PDF – Portable Document Format
PDF is the standard format for documents that must look the same on every device. It preserves layout, fonts and images, but is difficult to edit.
More PDF conversionsDrop your PDF files here
or click to choose PDF files · up to 95MB each
How to convert PDF to TXT
- Choose your files. Click Select File or drag your PDF files into the upload box. You can add many at once.
- Pick the settings. TXT is already selected as the output format. The conversion starts as soon as a file is added.
- Download. Each file appears in the list when it is ready. Download them one by one, or all together with Download all.
Why convert PDF to TXT?
Extracting the plain text from a PDF lets you copy it into notes, search it, translate it or paste it somewhere without broken lines and hidden formatting.
When to keep the PDF
Keep the PDF for the formatted version with images, tables and fonts; the text file has words only.
Tips for the best result
- The text keeps the rough layout of each page, so columns and tables stay readable.
- The file is UTF-8, so accents and non-Latin scripts such as Urdu, Arabic and Chinese are preserved when the PDF contains real text.
- Images are skipped; only text is extracted.
Common problems and fixes
- The text file is empty.
- The PDF is a scan made of pictures. Getting text from it needs OCR, which this converter does not do.
- Words are joined or in a strange order.
- Some PDFs store text in an unusual order. Copying from the PDF reader may give a better result for those pages.
TXT – Plain Text
TXT holds plain unformatted text. Every device can open it, but it cannot store fonts, images or layout.
More TXT conversionsConverting PDF to TXT
- Images: one per page, several pages are downloaded as a ZIP.
Also available as PDF to Word Converter, which accepts PDF files.
Related guide
- How to convert PDF to Word and keep the formattingGet an editable Word file from a PDF: which PDFs convert well, why layouts change, how to fix tables and columns, and what to do with scanned PDFs.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work with Urdu or Arabic PDFs?
Yes, if the PDF contains real text rather than images. Right-to-left text is saved as it is stored in the PDF.
Can I open the TXT on my phone?
Yes. Plain text opens in any notes or file app.
How do I convert PDF to TXT?
Click Select File or drop your PDF file onto the upload box. The converted TXT appears in the list below with a download button. You can add many files at once and download them together as a ZIP.
Is it really free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. To keep the service available for everyone there is a 95MB limit per file and a cap on how many files one connection can process in a short period.
Are my files stored?
Your upload is used only to make the converted file. Images are processed in memory; other files are written to a private temporary folder that is deleted as soon as the conversion finishes. Nothing is kept after the result has been sent back.
Will quality drop?
For images, a little, by design: the image is re-encoded at the Quality you choose (default 75%). Audio and video are re-encoded with high-quality settings; documents keep their text and layout as far as the target format allows. Converting never restores detail that is already missing from the original.
How this works: your file is uploaded over HTTPS and converted on this server with open-source engines (libvips for images, FFmpeg for audio and video, LibreOffice and Pandoc for documents, Calibre for ebooks, Ghostscript and Inkscape for PDF and vector files). Images are processed in memory; other files use a private temporary folder that is deleted as soon as the conversion finishes.