LightPDF Review: Easily Convert PDFs to Word Documents

The main reason people want to convert a PDF to a Word document is so that they can edit it. PDF editors are usually paid software, and those that do offer this option for free will usually add a watermark on the resulting files. If you want to avoid that, the easiest solution is to use a tool like LightPDF to convert your PDF files to Word documents. We recently had the chance to test this service out, and you can find our impressions below.

This is a sponsored article and was made possible by LightPDF. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author who maintains editorial independence, even when a post is sponsored.

Getting Started with LightPDF

LightPDF is an online tool, so you won’t have to download yet another program on your computer! It works well in any browser, provided that you have a stable Internet connection. On the other hand, LightPDF also offers a desktop app for Windows that includes the option to convert files to PDF, as well as editing capabilities. However, to save your work, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid tier.

The best thing about the online LightPDF is that it can convert multiple files at once to optimize your workflow, although you’ll need to pay a small fee to take advantage of it. For individual files, this option is free to use, as are additional converters and PDF editing tools.

One thing we’d like to point out is that, while this is an online service, you’ll need to upload your files to the company’s cloud where the conversion takes place. However, LightPDF claims that it doesn’t touch your files in any way.

Converting Your Files with LightPDF

Converting your PDFs is a breeze with LightPDF. Just drop or upload your files into the tool. If you forgot to add a file, don’t worry, as you can quickly add the missing one by using the “+Add Files” button in the next step.

You’re given the choice to “Convert directly,” which means scanned pages will be images, or “Recognition for OCR,” where scanned pages will be converted to editable text.

Depending on the length of your PDF and the option you’ve selected above, the conversion process can take between a few seconds and a few minutes. Once the process is complete, click on the “Download” button to save your converted PDF to your device. You can use the online LightPDF converter on Windows, Mac, and Linux, as well as Android & iOS (via a mobile browser.)

In our experience, the results were very accurate. Even in cases where the PDFs contained tables, graphics, or images, LightPDF did a good job at transcribing the PDF into a Word document. Both of the modes mentioned above produced editable results. We also noticed very few glitches in formatting, which is pretty impressive.

Once you’ve made your edits to the converted .DOCX file, you can save the file back to PDF directly from Word. If you don’t want to do that for some reason, you can go back to LightPDF and use the reverse tool Word to PDF and convert the .DOCX back to its original format.

Additional Tools

The PDF to Word converter is just one of the many tools offered online by LightPDF. All are free to access, which is fantastic. On top of the host of PDF convertors (and their reverse), users can take advantage of LightPDF’s editing tools, such as Watermark PDF, Split PDF, and more.

The PDF Editor will let you edit the text in a PDF on the spot, although we found this function to be hit or miss with some of the PDFs we tried. Some parts of the text were just unavailable for editing. Additional options include annotating a PDF and adding a signature.

There are also tools for compressing your PDFs, as well as protecting your documents, by using various security options, such as encrypting your files with a password.

Pricing

While all of these online tools are available for free, if you want to have access to batch processing, you’ll need to purchase a VIP subscription. This also lifts a few restrictions free users might have to deal with, such as the maximum file size going from 20MB to 1GB. You will also be able to upload unlimited files to the cloud, as opposed to just 30, and have full access to batch processing.

For personal use, LightPDF comes with a $19.90 subscription billed monthly or $59.90 billed annually. For business clients, subscriptions start at $79.95 per year.

Closing Thoughts

LightPDF is super convenient to have around, especially for users who juggle multiple documents from different sources every day. It’s intuitive and, for the most part, free. Since it’s an online tool, you’re not really bound to your PC to use it. A smartphone can easily do the trick.