We’ve found several completely free programs and online services that can get the job done.
Someprograms let you edit a PDFwithout converting it.
Adobe’s Convert to PDF Tool
Arguably the most trustworthy converter to retain formatting.
Conversion illustration from Word document to PDF.Midnight Studio / Getty Images
No extra tweaks in the way; just a simple converter.
Works online in your web app.
Integrates with the free online version of Word.
Must sign in after the first conversion.
As the makers of the PDF format, it seems appropriate to include Adobe in this list.
UniPDF
Intuitive, easy-to-use interface.
Accurately converts PDFs with lots of graphics.
Multi-page documents convert successfully.
Can’t convert PDF to DOCX.
Loses complex text formatting in conversion.
Limited to three conversions per day.
UniPDF is a free PDF to Word converter, and easily the best one we’ve tried.
It works in Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.
PDF Candy
Import from your rig, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
Works quickly; starts the conversion immediately.
Unregistered users are limited to one task per every hour.
You’re given only two hours to download the file.
After uploading a PDF, it will immediately begin converting to DOCX.
Shortly after, it’ll provide a download link.
PDFMate’s PDF to Word Converter
Convert multiple PDFs at the same time.
OCR to convert scanned PDFs to editable files.
Prompts you to buy full version before every conversion.
Limits OCR conversion to three pages.
The program is remarkably simple, with zero options other than to change the output folder.
In our tests, it did a great job retaining nearly all of the proper formatting and color.
However, that limitation may not be a concern if you only need to convert small documents.
FreeFileConvert
Online converter; doesn’t require a software download.
Conversion process is simple.
Uploads files as large as 300 MB.
Supports lots of other useful output formats.
Limited to five files at a time.
Download links expire after 24 hours.
Can’t upload or download in bulk.
In total, this service supports several thousand different conversion combinations.
Since this PDF to DOCX converter runs in a online window, it works with all operating systems.
PDFtoDOCX.com
Runs entirely online.
Zero extra options to cause confusion.
Bulk conversions, up to 20 PDFs.
Bulk downloads, to ZIP.
Must download it within the hour, or it’s deleted.
PDF must exist on your machine, since that’s the only upload source supported.
Zamzar
No sign-in necessary.
Converts to the newer DOCX.
Works online through a internet tool.
50 MB upload size limit.
Doesn’t always work quickly.
Limited to two conversions per 24-hour-period.
Zamzar also supports converting PDF to image, eBook, CAD, and web formats.
Bulk downloading isn’t allowed.
Filestar
Clean design that’s easy to use.
Lots of other features.
Filestar is an amazing free file converter that supports tons of file conversions, including PDF to DOCX.
What sets this program apart from the others in this list is its “trigger folder” feature.
After you set it up, any PDF you throw into the folder will automatically convert to DOCX.
Filestar can also extract images from a PDF, merge PDFs, set a password, and more.
Unfortunately, the free version is missing some features.
The program runs on Windows and macOS.
