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PDF is one of the most used file formats over the Internet. However, PDF file is not editable by default and even in sometimes, you can not copy a single text from a PDF document because of data protection. On the contrary, Microsoft Word, another popular document type other than PDF, has no such issues.
That’s why a lot of folks are seeking effective ways to convert PDF to Word document. In our tutorial, we will share the best 7 methods you could find in 2023 to convert PDF to Word on a Mac. All of the desktop and online tools in this post are fully compatible with macOS Ventura and Apple Silicon Mac.
Why Converting a PDF to Word on Mac?
Converting PDF to Word on Mac allows users to edit the contents of a PDF document. This can be especially useful for editing text, formatting, and adding images. It also allows users to save the file in a format that is compatible with other applications, such as Microsoft Word. Additionally, converting PDFs to Word on Mac can help to reduce the file size, making it easier to share or store.
Does Mac Have a Built in PDF Converter?
Yes. Preview is a native PDF converter shipped with each macOS. However, it only supports seven file types, including HEIC, PDF, JPEG, JPEG-2000, PNG, TIFF and OpenEXR. That’s why a lot of third-party PDF converters come into help.
Can I Convert PDF to Word on Mac with Preview App?
Preview is a free application on every Mac computer. It is a powerful tool for viewing, editing, and converting images and PDFs. It can be used to quickly view images and PDFs, crop and rotate images, add annotations and signatures to PDFs, and even fill out PDF forms. With Preview, you can easily manage and organize your digital files.
Unfortunately, Preview is unable to convert PDF to Word on Mac, at least on macOS Big Sur, Monterey and Ventura. Word is not a file format supported Preview for export. Here is the screenshot:
Simply put, you have to install a 3rd-party PDF converter or online service to convert PDF to Word on a Mac.
How to Convert PDF to Word on a Mac Using Third-Party Software
A PDF converter is a type of software that allows users to convert PDF files into other file formats, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, and other image formats. PDF converters can also be used to create PDFs from other file formats. In here, we will show four best PDF converters to turn a PDF document into Word document.
1. PDFGeeker
PDFGeeker is a powerful and easy-to-use PDF conversion tool that can quickly and accurately convert PDF files to various popular formats, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, EPUB, and more. It also supports batch conversion and partial conversion, allowing users to convert multiple PDF files at once and select specific pages to convert. Here is how to convert PDF to Word on Mac using PDFGeeker:
1. Download and install PDFGeeker on Mac.
2. Double click the dmg file to open the installation wizard. Below is the main user interface of PDFGeeker. As you can see there are dozens of options you can choose from. At this time, click the ‘+‘ button at the top to add PDF files into the app.
3. As you can see, the default output format is docx so you don’t do additional settings for converting PDF to Word with PDFGeeker. Now, click the arrow icon to start the conversion.
4. Now, select a location to save the converted Word document. You can pick up any local folder to proceed. Wait sometime (depends on the pages to be converted) and the converted Word document appears at the folder you set previously. The original formatting in PDF remains the same in Word file.
Pros:
- Convert PDF to most common formats, such as Word, Excel, HTML, ePub and PowerPoint.
- Very fast conversion speed.
- Reduce size the of PDF file.
- The built-in OCR feature can directly turn scanned PDFs into editable texts.
Cons:
- Free trial can only convert PDF files.
2. Wondershare PDFelement for Mac
PDFelement for Mac is an all-in-one PDF conversion tool that enables you to convert PDF files to a wide range of other formats, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, EPUB, and images. It also allows you to edit, protect, and compress PDFs, as well as merge multiple PDFs into one. With PDFelement for Mac, you can easily convert PDFs to any format you need in order to make them easier to share, edit, and store. Currently, it supports the latest macOS Ventura as well as Monterey, Big Sur and Catalina.
Here is how to convert PDF to Word on Mac using PDF Converter Pro:
1. Download and install PDFelement for Mac from the official website.
2. Click the "Convert PDF" button to download PDF conversion plugin. After that, sign up a free account to use this app on Mac.
3. Go and find the PDF file you want to convert from local hard drive.
3. Select the output format as “Word (.docx)” from the drop-down list.
4. Click the “Convert” button to start the conversion process.
5. Once the conversion is complete, the output Word document will be saved in the same folder as the original PDF file.
Pros:
- Convert PDF to most common formats, such as Word, Excel, HTML, ePub and PowerPoint.
- Very fast conversion speed.
- Reduce size the of PDF file.
- The built-in OCR feature can directly turn scanned PDFs into editable texts.
- Merge multiple PDFs into a big one.
- Add custom watermark to PDF.
- Encrypt PDF with strong password.
- Support more than 10 languages.
Cons:
- A bit complicated to set up the app right on Mac.
- Free trial can only convert two pages of PDF.
3. Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is a professional PDF tool developed by Adobe Systems that allows users to create, convert, edit, and manage PDF (Portable Document Format) files. It is the most widely used PDF software in the world. In addition, Adobe Acrobat is also used to create and manage digital signatures and forms. Adobe Acrobat is available for both Windows and Mac computers.
Here is how to convert PDF document to Word on Mac using Adobe Acrobat:
1. Open Adobe Acrobat on your Mac.
2. Click on the "Tools" tab at the top of the window.
3. Select "Export PDF" from the list of tools.
4. Choose "Word" as the format you want to convert the PDF to.
5. Click "Export" and select a location to save the converted file.
6. Click "Save" to finish the conversion.
Pros:
- Built in with powerful and advanced features that other software fail to provide.
- Create professional-looking documents.
- Easy to use and offers a variety of options for customizing documents.
- Compatible with a variety of operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and Linux.
- Secure and reliable, making it a great choice for sensitive documents.
Cons:
- Monthly/yearly based pricing model (No one-time payment).
- Can’t download the software without filling out payment information.
- User interface is out of date.
- Consume more computing resources when using this app on Mac.
4. Nitro PDF Pro ($129.99)
Nitro PDF Pro is a powerful PDF editing and creation software that allows you to easily create, edit, convert, sign, and share PDFs. It provides a full suite of features to help you work with PDFs, including the ability to create, edit, and convert PDFs from other formats, combine multiple documents into one PDF, add text and images, and more. It also offers advanced features such as password protection, digital signature support, and the ability to compare two versions of a PDF. Nitro PDF Pro is an ideal solution for businesses and individuals who need to work with PDFs on a regular basis.
Here is how to convert PDF to Word on Mac with Nitro PDF Pro:
1. Launch Nitro PDF Pro and open the PDF file you want to convert on a Mac.
2. Go to the File menu and choose "Export".
3. From the pop-up window, select the output format. In this case, it is Word Document.
4. Select the location where you want to save the converted file and click "Save".
5. Wait for the conversion to complete and then open the converted Word file.
Pros:
- Easy to use with a clean and intuitive user interface.
- Highly customizable with a wide range of features.
- Support a variety of output formats, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more.
- Come with dozens of PDF editing modules.
- Secure and protect PDFs with passwords and digital signatures.
- Able to create PDF forms with fillable fields.
- Add comments, annotations, and notes to PDFs.
- Extract text and images from PDFs.
Cons:
- The price is very expensive.
- Free demo can not convert PDF to word.
- Some features may require additional plugins or programs.
- Not be compatible with some older versions of macOS.
How to Convert PDF to Word on a Mac without Software (Online Service)
A online PDF converter is a web-based application that allows users to convert a PDF file into another file format, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, or image formats such as JPEG, PNG, and TIFF. It is a convenient tool for quickly converting PDFs into other file formats without the need to install any software.
1. Google Docs (Free)
Google Docs is a free online document editor that allows you to create, edit, and share documents with others. It is part of the Google Drive suite of applications, which also includes Google Sheets for spreadsheets and Google Slides for presentations. With Google Docs, you can create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations from any computer or mobile device with an internet connection. You can also collaborate with others in real-time, share documents, and access them from any device. Google Docs is a great tool for creating and sharing documents quickly and easily.
How to convert PDF to Word online for Mac with Google Docs:
1. Go to Google Drive (drive.google.com) in a web browser on Mac and upload the PDF to it.
2. Right click on the PDF file and open with Google Docs.
3. Wait a few seconds to let Google Docs fully load the imported PDF file.
4. Go to the File menu and choose "Download" tab, where you can export this document into Microsoft Word.
5. The Word document will be downloaded to your Mac automatically.
Pros:
- Easy to use and accessible from device with an internet connection.
- 100% Free.
- A great set of features for collaboration, including real-time editing, commenting, and chat.
- Secure and offers a variety of privacy settings.
Cons:
- No batch convert.
- Can be slow and unresponsive at times.
- Lack support for popular formats, such as Excel/PowerPoint/JPG.
2. PDF2GO (Free)
PDF2GO is a free online PDF editor that allows you to quickly and easily edit, convert, compress, merge, split, and protect PDF files. With PDF2GO, you can easily add text, images, signatures, and other annotations to your PDF documents. You can also convert PDFs to other formats, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. pdf2go also offers a range of tools to help you protect your documents, including password protection, encryption, and digital signatures.
How to convert PDF to Word online for Mac with PDF2GO:
1. Go to the PDF2Go website (https://www.pdf2go.com/pdf-to-word)
2. Click the “Choose File” button and upload the PDF you want to convert. This will take 1-2 minutes. It depends on how large the PDF is.
3. Once the file is uploaded successfully, click the "Start" button to convert PDF to Word. The word document will be downloaded to your Mac when the conversion is completed.
Pros:
- Totally free (no page limits).
- No need to download any software.
- Support all versions of macOS.
Cons:
- Must upload the PDF file to their server. This may bring up severe privacy issue.
- Upload speed is very slow.
- Some of formatting in PDF is corrupted or broken in the output Word document.
3. SmallPDF (Free)
SmallPDF is a free online PDF converter that allows you to convert and edit PDF files. With SmallPDF, you can easily convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG, and many other file formats. You can also edit PDFs, merge multiple PDFs together, split PDFs into multiple files, and compress PDFs.
1. Go to SmallPDF PDF Converter page (https://smallpdf.com/pdf-converter) and click the “CHOOSE FILES” button.
2. Upload the PDF file you want to convert. Once this is done, it will ask you to choose an output format.
3. Click the “Convert” button and wait for the conversion to finish.
4. Download the converted Word document.
Pros:
- Come with a very navigate user interface.
- Free to use.
- Powered by one of the world’s best PDF engines.
Cons:
- Can’t convert PDF file larger than 50 MB.
- Can’t read scanned PDFs.
- Take more time to upload the PDF file.
- PDF file will be saved on their server and this is not secure.
Video Tutorial: How To Convert PDF To Word On Mac in 2023
Summary
From our continuous testing, we found out TunesBro PDFGeeker (Mac Version) is the best PDF to Word converter. It is a dedicated PDF converter with fast conversion engine and great quality. Most importantly, the price is very cheap comparting to its competitors.
However, if you need more advanced functions such as OCR, please go with other premium PDF converters instead.
Lastly, only go with online PDF converters if the content in that PDF is not important. Although they are free and easy to use, it is highly risky to upload sensitive content to an unknown server.