How-to: 6 Ways to Save PDFs as Word Documents

By Roche | Follow | Updated on February 23, 2023 | Deutsch Français

Introduction:

According to the PDF Association, there are 2.6 trillion PDFs created each day. This figure convincingly demonstrates that PDFs are an essential file format. Even though, Microsoft Word documents still act as important digital files in daily communication simply because of their editability. Therefore, we may frequently need to convert from PDF to Word. Here comes the question: how to save a PDF as a Word document?

To streamline the PDF to Word conversion and thus improve working efficiency, this post will revolve around several free PDF to Word converters on Windows and Mac that readily save PDF as Word.

Windows: How to Save a PDF as a Word Document

Professional PDF software on the desktop is a good approach to converting a PDF to a Word doc for users who need to work on the Windows OS on a regular basis. Let’s dive into how to use SwifDoo PDF, Nitro PDF, and Microsoft Word to save a PDF as a Word document.

In this digital era, when most of us rely on PDFs to store information, an all-around PDF program is useful for addressing all PDF-related issues, for instance, PDF to Word conversion.

SwifDoo PDF

SwifDoo PDF is a PDF to Word converter that you can put into daily use on Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7. Its lightweight design makes access to the program faster and easier. With a clear user interface, users won't find themselves at the bottom of a deep learning curve when using.

Apart from this, the functionality makes it grow to be a comprehensive Windows-based PDF software program. OK, no more description, here’s how to convert PDF to Word on Windows:

Step 1: Download and install SwifDoo PDF on your PC;

Step 2: Run the software and click Convert > PDF to Word;

Step 3: Choose Add Files to upload your PDF files to the panel. SwifDoo PDF allows for batch conversion. Users can therefore import multiple PDF documents to the workstation;

Step 4: Hit the Start button to convert your PDFs to Word files.

If your PDF happens to be an image-only PDF and you need it to be an editable Word document, SwifDoo PDF’s OCR can identify the recognizable characters and make this PDF editable. In this way, the PDF to Word conversion results will become much more accurate.

SwifDoo PDF provides a longer trial period, and every new user is eligible for a 15-day free trial. During that period, all the features are open to both non-registered and registered users.

Nitro PDF

Nitro PDF is another all-in-one PDF service provider for Windows and macOS. Unlike the previous SwifDoo PDF, Nitro PDF is more appropriate for businesses as it integrates features related to team collaboration.

Nitro PDF enables users to convert PDF to Word, other MS Office formats (PowerPoint and Excel), PDF/A, rich text, and plain text. Follow the guide to learn how to save a PDF as a Word document with Nitro PDF.

Step 1: Download and install Nitro PDF on your computers;

Step 2: Start the program and click Convert > To Word;

Step 3: Choose Add Files to load up your PDF documents to the workplace. When ready, select Convert to initiate the PDF to Word conversion process.  

Generally, Nitro PDF is a comprehensive PDF to Word converter with a fast and smooth user experience. New users can get a 14-day free trial to see if it can meet the needs for a PDF converter. However, the installation process takes a long time, and it may crash occasionally, which is inconvenient during the review.

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Office may be the most used built-in office software. If you run MS Office 2007 or later versions on your PC, you are able to directly open a PDF in Word without using other PDF software. Even though it is not the ideal “Open with” method, it seems to be the most straightforward way to convert a PDF into a Word document. Check out how to save PDFs as Word files for free:

During the test, we used Microsoft Office 365 so the provided screenshots were from this version.

Step 1: Launch Microsoft Word. Click on the File tab in Word and choose Open > Browse to open a PDF in Word. Alternatively, users can press Ctrl + F12 to quickly launch the Open file dialogue;

Step 2: Find the PDF document from your local folder and then choose Open;

Step 3: Save the Word document locally by pressing F12 to open the Save As dialog box.

If you need to open a PDF in Word, make sure it doesn't have any fillable forms, too many pictures, or more than two layers, and that it wasn't created from PowerPoint.

How to Convert PDF to Word on Mac

Even if your MacBook includes an excellent inbuilt PDF viewer Preview, converting a PDF into a Word document seems tricky. The traditional way to copy text from a PDF proves to be out of date and riddled with errors, especially when the original PDF may contain more than a text-based layer. Therefore, how do we save a PDF as a Word document on Mac? Try Adobe Acrobat Pro DC for macOS.

Adobe Acrobat DC Reader

Step 1: Download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader from the App Store, and then open the PDF document that needs to be converted with Adobe. If you need to batch convert many PDFs at the same time, don’t forget to select Add Files to Export;

Step 2: Click File > Convert to Word, Excel, or PowerPoint;

Step 3: Choose Microsoft Word Document (*.docx) or Microsoft Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc) in the Convert To drop-down menu. Users can click on the Document Language to enhance text recognition if necessary.

Step 4: When ready, hit the Export to Word button to start the conversion.

As we mentioned before, Adobe Acrobat is a comprehensive PDF to Word converter on Windows, macOS, and mobile. Users can expect this tool to address different PDF-related issues. Of course, the App Store has many amazing PDF converters that perform PDF to Word conversions, such as Microsoft Word, Foxit PDF, PDF Expert, and PDFelement.

How to Convert PDF to Word Online

For anyone who needs to convert PDF to Word online for free with no email required, online PDF to Word converters may be the best solution so far. Most web-based PDF converters provide limited free tasks (maybe two or three) and require your file size and page number to be kept within a certain range.   

Google Drive

If you are searching for freeware to help with PDF to Word conversion, Google Drive may be worth a shot. First things first, let me be clear, Google Drive is a cloud service provider rather than a dedicated PDF converter. It primarily functions as a PDF to Word converter by integrating Google Docs. In a word, don’t be so picky when the conversion results may let you down; after all it is a free tool.

Let’s get to know how to save PDF as Word in Google Drive:

Step 1: Log in to Google Drive with your Google account;

Step 2: Open a PDF document directly and click on Open with Google Docs;

Step 3: When you are directed to a Google Docs page, your file has been successfully converted to PDF, but you still need to choose File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx).

Even if Google Drive or Google Docs is not a professional PDF editor, the conversion result can meet our basic demands. Don’t celebrate too early, however, in some cases, the conversion results may fail when your PDF contains images and rich content.

If it does, the formatting of your converted Word document will be disorganized and unaligned. This is definitely not what you want, isn't it? So, be sure to check what’s inside your document before you give Google Docs a try to save a PDF as a Word document.

How to Edit a PDF in Google Drive [November 2022]

How do you edit a PDF in Google Drive? Are you looking for the answer? The article demonstrates a freeway and advanced PDF editing option.

READ MORE >

Zamzar

This name might sound strange, but Zamzar should be credited as a mighty file converter. This is more than a free online PDF to Word converter, it can be used to convert video, audio, images, and eBook formats. With Zamzar, you can easily save PDF as Word (.doc or .docx).  

Step 1: Click Add Files to upload your local PDFs to the workstation;

Step 2: In the drop-down menu of Convert To, select doc or docx as the output format;

Step 3: Select Convert Now to finalize the conversion process.

As we said, Zamzar is a powerful file converter, which enables users to convert PDF to Microsoft Office formats, such as Word (.doc, .docx), Excel (.xls, .xlsx), PowerPoint (.pps, .ppsx, .ppt, .pptx). Furthermore, it can save PDF files as JPGs and other image formats (.png,.tiff,.bmp).

To handle documents in batches, Zamzar allows for a maximum of five concurrent conversions and two free conversion tasks every 24 hours. Once you exceed the limits, you need to upgrade your subscription to increase the limit. If you don’t regularly work with PDFs, two free tasks may be enough for you.

Given that it doesn’t cost you anything at all, Zamzar is a good Internet-based free PDF-to-Word converter.

In Closing

Although dedicated PDF programs are developed to help with PDF editing, some users may be inclined to save a PDF as a Word document for a smoother experience. We hope the mentioned PDF to Word converters are helpful to you. If you need a comprehensive PDF converter, SwifDoo PDF won’t let you down; just give it a try!