PDF to Text Online Free
Extract all text from any PDF file instantly. Native PDFs are extracted exactly — scanned PDFs are automatically run through OCR so every page yields its text.
Drop your PDF file here
or click to browse — .PDF supported
PDF · Max 50 MB free · Up to 200 MB with Pro
document.pdf
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No account required · Files processed securely and deleted in 24h
Extracting Text…
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Text Extracted!
Text successfully extracted from your PDF.
Extracted Text Preview
Unlock Pro — batch extraction, CSV/JSON/XLSX output, files up to 200 MB
Table detection · Column-aware extraction · Multi-language OCR
How It Works
Get plain text from any PDF in seconds
Upload Your PDF
Upload any PDF up to 50 MB. Native text PDFs and scanned image PDFs are both fully supported — OCR runs automatically on scanned pages.
Choose Output Options
Download as a .txt file or preview inline and copy-paste. Toggle page break markers, blank line cleanup, and reading order preservation.
Download or Copy Text
Download a clean .txt file or copy the text directly from the inline preview. All formatting is preserved with paragraph and page breaks.
Features
Accurate text extraction from any PDF type
Native PDF Extraction
For PDFs with embedded text (most modern PDFs), extraction is instant and perfectly accurate — every character from the source file is preserved.
Auto OCR for Scanned PDFs
Scanned PDFs are automatically detected and processed through OCR. The extracted text is formatted the same as native extraction — no extra steps needed.
Preview & Copy Inline
Use the inline preview mode to read the extracted text directly in your browser, select any portion, or copy the entire content to your clipboard.
Download as .txt
Download the extracted content as a UTF-8 encoded plain text file. Compatible with any text editor, word processor, or script.
Reading Order Preserved
Multi-column layouts, sidebars, and complex page structures are detected and the text is output in logical reading order, not raw position order.
100% Private & Secure
Your PDF is encrypted in transit, processed in an isolated container, and deleted within 24 hours. We never read or retain your document content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some PDFs use custom font encoding or obfuscated character maps — this is intentional DRM in some documents. If the text appears as random characters, try enabling "Force OCR" in the options, which re-reads the page as an image and applies character recognition instead of using the embedded text stream.
If the PDF is owner-locked (print restrictions only), text extraction usually still works. If the PDF requires a password to open, you'll need to unlock it first using the Unlock PDF tool, then extract the text.
For simple tables, column text is extracted in reading order with tab separators. Complex multi-column layouts are detected automatically. Pro users get dedicated table extraction to CSV or XLSX that preserves the row/column structure exactly.