What is the difference between PDF to Text and PDF to TXT?

Same extraction, same destination — this page is about getting a .txt file specifically as your permanent, portable output.

Will images and tables convert?

Images no (TXT has none); table contents come through as text without the grid. Use table extraction tools for structured data.

Why is the TXT so much smaller than the PDF?

The PDF carries fonts, images and layout; the TXT carries only the characters.

Does a scanned PDF work?

Yes — free OCR recognizes the text first, then it saves as TXT.

PDF to TXT

Convert a PDF into a genuine .txt file — the most universal, permanent, lightweight document format computing has. Opens on everything from a phone to a 30-year-old terminal. Free with fair daily limits.

Free Encrypted Deleted in 1 hour

Works on text-based PDFs

Text-based PDFs only. Scanned or image-only files are not supported yet.

1
Uploading
Your file is securely uploaded.
2
Checking document text
We detect whether a text layer already exists.
3
Extracting data
Text-based content is extracted directly.
4
Preparing result
Your structured output is built.

Review extracted data

Review extracted data before using it for accounting, finance or business decisions.

1Upload
2Configure
3Download

Drag & drop your file here

or click to browse · Up to 15 MB

Select file

Accepted: PDF

256-bit SSL encrypted Auto-deleted in 1 hour

Your files are processed temporarily and deleted automatically — there is no general cloud storage. File deletion · OCR accuracy.

How to pdf to text

Simple steps — no software to install.

1
Upload the PDF
Digital converts directly; scans go through free OCR.
2
Convert
The text is extracted into a .txt file.
3
Download
A file that opens everywhere, forever.

Why use our PDF to Text

Secure & private

Files are encrypted in transit and deleted automatically after processing.

Fast results

Optimized processing returns your file in seconds.

Free to start

Core tools are free with daily limits — no install required.

Works anywhere

Runs in your browser on any device, anywhere in the world.

The case for .txt

TXT has no formatting to break, no version compatibility, no reader requirements — just characters. For archiving content, feeding software, or guaranteeing future readability, plain text is the honest choice.

What survives, what doesn't

Every word survives; bold, fonts, images and layout do not — that is the format's deal. Need structure kept? PDF to Word preserves formatting; PDF to Markdown keeps headings as markup.

Tiny files, huge documents

A 50MB image-heavy PDF\'s text may be 100KB as TXT — the content without the container. Scanned PDFs route through free OCR first. Files are processed temporarily and deleted automatically — there is no general cloud storage.

Pure .txt output
Universal compatibility
Tiny file sizes
Free with fair daily limits
Free OCR path for scans

Related tools

PDF to Text PDF to Markdown Text to PDF