobile app, highest file size per task, maximum files per task and more.
- Select the file you want to convert or drop the file into the box (you can also choose one from Dropbox or Google Drive).
- Click the 'Convert to Word' button.
- When the file is ready, download it.
👆 SPECS:
Works on: Windows 10/8.1/8/7, Mac OS X 10.7 or later + Online version
Price: Free/$48 annually
✅ PROS:
- Dropbox and Google Drive Integration
- Easily Share Converted Files
- Precise and Reliable Conversions
⛔️ CONS:
- Free Version has Quantitative Restrictions
- A Lot of Ads
3. PDF2DOC
The interface of the PDF2DOC web service is pretty simple and easy-to-use, the service is free and works on mobile devices. PDF2DOC maintains the original PDF text, fonts, layout and bitmap images in the generated Word document. You can convert up to 20 files at a time and download the files one by one or all at once in ZIP archive format.
- Just click the Upload Files button or drop your files into the box (up to 20 files).
- Wait for the conversion process to finish.
- Download converted files either file by file or click the Download All button to download them all at once in a ZIP archive
👆 SPECS:
Works on: Online version
Price: Free
✅ PROS:
- Available on Desktops Well as s Mobile Devices
- Batch File Upload and Download
⛔️ CONS:
- A Lot of Ads
4. Online2PDF
Online2PDF is one of the quickest and easiest ways to convert PDF’s to Word files or even other Microsoft Office file types. A one-stop PDF tool, Online2PDF is available in six different languages making it one of the most popular and accessible online converters.
Unlike some more minimalist converters, Online2PDF preserves PDF annotations during conversion so that comments and edits are saved into your new document. Online2PDF even offers bulk conversions, perfect for those looking to work with many different files at the same time.
- To use Online2PDF, click the link in the header to open up the site.
- Once you have the site open in front of you, scroll down to the button titled “Select files”.
- Click “Select files” to select up to twenty files to convert at the same time.
- Once you have selected your files, choose which kind of file type you would like to convert too with the “Convert too” list button.
- Press the big red “Convert” button to get started. With this step, you’re all done, as the newly converted files will download automatically. Easy!
👆 SPECS:
Works on: Online
Price: Free
✅ PROS:
- Supports bulk conversions
- Preserves PDF annotations
⛔️ CONS:
- Ads
- Cluttered user interface
5. WPS PDF to Word Converter
WPS PDF to Word Converter is a desktop app and because of that, it is faster than many online tools. The app processes files in batches keeping the quality of your files, accurately reproducing text fonts and layouts weights.
You can convert up to five pages long with a free version of the app, however, if you need to convert files without limit on the number of pages, the premium version of the app will cost you $19.99.
- Launch WPS Writer, go to Special features > PDF to Word.
- When it pops up WPS PDF to Word Converter, drag or open a PDF file from your computer to the converted area.
- Choose the saved type and saved location in terms of your needs, and click 'Start' to convert your PDF file.
👆 SPECS:
Works on: Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP
Price: Free/$19.99 annually
✅ PROS:
- Batch Processing
- Accurate Conversion
- Unlimited Range of Conversion
- Free Premium Version for Education
- 1 GB Cloud Storage in Free Version
- All Templates Free
⛔️ CONS:
- Five-page Limit
- A Lot of Ads in Free Version
6. Nitro PDF to Word Converter
There are two versions of Nitro PDF to Word Converter, a desktop app for Windows and an online version, that is free. We'll consider the second one.
Free online PDF to Word Converter allows uploading multiple files and choosing different formats (including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel). Once your file is converted, it will be sent to you via email. One of the biggest disadvantages is that each email address is limited to five file conversions per month, the limit that, for sure, restricts.
The quality of the converted file is good, the text is maintained well, however, there can be some issues with images, rogue spaces, and line breaks.
- Select the PDF file you need to convert.
- Indicate an email address you want to send the converted file to.
- Click the 'Convert Now' button to start.
👆 SPECS:
Works on: Windows, online
Price: Free/$159
✅ PROS:
- Fully Integrated with Nitro Cloud
- Quick Conversion Process
- Batch Processing
- Microsoft Office ribbon-style interface
⛔️ CONS:
- Only Five Conversions per Month for Free
- Does not Support Indexing
- Some Images Lost
- High-priced
7. OnlineOCR
For OnlineOCR it’s all in the name. If you don't already know, OCR stands for optical character recognition software, a necessary tool for recognizing foreign characters during the conversion process.
With embedded OCR technology, OnlineOCR converter is one of the best tools for those looking to convert documents containing foreign language characters such as those found in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. With over 45 supports languages, there’s a good chance OnlineOCR will work for you.
Best Pdf Converter For Mac
The only downside to OnlineOCR is a conversion limit for guests set at 15 conversions per hour. If you have many conversions to do in a limited time frame, OnlineOCR may not be the best service for you.
- To use OnlineOCR converter, first, open the site through the link in the header.
- Follow the steps on the homepage by uploading your file with the “Select file” button.
- Next, select the language and your desired output format.
- Click “Convert” to get your newly converted file.
👆 SPECS:
Works on: Online
Price: Free
✅ PROS:
- Optical character recognition for 46 languages
⛔️ CONS:
- No PDF editing
- Conversion limit set a 15 per hour
8. SodaPDF
SodaPDF is a versatile program with a variety of useful tools available for everything from merging and compressing PDF’s to editing, and of course, converting PDF’s to Word. While primarily available as an online browser service, SodaPDF is also available for use offline with its downloadable version. SodaPDF is capable of batch converting, perfect for performing bulk conversions efficiently.
One of the perks with SodaPDF is the fact that converted files are deleted from their web servers in 24 hours or less, making this a top choice for those concerned with privacy. Unlike other converts like OnlineOCR, SodaPDF is only available in select languages. For those working with non-Latin alphabets or with other special characters, mileage with SodaPDF may vary.
- To use SodaPDF, open the site by clicking the link in the section header.
- Drop your files into the box or select the “Choose file” button to upload your files from your hard drive, google drive, or Dropbox account.
- Selecting a word file will automatically convert it to PDF. Selecting a PDF file will give you the option to select your desired output file format. Selecting the file type will start the conversion process automatically.
- Download your new file with the “Download Now” button.
👆 SPECS:
Works on: Online, Mac, Windows
Price: Free
✅ PROS:
- Supports Bulk Converting
- Downloadable For Offline Use
- Supports PDF Editing
⛔️ CONS:
- Only Supports Select Languages
Pdf To Word Converter software, free download For Mac Version
9. FreePDFconverter
FreePDFconverter is one of the simplest and cleanest converters available online. Free from annoying and cluttered advertisements, FreePDFconverter is elegant and presents a user-friendly interface. With over ten million users with many more successful conversions, FreePDFconverter is known for its reliability among its loyal user base.
With a wide variety of PDF enabled tools, FreePDFconverter can help you edit your PDF documents by splitting, compressing, rotating, and deleting unneeded pages. While these tools are great for editing a PDF, however, this converter makes no mention of languages other than English thus it may not be calibrated for optical character recognition.
Finally, despite the name, this converter is not free. Upon attempting to convert, you will receive a popup demanding that you sign up and subscribe for $5 a month. For this reason, we cannot recommend FreePDFConverter as it does not live up to its name.
- To open FreePDFconverter, click the link in the header of this section.
- Click the blue “Choose PDF File” or drag your files into the box.
- Upon choosing a file, the converter will convert to Word automatically.
- If your document is more than two pages, you will need to pay and subscribe.
👆 SPECS:
Works on: Online
Price: Free/$5 monthly/$50 annually/$99 one-time
✅ PROS:
- Supports PDF Editing
- Elegant User Interface
⛔️ CONS:
- Dishonest Name
- Paid Subscription Required for Converting More Than Two Pages
10. SmallPDF
SmallPDF is an efficient browser-based PDF to WORD converting software that carries a simple and easy-to-use interface and is centered in giving a great user experience.
SmallPDF can convert files from PDF to many other formats and vice versa. Besides, it performs other features like editing of PDFs, merging PDFs, compression of PDF, scan split, merge, rotate and convert documents. There are also some limited security functions such as electronic document signing and password protection.
- Click the 'Choose file' button to add your file or just drop the file into the box.
- Choose the format you want to convert to (Word, Excel, or ppt).
- Download the file, share it, save to Dropbox or Google drive.
👆 SPECS:
Works on: Mac, Windows and Linux
Price: Free/ $6 monthly/ $48 annually
✅ PROS:
- Easy-to-use Interface
⛔️ CONS:
- The Free Version Only Allows for 2 Compression Uses Per Hour
How to Convert Word to PDF, Free or Not?
Invented by Adobe in the 1990s, the PDF was a proprietary file type protected by patent up until 2008. Since then, manipulating and converting PDF’s has become free from royalty obligations, however, converting PDF’s to Word documents remains difficult as few free products offer this service.
For a long time, converting PDF to Word was only possible through Adobe’s proprietary software Adobe Acrobat. Fortunately, a number of free PDF to Word converters have recently popped up with great success, democratizing this service once and for all.
With an abundance of free development kits and converters available both online and for download, manipulating PDF’s has never been easier. Beyond converting to Word, PDF’s can also be converted to other file types like image files. While the PDF creator Adobe still holds the patent to the PDF, they have released it to the public royalty free. This means anyone can use and manipulate PDF’s so long as they comply with Adobe’s original PDF specifications.
How to Edit PDF on a Mac
If you’re using a Mac, you can always use Adobe Acrobat as described above. Alternatively, you can use the features that come natively built-in on the Mac. Here’s a guide.
- Open the PDF file by double-clicking on it.
- Highlight and copy all the text contained in the document.
- Hold down Command + Shift + 4. This will extract an image from the document.
- Click and drag the cursor so that it fits the frame of the image you want to extract. Now release.
- Make sure the images have been saved to your desktop.
- Open the Pages app and paste the text you copied into a blank document.
- Edit the text and leave space for your images.
- Drag the images you extracted and saved on the desktop into the Pages document. Make sure to insert them as needed.
- Save the file as PDF.
How to Edit PDF with Windows
Your Windows PC can’t extract images the same way Macs can. But there’s an easy way to go about it. Convert the PDF document into Word and then edit it as you would a Word document. Easy-peasy! You can use a PDF to word converter online or use Adobe Acrobat.
Today, we’ll go over how to convert PDF to Word using Adobe Acrobat.
- Open the Adobe Acrobat program.
- Click on File > Open.
- Select the PDF document.
- After the document opens, click on Export PDF on the toolbar on your right-hand side.
- Select “Microsoft Word” and click Export.
- You now have an editable word document.
- Make the desired edits, and then save as PDF.
The Best PDF to Word Converter Overall — Adobe Acrobat
While not free, Adobe Acrobat is the original PDF converter capable of handling all your converting and PDF editing needs. What's more, is that Adobe Acrobat allows you to preserve your original PDFs by placing password protections or setting file permissions for editing and copying.
Adobe Acrobat is essential for businesses looking to protect their intellectual property, it is for this reason that Adobe remains an industry leader and continues to profit off of their innovative PDF file format.
Adobe Acrobat is a paid service that may be out of reach for many looking to simply convert a one-off document here and there. However, for students, most university libraries have subscriptions to Acrobat making it accessible on most university campuses and sometimes even public libraries. Likewise, many businesses and corporations have subscriptions as well.
- To convert a PDF to Word in Adobe Acrobat, open your file in Acrobat.
- Click on “Export to PDF” tool on the right-hand side of the program.
- Choose your desired export format.
- Click “Export”, name the new file, and save to your computer.
👆 SPECS:
Works on: Mac and Windows
Price: $179,88/annually
✅ PROS:
- Market Leader and Original Inventor of The PDF
- Supports All Types of PDF Editing
- Can be Used Offline
⛔️ CONS:
- Paid Subscription Necessary
Converting Made Easy
By now you should have found a program to handle all your converting needs. It’s often a rare case where one needs to convert from PDF to Word, making having to search for how to do it annoying.
Save yourself the future effort by bookmarking this article for next time! If you'll need just edit a few words, please check out our simple follow-along instructions on how to edit PDF files on Mac and Windows by using build-in tools, Adobe Acrobat, or other online PDF editors.