PDF to Text
Extract all the text from a PDF into a clean .txt file. All processing happens locally — your file never leaves your device.
Upload a PDF to extract text
or drop your file here
// Benefits
Extract PDF text without uploading to a server
Upload locally and download a plain-text file instantly.
Clean plain text
Get just the words — no formatting, ready to reuse.
Privacy-first
All extraction happens in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.
Page selection
Optionally extract only the pages you need.
// Workflow
How PDF-to-text fits into document work
Common uses: copying quotes, feeding text to other tools, accessibility, and search.
- 1
Upload a PDF.
- 2
Optionally enter a page range.
- 3
Download the extracted .txt file.
PDF to Text FAQ
How do I convert a PDF to text?
Drag your PDF into the upload box or click "Choose PDF" to pick a file from your device. The tool reads the text out of it and lets you download a plain .txt file. If you only want certain pages, you can enter a page range first. No sign-up and no software install.
How does it actually work?
It opens the PDF in your browser with pdf.js and pulls out the existing text layer page by page, in reading order. It reads the characters that are already stored in the file as text — it does not re-type or re-recognize anything. Then it stitches the pages together into one .txt file you can download.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything runs entirely in your browser on your own device. Your PDF is never uploaded to a server and never leaves your device — there's nothing to delete on our end because we never receive it. You can even disconnect from the internet after the page loads and it'll still work.
Is there a file size limit?
There's no fixed limit we impose. Since the work happens locally, the practical ceiling is your device's memory and patience — very large or image-heavy PDFs use more RAM and take longer. Most everyday documents process in a second or two; a huge multi-hundred-page file on a phone may be slow or run out of memory.
What does the output look like?
You get a clean plain-text .txt file with just the words. Formatting is not preserved — fonts, colors, bold/italic, columns, tables, and exact layout are all dropped. It's meant for copying quotes, feeding text into other tools, search, or accessibility, not for recreating the original page design.
I got an empty or partial file — what happened?
The most common cause is a scanned or image-only PDF. If your PDF is really a picture of a page (a scan or a photo), it has no text layer to extract, so nothing comes out. Those need OCR first to turn the image into real text. A few other PDFs store text in unusual or compressed ways that aren't cleanly selectable, which can give garbled or missing characters — a quick test is to open the PDF in a normal viewer and try to select text with your mouse. If you can't select it there, this tool can't extract it either.
Is it free?
Yes, completely free. Because the extraction happens in your browser there's no server cost, so you can convert as many PDFs as you like with no account, no watermark, and no limits.
Don't take our word for it — verify it
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your file never leaves your device — it isn't uploaded to any server.
Check for yourself: open your browser's developer tools (F12, or right-click → Inspect) → the Network tab → then run this tool. You won't see your file uploaded anywhere, because the work happens locally on your device.
// Recommended reading
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Continue ->Help and FAQ
Understand uploads, privacy-first handling, local processing, AI limits, and supported formats.
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