Convert PDF to text: get the words out as a TXT file
Need just the words, without the layout? PDFZyro takes the text out of a PDF and saves it as a plain .txt file you can open anywhere, search, paste into another app or feed to your own scripts. Scanned pages can be read with text recognition on the way.
Free plan with no time limit. Pro free for 7 days, no card needed.
How to convert a PDF to text
Choose the PDF
Pick the document from your library or upload it, and open PDF to text.
Pick pages and OCR
Convert all pages or only some. For a scan, tick Recognize text in scanned pages and choose the document's language.
Download the .txt
Click Convert to text. The .txt file downloads by itself when it's ready.
Plain text, done properly
UTF-8 plain text
A .txt file in UTF-8, so accents and other alphabets come through, and any editor, spreadsheet or script can read it.
Page by page
Each page's text follows the previous one, separated by a page-break (form feed) character, so you can still tell where each page ends.
Scans too
Text recognition (OCR) reads scanned pages during the conversion, in the language you choose, without changing the PDF itself.
Only the pages you need
Type pages such as 1-3, 7 to take the text of part of a long document, up to 300 pages at a time.
Nothing but text
Pictures, fonts and layout are left out, which makes a small file that's easy to search, quote or process.
Private by design
Encrypted and private
Every file is encrypted before it's stored, and only you and the people you share with can open it.
Your original stays safe
Every change is saved as a new version. The original is never changed, and you can restore it at any time.
No watermarks
Files you save never get a watermark, on any plan, including the free one.
Works in your browser
Nothing to install. Use it on Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebooks, iPhone, iPad and Android.
Questions and answers
How do I convert a PDF to a text file?
Open PDF to text in PDFZyro, choose the PDF and click Convert to text. A .txt file with the document's text downloads when it's ready.
Why is my text file empty?
The PDF is probably a scan: a picture of text with no real text in it. Convert again with Recognize text in scanned pages ticked, or make the PDF searchable with OCR first.
Is PDF to TXT better than copying the text?
It gives you the same words, but for the whole document or the pages you choose in one go, as a file, instead of selecting and copying page by page.
Will tables and columns keep their layout?
Not exactly: a text file has no columns or tables, so the words come out line by line. For tables, use PDF to Excel; for an editable document with headings and tables, use PDF to Word.
Does converting change my PDF?
No. The text file is a new download and the PDF stays as it is. Text recognized during the conversion isn't saved into the PDF; use Make searchable (OCR) if you want a searchable copy.
Is PDF to text free?
Yes. The Free plan includes 3 edit, convert, compress or OCR tasks a day, with files up to 50 MB, and never adds a watermark. Pro removes the daily limit and is free to try for 7 days, with no card needed.
Related tools
- PDF to WordTurn a PDF into an editable Word document.
- OCR PDFMake scanned PDFs searchable and editable.
- PDF to ExcelTurn PDF tables into spreadsheets you can calculate with.
- Extract PDF pagesCopy the pages you choose into one new PDF.
Switching from another app? Adobe Acrobat alternative · Foxit PDF Editor alternative · Smallpdf alternative · iLovePDF alternative
Just the words, ready to use
Create a free account in under a minute. No card needed, and no watermarks on anything you save.
Convert PDF to text free