Convert PDF to Text Online
Extract text from any PDF in your browser — free, private, and no sign-up.
Drop your pdf here or
Extract text from one PDFHow to Extract Text from a PDF with IronFreeTools
Upload PDF
Choose one PDF file from your device or drag and drop it into the upload area.
Extract Text
Click Process Now to extract embedded page text from the PDF.
Download TXT
Your extracted text is ready.
Download it as a plain text file.
Go Beyond one-off PDF Text Extraction with IronPDF for C#/.NET
Extract text from entire PDFs or from specific pages in your C# and .NET applications with IronPDF, including password-protected documents.
Need text extraction inside your own app? IronPDF lets you pull text from PDFs programmatically in C#/.NET, with no manual copy-paste.
Related tools
Explore more toolsPNG to PDF
Turn one or more PNG images into a clean PDF document right in your browser.
JPG to PDF
Combine JPG or JPEG images into a single PDF document in a few clicks.
HEIC to PDF
Convert HEIC or HEIF images into a single PDF document.
DOCX to PDF
Convert Word DOCX documents into readable PDF files directly in your browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about converting PDF to text
What does PDF to Text do?
PDF to Text extracts selectable text from a PDF and downloads it as a TXT file.
How do I convert a PDF to text for free?
Upload your PDF, click Process Now, and download the extracted text as a TXT file. The converter is completely free — no sign-up, no watermarks, and no limits.
Can I export the text into Word or another editor?
Yes. The output is a plain TXT file, so you can open it in any editor or paste the text into Word, Google Docs, a spreadsheet, or a script.
Does it preserve layout?
No. The output is plain text from the PDF text layer, so complex layout, columns, tables, and visual spacing may not be preserved.
Does this use OCR?
No. This tool extracts existing embedded text. Scanned image-only PDFs need OCR before text can be extracted.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Text extraction runs locally in your browser using pdf.js, so your PDF stays on your device.
Can I extract text from multiple PDFs at once?
This page currently processes one PDF at a time so each text file maps clearly to one document.
Can I extract text from password-protected PDFs?
Encrypted or password-protected PDFs need to be unlocked before text can be extracted.
Will formatting like bold or font size be preserved?
No. The output is plain text and does not preserve fonts, sizes, colors, or rich formatting.
Do I need an account?
No. PDF to Text is free to use without sign-up, login, or installation.
Is this tool completely free?
Yes. You can extract PDF text for free with no watermarks.
What are the key benefits?
Extract embedded PDF text Download plain TXT output Process files in your browser No account required Keep the original PDF unchanged.