How to choose a PDF to TXT tool: Comparison between online and software

Key points of this article

First determine whether the PDF is a digital version or a scan: If you can select text, it is a digital version. The quality of direct extraction is stable, and the scanned document must be OCRed first.
Online conversion is suitable for small amounts of non-confidential files, subject to file size limits, page limits and whether registration is required.
Desktop software is more controllable when processing long and sensitive documents, but you have to check whether columns, headers, footers, and tables are disrupted.
TXT only retains pure text, tables, formulas and pictures will be lost. Important content must be checked paragraph by paragraph after conversion.

Converting PDF to TXT seems to be just a one-step operation, but in fact many people are stuck on the first step: which tool to choose. The results of online conversion websites, desktop software, office software save as, and OCR in the editor may vary greatly. In a 30-page paper, some sections are translated with the paragraphs in normal order, some have two columns of text interleaved and stitched together, and some have no line at all.

This article is written for people who need to get pure text quickly, such as readers who want to organize document abstracts, put contract terms into other systems, or prepare input materials for AI tools. After reading this, you should be able to judge which method is suitable for your file, know what points to check after the transfer, and where OmniDoc's web and desktop versions fit in this choice.

How to choose the method of converting PDF to TXT? One sentence conclusion

First look at whether the file is a digital version or a scanned copy, and then look at the sensitivity and length of the file. These two conditions can basically determine which method to use. Digital versions of ordinary documents can be converted online. For sensitive or very long documents, local software is preferred. Scanned documents must be OCRed first.

your situation	Recommended practices	reason
Digital version, a few pages, non-confidential	Online conversion website	The operation is fast, no installation is required, and the results can usually be copied and used directly.
Digital version, more than dozens of pages, or containing sensitive content such as contracts	Desktop software or local processing	Files do not have to be uploaded to a third party, and long files are less subject to restrictions
Scan or photo version	OCR first, then export text	There is no text layer in the scanned document, and direct conversion will only result in blank or garbled characters.
Tables and formulas need to be retained	Convert to Word or Excel first, then process	TXT cannot save table structure, intermediate format can retain more information
Only one paragraph is needed	Select and copy directly	Digital PDF Copying a section of text is cleaner than converting the entire text

What are the different methods?

Online conversion website

Online conversion sites usually let you upload a file and the server returns a TXT download after it completes the extraction. Its advantage is that it does not need to be installed and can be used by opening a web page. It is suitable for occasionally transferring one or two files. The shortcomings are also obvious: most websites have limits on file size and page count. If the limit is exceeded, an error will be reported or only the first part will be processed. Uploading files to someone else's server is a problem for contracts, medical records, and unpublished research materials.

There are several things to look at for free online conversion: whether there is a file size limit, whether registration is required, whether there are watermarks or advertisements in the output results, and whether the rules for saving and deleting files are stated. This information can help you judge whether a tool can be used better than the word "free".

Browser plug-ins and desktop office software

Some browser plug-ins can export text directly in the reader, eliminating the upload step. Desktop office software can usually open the PDF and save it as plain text, but when opening it, the content of the two columns may be stitched together by row, or the separation of the header and footer may be lost. This method is suitable for situations where the file itself has a simple structure and only contains text.

Local desktop software

The local desktop software completes the extraction on your own computer, the files do not need to be uploaded, and long files are relatively stable. The price is that it requires installation, and the setting items and operation methods vary from software to software, so it takes some time to get familiar with it. This category is usually more appropriate if you are dealing with a report of several hundred pages, or if the content cannot be transmitted externally.

Web and desktop versions of OmniDoc

OmniDoc's web client (omnidoc.top) supports uploading PDF (including digital and scanned versions), Word, PowerPoint, Excel, EPUB and Markdown formats for document translation. The output can be bilingual or translated only. The focus of this function is translation, not exporting plain text, so if your goal is only TXT, web-side translation is not a direct solution.

OmniDoc desktop PDF editor provides OCR scans, export to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and other functions. For scans, the common route is to do OCR on the desktop first, then export to Word, and then save as plain text in Word. This adds one more step, but allows you to check the text recognition results in an intermediate step.

📊 Core comparison

The following is a comparison based on processing methods and several key dimensions. There is a huge difference between the digital version and the scanned version, so it will be clearer to see them separately.

Contrast dimension	Online conversion website	Desktop software / local processing	OmniDoc desktop side (exported after OCR)
Whether the file needs to be uploaded	Usually required	No need	No need
Scanning part processing	Most of them need extra OCR, and the effect varies.	Depends on the software	Provide OCR, you can check the recognition result first.
Page count and size limit	Common limits beyond the need to split	It is generally affected by computer performance.	Based on the actual use.
Column and header footer	It is easy to put together and needs to be sorted out manually.	Related to specific software	After transferring to Word, you can check it in the intermediate steps.
Check cost	High, and the results should be compared step by step when the results are unexpected.	Depending on the layout complexity	Medium, spot check identification errors after OCR

# which method is suitable for you?

if you want to transfer a few pages of digital articles

Directly use online conversion, turn to spot check the beginning, middle and end of each paragraph, confirm that the order and punctuation are normal.

if your documents contain contracts, medical records or undisclosed research data

Priority is given to local processing, and do not upload files to websites that do not understand the storage rules.

if you get a scanned copy or photographic version of PDF

First try to select the text in the reader. If it is not selected, it means that there is no text layer, and you need to do OCR first, and then convert it.

if you need to keep the form or formula

Do not transfer to TXT directly. First transfer the Word or Excel to retain the structure, then extract the desired content, and copy the table data if necessary.

if you have to deal with hundreds of pages of long files

Select local software and process it in segments to avoid uploading more than the page limit of the site at one time.

# how to do it in OmniDoc

Open omnidoc.top and upload your PDF, digital version or scanned version.

two. If you need a translation, choose a bilingual control or a translation only, and wait for the result to be downloaded after the processing is completed.

If you need plain text, first download the OmniDoc desktop (download.omnidoc.top) and open the file with the PDF editor in it.
OCR the scanned piece to check that the text identified is correct, especially numbers, people's names and technical terms.
Export the results as a Word file, save them as plain text in Word, and then check the column and paragraph order.

# frequently asked questions (FAQ)

1. How to tell whether the PDF is scanned or not?

Drag and select a passage with the mouse in the reader. Can be selected and copied, indicating that there is a text layer, belonging to the digital version; not selected, or selected is a whole picture, usually a scanned piece.

2. What about the garbled TXT result of online conversion?

First confirm the encoding of the TXT and reopen it in UTF-8 with a text editor. If the garbled code is the scanned piece, the problem is that there is no text layer, so you need to do OCR first.

3. What is the reason for the disorder of paragraphs after conversion?

Mostly because the original text is double-column or multi-column typesetting, the extraction tool reads by line, and the text of the left and right columns are interlaced and spliced. In this case, either extract by column, or transfer to Word and then sort it out.

4. Do you need to check the converted TXT manually?

Yes. Both machine extraction and OCR can make errors, especially numbers, units, formulas, and person names. Important contents, such as the contract amount and the data in the paper, should be compared with the original text one by one.

5. What conditions should a free PDF-to-TXT tool look at?

Look at the file size and page limit, whether there is a watermark, whether registration is required, file save and deletion rules, and whether the output retains paragraphs. These items are a better indication of whether the tool is suitable for your document than the slogan.

# Summary

There is no general optimal solution from PDF to TXT, the key is to judge whether the document is digital or scanned first, and then look at the sensitivity and length. Simple digital version can be converted online, long files or sensitive files are more suitable for local processing, and scanned parts should be OCR first. No matter which way is used, it should be checked by spot check after the conversion.

Open OmniDoc and export the PDF content as an editable file