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How To Convert Pdf To Word On Mac For Free

PDF has countless advantages, but it cannot be edited as easily as Microsoft Word document. If you don’t have a PDF editor, which is always highly priced, you won’t be able to edit or utilize the PDF source as needed. But we can convert PDF to Word for easy editing.

We are often recommended to convert PDF to Word on Mac with Adobe Acrobat, however, is it really necessary to spend $14.99/month to convert PDFs on a Mac? Actually, it is not. There are so many solutions available to convert PDF to editable Word on Mac without Adobe Acrobat and even for free, in addition, these solutions can work on latest macOS Big Sur.

By How to convert any PDF to Word for FREE using your Mac in 5min. Best way to convert your MAC to DOC file in seconds. 100% free, secure and easy to use! Convertio — advanced online tool that solving any problems with any files.

Quick PDF to Word on Mac Tutorial

  1. Download the free trial of PDF to Word Converter for Mac, install and launch it.
  2. Drag and drop PDF files into the program.
  3. Specify the PDF pages you want to save as Word, and select output as Doc or Docx.
  4. Click 'Convert“ to change PDF to Word on Mac.

Part 1. Best PDF to Editable Word Converter for Mac

The key for PDF to Word conversion is always the formatting. But the conversion speed is equally critical, since a PDF file is always in multiple pages and the file size may come out as large. To convert large and multiple PDFs into high-quality, well-formatted Word output, we need a professional PDF to Word converter for Mac.

According to users, Cisdem PDF Converter OCR is picked as the best PDF to Word converter for mac. It is a mac program designed to convert PDF files into various formats for easy editing, reading and management, no matter you are working on macOS Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave or earlier.

Why Cisdem PDF Converter OCR?

  • Convert native, scanned, protected PDF and images;
  • Convert large and multi-page PDFs to Word fast;
  • Export PDF as editable Word, Searchable PDF, Excel, Pages, Keynote, total 16 formats;
  • Obtain high-quality conversion and OCR results;
  • Create PDF from Word, PowerPoint, Image, ePub and others;
  • Batch convert PDFs.
  • Compatible on macOS Big Sur, Catalina, etc.;
Free DownloadMac

How to Convert PDF to Editable Word on Mac without Losing Quality?

Since Cisdem PDF Converter OCR supports native, scanned and protected PDFs, the steps may be a little different and here we offer 2 tutorials as following to help you do the conversion fast and easily with Cisdem.

Tutorial 1: Convert Native PDF to Word on Mac

Step 1Download and Install Cisdem PDF Converter OCR on mac.
Step 2Import PDF for Conversion.

Drag and drop the PDF file to the interface of the 'Converter' or you can add by clicking the '+' icon at the bottom of the program.

Step 3Choose PDF Page Range and Select Output as Word.

You can choose to convert all pages or convert specified pages by filling in the page range. Also, choose Word Doc or Docx as output from the output menu.

Step 4Click “Convert” to save PDF as Word on mac.

You will find the Word output looks exactly the same as original PDF file.

Tutorial 2. Convert Scanned PDF to Word on Mac

Step 1Download and Install Cisdem PDF Converter OCR on mac.
Step 2Upload PDF for Conversion.

Drag and drop the PDF file to 'Converter' or click the '+' icon at the bottom of the program.

Step 3Prepare for OCR scanned PDF to Word on mac.

Turn OCR button ON. Cisdem supports to recognize 27~200 languages, you need to choose the file language first, then select pages for conversion. Last, choose the output format as Word.

Step 4(Optional) Use Advanced Settings to get more accurate OCR results.

Click the settings icon besides the langue button, then an interface with OCR applied zone appears. You will find all the contents are auto marked as texts, images or tables in different colors. For illustration, if you want to export a specific area as text, click on “Mark Texts” in the OCR applied zone, then drag a mark box to include the contents you want to mark as texts.

Step 5Click “Convert” to export scanned PDF as Word on mac.

To convert protected PDF to Word on mac with Cisdem, you need to unlock the PDF file first by clicking on the lock icon, if you forgot, try the Cisdem solution.

Part 2. How to Convert PDF to Word on Mac without Adobe Acrobat

Want to convert PDF to Word on Mac without Adobe Acrobat, but still desire to own a PDF tool that is as powerful as Adobe? Find an Adobe Acrobat Alternative with a lower price, for example Foxit PhantomPDF for Mac.

Foxit Phantom PDF is a PDF editor ($139) for PDF document generation and management, you are allowed to create and PDF document or fillable forms, sort and export PDFs, use OCR to make PDF editable, share and collaborate on the same PDF file, even you can protect the files.

Steps to Convert PDF to Word on Mac without Adobe

  1. Download and install Foxit Phantom;
  2. Add PDF file to the program;
  3. Then go to Tools>Convert;
  4. Click “To Word” and adjust the settings as needed, then click OK to convert PDF to Word on mac with PDF editor;

Part 3. How to Convert PDF to Word on Mac Offline Free?

If you haven’t decided to pay for a mac PDF to Word converter, there are options to convert PDF to Word on mac offline free, each tool may have its own limitations, but still worth a try.

#1 Preview

Preview is the PDF viewer and annotator to manage PDF files on mac, it can view, annotate, combine, sign and convert PDFs. However, it can only export PDF to image formats. And the only way to convert PDF to Word with Preview will be copying and pasting.

Disadvantages:

  1. Take time and efforts;
  2. Original formatting cannot be retained;
  3. Convert native PDF only;

Steps to Convert PDF to Word on Mac Using Preview

  1. Open PDF with Mac Preview;
  2. Select the PDF contents, right click to copy and paste the PDF contents into a Word file;
  3. Save the Word file;

#2 Automator

Automator allows users to create workflows for automating tasks, it can help save time and efforts on manually changing each file. With Automator, Mac users can extract PDF text, then open text file in Word, and finally save PDF as Word on mac.

Disadvantages:

  1. Can not save PDF to Word on mac directly;
  2. Poor conversion result: garbled text, no formatting, etc;
  3. Take too much time and effort;
  4. Convert native PDF only;

Steps to Convert PDF to Word on Mac Using Automator

  1. Open Automator in Application, select “Workflow”, then click “Choose”;
  2. In the left column, choose “Files &Folders”, then drag “Ask for Finder Items” to the right column, you can allow multiple selection to batch convert PDF;
  3. Still in the left column, choose “PDFs”, then drag “Extract PDF Text” to the right column;
  4. Click Run button and add PDF files for conversion, a Text file will be generated from the PDF;
  5. Open the text file with Word, and your PDF is converted to Word on mac now.

Part 4. Convert PDF to Word on Mac online, free without Software (2 Ways)

People always return to online, free PDF to Word converters for convenience and free of charge. These tools are genuinely recommended if you are working on simple and native PDFs. After uploading and testing files on dozens of online conversion tools, here we list following 2 best free PDF to Word converters for your choice.

#1 Google Docs

Google provides an online platform for users to manage their documents---Google Docs. In Google Docs, you can open PDFs and download the file in Word or other editable formats. In addition, it works on scanned PDFs.

Advantages:

  1. Free to use;
  2. Convert both native and scanned PDFs;
  3. Allow editing;

Disadvantages:

  1. Formatting cannot be retained;
  2. No batch conversion;
  3. Need to register as Google user first;

Steps to Convert PDF to Word on Mac Using Google Docs

  1. Go to Google account>Google Drive;
  2. Click 'New' to upload PDF file;
  3. Right click on the file,open with Google Docs;
  4. Go to File>Download as>Word. Your PDF will be converted into Word on mac.

#2 Online2PDF

It allows users to convert both native and scanned PDFs to Word online without 3rd party software installed. Even, you can customize your Word output a little by using this free PDF to Word converter. On this platform, you don’t need to register and convert PDF to Word on mac without submitting email address.

Advantages:

  1. Free to use;
  2. Convert both native and scanned PDFs;
  3. Batch support;

Disadvantages:

  1. Take time to upload and process the conversion;
  2. Need manually adjust the conversion result;
  3. Limits on file size and file quantity;
  4. Potential risks of information leakage;

Steps to Convert PDF to Word on Mac online, free without Email Address

  1. Go to Online2pdf.
  2. Click “Select files” to upload single or multiple PDFs;
  3. Choose output as Word;
  4. Click “Convert” to turn PDF into Word online. Also, you can use the preference tools to customize your Word output before conversion.

Final Words

There must be more methods to convert PDF to Word on Mac, but if you want to make your conversions easy, fast and high quality, have a try on PDF Converter OCR, the program that can kill all problems regarding PDF to Word conversion on Mac, once and for all.

PDF is the most common file type that can be easily shared and opened in any operating system. Still, editing the PDF files is quite tricky. That is when Microsoft Word comes in handy. All you have to do is to convert your PDF file into DOC or DOCX, make necessary changes, and turn it back to the original format.

But how to turn PDF into Word? Today, we'll show how to do that with Preview, Google Drive, Automator, and some dedicated PDF converters.

Method 1. How to convert PDF to Word on Mac using Preview

Consider copying and pasting as a low-tech approach? Sometimes it works surprisingly well, especially when the PDF is primarily text-based. Sometimes it's a real hassle — it all depends on the type of PDF file you have.

How to convert pdf to word on mac for free online

In any case, with such minimal effort involved, this method is worth a shot. Follow these steps to try it out:

  1. Right-click your PDF file, go to Open With, and choose Preview.
  2. Select the text you want to copy and hit Command‐C.
  3. Navigate to Pages or Microsoft Word on Mac and paste the text into the document with Command‐V.
  4. Save the file as DOC or DOCX (go to File > Export To > Word, if you use Pages). That's all!

Use Command‐A for Select All is you want to copy the entire document content, all at once.

Method 2. Turn PDF Files into DOCX using Google Docs

Google Docs is a popular web-based editing tool, pretty good at transforming PDF files into Word. Here’s how to use it:

  1. Go to Google Drive and log in to your Google account.
  2. Click the gear icon and choose Settings.
  3. Check the box next to “Convert uploaded files to Google Docs editor format” in the General tab.
  4. Upload the PDF file to Google Drive (press “+ New” button and select “File upload”)
  5. Hit Open. Your file now will be opened with Google Docs.
  6. Head over to the File menu, select Download, and opt for Microsoft Word (DOCX). The file will appear in your Downloads folder as a Word document.

If a PDF file includes images, Google Docs might remove them from the final DOCX document. This method is preferable only for a text-based PDF file.

Google Docs can also be the answer to how to convert Word to PDF on Mac. The main downside to this method is that it requires an internet connection.

Method 3. Transform PDF to Word with Automator

How To Convert Pdf To Word On Mac For Free

Automator is a built-in macOS utility developed for simple repetitive tasks like renaming files or resizing images. It helps make the same changes to multiple files at a time by creating a custom workflow.

Just like Preview, Automator can’t convert PDF to Word. But it is powerful enough to extract the text from your PDF and turn it into a plain or rich text format (RTF). Then you can edit it in any text editor. To use Automator:

  1. Launch Automator from the Application folder.
  2. Choose Workflow as a type for your document.
  3. Drag and drop your PDF file.
  4. In the left-side Actions section, go to Library > PDFs > Extract PDF Text.
  5. Drag this action to the right pane underneath your PDF document.
  6. Opt for Rich Text instead of Plain text to keep the formatting.
  7. Define where to save the extracted text file.
  8. Hit the Run button located in the upper-right corner of the window, and get your PDF file converted to a text document.

Now, you can go to the folder you chose and find your converted file.

Method 4. Convert PDF to Word with third-party converters

Using a dedicated converter is the way to go if you have tons of PDFs with lots of graphics and different types of text blocks to convert. But what’s the best one to choose?

By far, the highest quality solution is Adobe Acrobat by Adobe. No surprises the company has a tool to solve all your PDF editing needs, as they created this format. This tool can convert PDFs into almost all sorts of file types: from DOCX to RTF and beyond. Even if your document contains any scanned text, Acrobat will recognize it automatically.

The alternatives are PDFelement and Smallpdf. Both these services have free trials, so you can find out whether the tool works for you before purchasing.

Need extra help with your Mac performance?

If Microsoft Word glitches or runs sluggishly, deep Mac cleaning may help you fix the issue. Every computer needs it from time to time. System junk, temporary files, and old cache — all these can decrease performance a lot. Luckily, there are tools to help you out.

To keep my Mac safe from months-old clutter, I use CleanMyMac X. This powerful junk-cleaner offers a bunch of features to solve Mac-specific issues. ProductHunt even called CleanMyMac X “Marie Kondo for your Mac.”. That fact alone says a lot!

Pdf Converter For Mac

Here’s how to speed up the system with its help:

  1. Grab your copy of CleanMyMac X (get a free one here).
  2. Launch the app and go to the System Junk tab.
  3. Press Scan and wait for a few seconds.
  4. Hit the Clean button to get rid of items that slow down your Mac.

If Microsoft Word still malfunctions, I recommend using the Uninstaller feature of CleanMyMac X to reset the app.

How Do I Convert Pdf To Word On Mac For Free

Turning PDF to Word is a piece of cake if you have the right tool at hand. If you need to convert text-based PDF, using Preview, Automator, or Google Docs would be enough. But if you regularly deal with image-heavy files, consider using dedicated PDF converters like Adobe Acrobat Exporter.