The Best Way to Convert a PDF File to DOC for Free is with Google Docs

With the countless paid options that offer file conversions out there, it’s always a huge relief to discover an excellent free service. Today that comes to us from Google, and if you’re looking to convert a PDF file to a DOC, while retaining it’s formatting and serving as a PDF editor too, you won’t find a better free choice than Google Docs, the web based office suite from Google. The other perk to this approach? It’s completely cross platform compatible, so you can convert and edit the document from any browser on any OS, be it Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X, and you’ll know the document will turn out the same every time.

Converting PDF Files to DOC Free with Google Docs

You will need any modern web browser and a free Google Account to use this feature:

1. Go to Google Docs and login
2. Click the little upload icon (it looks like a plus button) to upload the PDF file in question (older versions had a “Create” button)



3. Choose “File” menu within Google Docs and select the PDF file you want to convert to an editable DOC
4. At the “Upload Settings” screen, check all boxes to convert the file, including “Convert text from PDF and image files to Google documents”



5. Once opened in Google Docs, click the “File” menu within GDocs and choose “Download as” followed by “Microsoft Word 97-2003 (.doc)” to convert the origin file to a DOC

The converted PDF file will download as a new DOC file from the browser.

Other than providing for extremely easy and accurate conversions, you’ll find a major plus is the PDF is now completely editable while retaining it’s original layout and appearance. You can switch text, graphics, rearrange the layout, change the files content, or do just about anything. In other words, Google Docs functions as a completely reasonable and free PDF editor and conversion tool.

This is a much better solution than the other free web based alternative we discussed recently, ZamZar, because it preserves just about every aspect of layout and allows editing for free as well, preventing the need for other editing tools.

A big shout out to Chris for pointing out this feature.