In daily work, we often need to convert PDF files into TXT text documents. When dealing with a large number of files, manually converting them one by one is inefficient. Below are four methods for batch converting PDF to TXT: HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , Adobe Acrobat DC, Google Drive, cloudconvert. The advantages, disadvantages, and operation steps of each method are introduced in detail, so you can compare and choose one of them to operate.
When to Convert PDF to Plain Text (TXT)
1. When we only need the content inside the PDF file, such as for research, taking notes, writing summaries, etc., without needing the document layout. In this case, converting PDF to TXT plain text allows direct text extraction without formatting interference.
2. When extracting content from image-based PDFs, the text within the images needs to be converted into editable text. Converting to text-based PDFs often results in garbled formatting, so converting directly to TXT plain text is preferable for easier text extraction.
3. When we need to pass the content from a PDF file to a program or script for processing, and the program only recognizes plain text files, such as TXT, CSV, JSON, etc. In this situation, batch converting PDFs to plain text is also required.
Preview of PDF to TXT Text Document Conversion
Before processing:
After processing:
Method 1: HeSoft Doc Batch Tool
Recommendation Score: ★★★★★
Pros:
Supports batch processing with fast conversion speeds; converting hundreds of PDF files to TXT takes only a few minutes.
Files are converted entirely on your own computer, without needing to upload them to third-party servers, ensuring strong confidentiality.
Operation is very simple – just open the tool and add files to complete the conversion, with no difficulty and zero barriers.
Cons:
Requires installation on a computer; only supports Windows systems.
Steps:
1. Open [ HeSoft Doc Batch Tool ], select [PDF Tools] - [PDF to TXT].
2. Import all PDF files to be converted. Choose one of three import methods: Add files, import from folder, or drag and drop.
3. Once conversion is complete, directly click the save location to view; all PDFs have been converted to TXT text documents.
Method 2: Adobe Acrobat DC
Recommendation Score: ★★★★☆
Pros:
Simple to use; just open the PDF and select export as TXT plain text to quickly complete the format conversion.
Supports OCR recognition, allowing scanned PDFs to be converted into text-based PDFs and exported in TXT format.
High conversion accuracy; both Chinese and English are very stable, with rare occurrences of garbled characters.
Cons:
Large installation package, takes up memory and is not lightweight; not worth a dedicated download if you only need to convert PDF to TXT.
Steps:
Open the PDF file with [Adobe Acrobat DC], select [File] - [Export To] - [Plain Text].
Method 3: Google Drive
Recommendation Score: ★★★☆☆
Pros:
Primarily aimed at scanned PDFs, it can automatically convert image-based PDFs into text format and extract the textual content within.
No download or installation required, nor any OCR knowledge needed; just open the PDF with Google Docs, and it completes automatically.
Unlimited usage, with no watermarks or locked features, making it very user-friendly for regular users.
Cons:
Conversion is not automatic; you need to manually copy the text and paste it into a TXT file; files must be uploaded to Google servers.
Steps:
Open Google Drive, upload the PDF file, click [Open with Google Docs]. Copy the text and paste it into a TXT file.
Method 4: CloudConvert Online Tool
Recommendation Score: ★★★☆☆
Pros:
No download or installation required; just search for cloudconvert in a browser to open and use it directly.
Simple steps: after uploading the file, select the conversion format to complete the process quickly; even beginners can handle it easily.
Can be used on all operating systems.
Cons:
Files need to be uploaded to third-party servers, making it unsuitable for internal documents or sensitive files.
Steps:
Open cloudconvert, click [Select File] to upload the PDF for conversion, choose [TXT] as the conversion format, and finally click [Convert].
