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Test scope & comparison notes
These are recorded facts, not a unified ranking. Tested tiers and scope are not consistently recorded. Read pricing with its date and timing with its conditions. Privacy observations reflect visible flows and statements, not a security audit.
Cross-task capability coverage across selected products
Each product is scored independently per task edge; switch tasks below while keeping shared products selected| Task edge | 123apps.com | PDF Candy | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | 97/100 DOCX · Output attached | 90/100 DOCX · Output attached | Active task |
| PDF compression | 97/100 PDF · Output attached | 92/100 PDF · Output attached | |
| Scanned PDF OCR | Not tested in topic | 87/100 TXT · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF merge & split | Not tested in topic | 94/100 PDF · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | 123apps PDF to Word 97/100 Seven-aspect task score 123apps (pdf.io/pdf2doc) offers blazing-fast anonymous PDF-to-Word conversion. In real testing, a two-page document containing financial tables was converted in just 0.72s into a 14.8 KB standard .docx file; deterministic XML inspection verified 100% text retention across 4 headings and 3 key body phrases, with the 4x4 financial table reconstructed into a native Word table object (16 cells perfectly aligned) and two-page layout preserved without watermarks or forced registrations. Tested export DOCX · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-30 | PDF Candy (Icecream Apps PDF to Word) PDF to Word 90/100 Seven-aspect task score Login-free conversion retains text and tables without blocking popups; the one-task-per-hour free limit is not disclosed on the landing screen. Tested export DOCX · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-18 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | 123apps site-wide free usage and single Premium subscription system · 2026-10-30 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free2026-10-30 ↗ Free Free Free 51 tools included, unlimited files per day, 10 GB max file size Fast standard processing speed, audio/video tools, PDF utilities；Includes display ads, standard queue priority Premium (Monthly)2026-10-30 ↗ USD 6/month — Monthly 51 tools included, unlimited files/day, 10 GB max file size, faster queue No ads, faster dedicated server pipeline, concurrent batch tasks Premium (Annual)2026-10-30 ↗ — USD 48/year Annual Billed annually at $48 ($4/mo equiv, 20% savings), unlimited files/day, 10 GB Full year ad-free experience, dedicated faster queue, priority support 3 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. All 51 utilities are free to use with up to 10 GB file limits; Premium subscription costs $6/mo or $48/yr ($4/mo equiv, saves 20%) with no ads and faster processing queues. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms unverified 123apps Official Pricing Page ↗ · 2026-10-30 Capture 1 ↗ | PDF Candy USD web and desktop + web bundles · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free No account; page, hourly and file-size limits; no batching. Numeric limits are not listed. Web Monthly2026-10-20 ↗ USD 6/month — Monthly Monthly web-tool subscription; up to 500 MB/task, no hourly limits, and high-priority processing. Desktop + Web Yearly2026-10-20 ↗ — USD 48/year Annual Billed annually at USD 48.00/year (displayed as USD 4/month equivalent); includes 500 MB/task, no hourly limits, web and desktop access, plus Video Candy and Image Candy web. Billed annually via Paddle at US$48.00/year (applicable taxes calculated at checkout) Desktop + Web Lifetime2026-10-20 ↗ USD 99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time One payment; desktop perpetual licence is limited to the current major version, including minor updates. 4 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Confirmed USD 6 monthly, USD 48 yearly (card displays promotional USD 4/month equivalent; verified at USD 48.00/year in the Paddle checkout modal after login on 2026-10-21), and USD 99 one-time. Lifetime covers the licensed version and minor updates, not future major upgrades. Cancellation, sources & verification recordThe page mentions 30-day refunds but also conditions them on recurring unresolved errors; eligibility follows the refund policy. Cancellation retains access through the paid period. Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Logged-in pricing page and Paddle checkout annual bill verification ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Free support for files up to 10GB, no daily task locks | Unauthenticated free users can execute 1 free task per hour (subsequent tasks require waiting 1 hour or upgrading to PRO) |
| Cancellation & refunds | Not verified | The page mentions 30-day refunds but also conditions them on recurring unresolved errors; eligibility follows the refund policy. Cancellation retains access through the paid period. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Immediately provides clear Download button upon completion with zero hidden paywalls | Hourly rate limit is not stated on the landing dropzone, appearing as 'No hourly limits' on the PRO comparison card after conversion |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | Text retained: 100% · Editable table cells: 16 · Page 2 preserved: Yes | Text retained: 100% · Editable table cells: 16 · Page 2 preserved: Yes |
| Fixture findings | Exceptional benchmark sample performance: deterministic XML inspection confirmed 100% editable text retention, native Word table reconstruction, and complete page 2 integrity with zero character corruption. | Text and editable tables were retained; the historical free tier allowed one task per hour. |
| Original historical observation | 123apps (pdf.io/pdf2doc) completed conversion in 0.72s, outputting a 14.8 KB .docx file with fully editable text and neatly aligned table cells in Word. | PDF Candy's OpenXML conversion engine delivers top-tier structural accuracy: its 9.8 KB .docx export (completed in 4.78s) preserves 100% of text across both pages and reconstructs the 4×4 financial table as a 16-cell native Word table—just note the 1-task-per-hour free limit (03_download.png). |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users needing lightning-fast anonymous conversion of formatted PDFs with tables into editable Word documents | Users converting a single PDF document who want 100% native Word table (`<w:tbl>`) editability and an ad-free workspace without logging in |
| Result & output evidence | ||
| Scans / OCR | The fixture is a text PDF; scans and OCR were not tested | The fixture is a text PDF; scans and OCR were not tested |
| Delivery capabilities | ||
| Recorded export specifications | DOCX · Output attached · No watermark in test | DOCX · Output attached · No watermark in test |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | Full 2-page native .docx (61 paragraphs + 16-cell native table, Zero watermark) | Full 2-page native .docx (44 paragraphs + 16-cell native table, watermark-free) |
| Watermark observation | No watermark | Watermark-free |
| Batch & API | Fast single-file processing supporting up to 10GB files | Supports Google Drive / Dropbox integration and offline Windows desktop software |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Published allowances & file limits · not tested | Free: 51 tools included, unlimited files per day, 10 GB max file size · Fast standard processing speed, audio/video tools, PDF utilities · Includes display ads, standard queue priority | Free: No account; page, hourly and file-size limits; no batching. Numeric limits are not listed. |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 0.72s · End-to-end reference: 0.72s | Network-observed server wait: 4.78s · End-to-end reference: 5.68s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-30 · anchor_pdf2word_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-10-18 · anchor_pdf2word_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) |
| Repeated tests & reliability | No standardized repetition count, success rate or variability range is recorded. | No standardized repetition count, success rate or variability range is recorded. |
| Interaction experience | ||
| Account requirements | No login in this test | No login in this test |
| Sign-in methods | Anonymous usage without login, Email/password, Google OAuth | No login required for free conversion; optional PRO account sign-in |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Anonymous upload and download without login or credit card trial requirements; banner ads do not interfere with core actions. | Zero ad banners, zero email gates, and no registration prompts; displays a non-intrusive PRO upgrade card alongside the download button. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | 123apps LLC | Icecream Apps Ltd. (PDF Candy) |
| Recorded origin | Not verified | Cyprus (European software team) |
| Domain history record | Not verified | 2016–Present (10-year PDF utility suite) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Not verified | Operated since 2016 by Cyprus-based Icecream Apps Ltd., a well-known developer of desktop and web PDF utilities. |
| External reputation record | Not verified | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Google Tag Manager · Google AdSense | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Stateless cloud processing where temporary files are purged after a few hours; TLS encrypted transfer. | SSL/TLS encrypted transfers with automatic server deletion after 2 hours and an immediate delete icon on the download screen. |
| Retention statement | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record | Claims deletion within 2 hours; deletion not independently verified |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 28 / 35 Headlines 'Convert PDF to Word Online Fast and for Free' (01_landing.png) and converts our 2-page anchor PDF in ~4.78s to a green 'Download file' button without login (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png); however, the free tier is rate-limited to 1 free task per hour (disclosed via the 'PDF Candy PRO: No hourly limits' card on the result screen rather than upfront on the hero dropzone). | |
| Interaction restraint | 28 / 30 Anonymous upload and download without login or credit card trial requirements; banner ads do not interfere with core actions. | 26 / 30 Zero ad banners, zero email gates, and no registration prompts; displays a non-intrusive PRO upgrade card alongside the download button. |
| Background & reputation | 18.5 / 20 Operated since 2016 by Cyprus-based Icecream Apps Ltd., a well-known developer of desktop and web PDF utilities. | |
| Engineering & privacy | 14 / 15 Stateless cloud processing where temporary files are purged after a few hours; TLS encrypted transfer. | 13.5 / 15 SSL/TLS encrypted transfers with automatic server deletion after 2 hours and an immediate delete icon on the download screen. |
| Task quality | 64 / 65 Deterministic DOCX XML inspection: 100.0% text retention (4/4 headings, 3/3 body phrases, page 2 verification passed), and 4x4 financial table reconstructed into a 16-cell native Word table (64.0/65). | 61.5 / 65 OpenXML `word/document.xml` inspection confirms 100.0% text retention (4/4 headings, 3/3 special-symbol phrases, 44 editable paragraphs) and a complete 16-cell native Word `<w:tbl>` table (12/12 financial values preserved) with Page 2 token intact (61.5/65) |
| Deliverable specifications | 20 / 20 Direct anonymous export of standard OpenXML (.docx) document (14.8 KB) with no page limits, zero watermarks, and no daily task locks (20.0/20). | 17.5 / 20 Exports a complete 2-page watermark-free native `.docx` file (9.8 KB) without login, subject to the 1-task-per-hour free rate limit (17.5/20) |
| Processing speed | 15 / 15 Cloud conversion task (s85.pdf.io/pdf/process) completed in 0.72s verified network server wait (15.0/15). | 12 / 15 Completes cloud PDF-to-DOCX reconstruction in ~4.78s after clicking CONVERT (12.0/15) |
