Convert PDF to TXT online and extract all the text, with table columns kept aligned. Upload files up to 20GB and download the converted result in a few clicks.
Convert TXT to PDFDrag & Drop your PDF file here
PDF files, up to 20GB
Files stay private.
Automatically deleted after 24 hours.
Link
20GB upload limit.
4.8/5
Trusted for 1,827,796+ conversions
HOW IT WORKS
Three steps, no account, nothing to install.
01
Add your PDF
Drag and drop or upload the PDF you want as plain text. PDFs made on a computer and scans with a searchable text layer both work.
02
Extract the text
Keep TXT as the output format and start the conversion. The text is read page by page, and multi-column pages are put back in reading order.
03
Download the TXT
Download a UTF-8 .txt file that opens in any text editor, with a blank line between pages.
PDF is a fixed-layout document format designed to preserve a page's appearance across devices. It is used for reports, papers, forms, bank statements and invoices. Most PDFs made on a computer carry their text inside the file, while plain scans hold only page pictures.
TXT
TXT is a plain-text format that stores characters without layout, images, fonts, or rich styling. It is lightweight, easy to search, and readable in almost any text editor. This converter writes UTF-8, so accented letters, Arabic and Hebrew come through as real characters.
FILE FORMATS
SOURCE
Adobe introduced the Portable Document Format in 1993, and it has been an open ISO standard since 2008. A PDF fixes text, fonts, images and vector graphics onto pages, so a document prints and displays exactly as intended on any device. It is the default for sharing, printing, signing and archiving.
TARGET
A TXT file holds only characters and line breaks: no fonts, bold, pages or images. That makes it the most portable format there is, used for notes, logs, README files, transcripts and exported data. The only thing that can go wrong is the character encoding, such as UTF-8 versus an older Windows code page.
| Feature | TXT | |
|---|---|---|
| Developed by | Adobe (ISO 32000) | No owner (plain text) |
| File extension | .txt | |
| Editable | Limited | Yes |
| Layout | Fixed pages | None |
| Best for | Sharing, printing, archiving | Notes, logs, raw text |
| Opens in | Every device and browser | Everywhere |
USE CASES
Practical workflows where PDF to TXT conversion is useful.
Quote from a research paper
Copy passages from a two- or three-column paper without lines running across the columns. Each column is read top to bottom, so quotes come out in the right order.
Pull figures from a bank statement
Lines keep their place on the page, so the columns of a bank statement or invoice stay aligned and readable in a text editor.
Feed a search index
Turn PDFs into plain text for a search index, a grep run or a document system that only reads text.
Prepare text for analysis scripts
Developers and researchers convert PDFs to UTF-8 text before counting words, tagging entities or loading the text into Python or R.
Collect answers from filled-in forms
Filled-in form fields are included, so the entries in an application or registration form come out with the rest of the text.
Work with Arabic or Hebrew documents
Arabic and Hebrew come out as normal, searchable letters in reading order, ready to paste into an editor or a translation tool.
Compare two drafts
Convert both versions of a contract or policy to text and run a diff to see which lines changed.
Reuse article text on the web
Paste text from a PDF brochure or article into a CMS or newsletter without hidden formatting. Ligatures such as fi and fl are spelled out as normal letters.
Keep a text copy of searchable scans
Scans that already have an OCR text layer give their text, so you can keep a small .txt file next to each scanned document for quick lookup.
Read on simple devices
Plain text opens on e-ink readers, old phones and terminals that struggle with large or complex PDF files.
SUPPORTED FILES
PDFs with a text layer are supported.
Including two- and three-column layouts.
Lines keep their place, so columns stay aligned.
Filled-in form fields are included.
PDFs that block copying but open without a password convert normally.
Only if the scan already has a searchable text layer.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Plain text keeps words, not layout.
01
The PDF is a scan without a text layer. Run OCR in another tool first.
02
Headers, footers and page numbers stay in the text file.
03
Words split at the end of a line stay hyphenated.
04
Column detection is a heuristic and needs at least six lines of prose on a page.
05
Remove the open password in a PDF tool and upload a copy without it.
06
A text file holds only text.
Acrobat's Save as Text and the pdftotext command can pull text from a PDF once installed. dragdropdo does it in the browser, on any device.
| What matters | dragdropdo | Desktop PDF Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing to install | ✓Yes. Runs in any modern browser. | ~Acrobat Pro or command-line tools. |
| Works on phones and tablets | ✓Yes. Desktop, Android, iPhone and iPad. | ~Limited on phones. |
| Batch conversion | ✓Yes. Add many files and download one ZIP. | ~Command-line tools can with scripts. |
| Share finished files | ✓Yes. Send a unique link from the result page. | ~You upload and share the files yourself. |
| Pricing | ✓Free with daily limits. $2.99 or $6.99 passes for unlimited use, no monthly plan. | ~Free (pdftotext) to subscription (Acrobat Pro). |
| OCR for scanned pages | ✓No. The PDF needs a text layer. | ~Acrobat Pro includes OCR. |
Other tools use different pricing, limits and workflows. This comparison describes dragdropdo's own features without assuming every other tool works the same way.
1.8M+
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Files kept
Auto-delete in 24h
WHY DRAGDROPDO
Convert PDF to TXT in your browser, with nothing to install and nothing kept after 24 hours.
Private by default
Files are encrypted in transit and deleted from our servers automatically after 24 hours.
No install required
Convert in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone or iPad. No app and no sign-up wall.
Big files and batches
Upload files up to 20GB each, add several at once, and download the results one by one or as a ZIP.
Share & download
Save finished files to your device or pass them on with a share link from the result page.
MORE PDF TOOLS
The Portable Document Format (PDF) is a versatile file format that preserves document formatting across various platforms and devices. Ideal for sharing documents, it supports text, images, and vector graphics while ensuring formatting integrity. PDFs are widely used for e-books, forms, and reports, making them essential in education, business, and publishing. Enjoy universal compatibility and secure document sharing.
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FAQ
Answers to common questions about dragdropdo's PDF to TXT converter.
