Convert PDF to Text.
Extract clean text from any PDF. Digital PDFs are read instantly; scanned PDFs are OCR’d automatically — no empty output.
Digital vs scanned PDFs
There are really two kinds of PDF. A digital PDF — exported from Word, a browser or a design tool — carries a real text layer, so the words are extracted instantly and exactly. A scanned PDF is just a picture of a page, with no text underneath. This converter detects which is which and runs OCR automatically on the scans, so you never get an empty file back.
What you get
The output is plain text with the formatting stripped away — ideal for searching, copy-paste, word counts, or feeding into an AI tool. If you need the layout, headings and tables kept, use PDF to Word instead.
A word on OCR accuracy
Clean scans read very accurately. Low-resolution images, unusual fonts, heavy formatting or handwriting are harder and can introduce the odd mistake — that's the nature of OCR, not a paywall. For the most knowledge out of a document, hand the text to TranscriptAI for a summary and notes.
How it works
- 01
Upload your PDF
Drop a file or pick one from your device. Private by default.
- 02
Read with OCR
Tesseract, a best-in-class open-source OCR engine, reads the text — no paid API in the loop.
- 03
Download or hand off
Grab your Text, or open it in TranscriptAI to do more.
Accurate Tesseract 5 OCR (LSTM)
Scanned documents handled automatically
Private uploads, auto-deleted after 1 hour
No watermark, no signup to try
Free and open-source engine
Direct handoff to TranscriptAI
How PDF to text works
Text-based PDFs have their text pulled out directly, so the .txt is exact. Scanned, image-only PDFs fall back to on-device OCR — very good, but not perfect on faint scans or complex multi-column layouts.
Your file is ready. Want to do more with it?
Open this file in TranscriptAI to generate a transcript, summary, structured notes, flashcards, quiz questions or action items — automatically.
Common questions
Is it free?+
Yes — convert PDF to Text free. No signup, no watermark, no daily cap.
Is my file private?+
Uploads go to a private bucket, are converted, and auto-delete after 1 hour. Files never touch a third-party converter.
Does it handle scans?+
Yes — scanned and photographed text is read with Tesseract OCR, so you get real text even when there's no digital text layer.
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