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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 | PDFgear | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | 97/100 DOCX · Output attached | 82/100 DOCX · Output attached | Active task |
| PDF compression | 97/100 PDF · Output attached | 99/100 PDF · Output attached | |
| PDF merge & split | Not tested in topic | 99/100 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 | PDFgear PDF to Word 82/100 Seven-aspect task score Free login-free access includes deletion, but a skippable sharing prompt interrupts conversion and tables retain only visual borders, hindering edits. 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 ↗ | PDFgear web PDF-to-Word; free desktop alternative noted separately · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Web free2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free One PDF at a time, up to 100 MB; OCR is claimed by the vendor. Batch processing and no file-size limit are desktop features. 1 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. The official web limit is 100 MB per file. Its OCR claim is not a RealTest scanned-document test. Desktop batch and offline processing are not web capabilities. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Free support for files up to 10GB, no daily task locks | Both the web tool (including Advanced OCR) and cross-platform desktop/mobile apps are currently 100% free |
| Cancellation & refunds | Not verified | Cancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Immediately provides clear Download button upon completion with zero hidden paywalls | Completely free throughout; only requires clicking 'skip' on the social share modal |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | Text retained: 100% · Editable table cells: 16 · Page 2 preserved: Yes | Text retained: 100% · Editable table cells: 0 · 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 was retained but tables were not editable grids; a sharing prompt appeared during conversion. |
| 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. | PDFgear stays true to its 100% free philosophy—offering both Standard and Advanced OCR modes without login (02_workspace.png) and exporting a 16.0 KB .docx with 100% text retention and instant deletion (03_download.png); its only drawbacks are a 'Share to Continue' prompt with a faint gray 'skip' button (03_share_modal.png) and paragraph-based rather than native <w:tbl> table reconstruction. |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users needing lightning-fast anonymous conversion of formatted PDFs with tables into editable Word documents | Users who detest paywalls and third-party ads or need free OCR text recognition on scanned PDFs |
| 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 unwatermarked .docx (16.0 KB, 39 paragraphs, free OCR mode supported) |
| Watermark observation | No watermark | No watermark |
| Batch & API | Fast single-file processing supporting up to 10GB files | Single-file conversion on web; unlimited local batch conversion via free Windows/macOS desktop app |
| 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 | Web free: One PDF at a time, up to 100 MB; OCR is claimed by the vendor. Batch processing and no file-size limit are desktop features. |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 0.72s · End-to-end reference: 0.72s | Network-observed server wait: 10.8s · End-to-end reference: 12.3s |
| 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 or registration required |
| 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 third-party banner ads, though clicking 'Convert' pops up a 'Share to Continue — Share this tool on social media to unlock access and continue converting your files' prompt with a faint gray 'skip' link at the bottom (03_share_modal.png). |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | 123apps LLC | PDFgear Tech Pte. Ltd. (pdfgear.com) |
| Recorded origin | Not verified | Singapore |
| Domain history record | Not verified | 2022–Present (fast-growing free cross-platform PDF suite) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Not verified | Operated by Singapore-based PDFgear Tech Pte. Ltd., widely praised across tech communities for its 100% free Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android apps. |
| 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. | Provides an instant trash-can delete icon right beside 'Download File' and explicitly states 'Your files remain private and will be deleted after leaving our site' (03_download.png). |
| Retention statement | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 33 / 35 Genuinely free with no subscription paywall, no registration requirement, no watermark, and even makes its 'Advanced (Enable OCR to recognize text from scans)' mode completely free for guests (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). | |
| Interaction restraint | 28 / 30 Anonymous upload and download without login or credit card trial requirements; banner ads do not interfere with core actions. | 19 / 30 Zero third-party banner ads, though clicking 'Convert' pops up a 'Share to Continue — Share this tool on social media to unlock access and continue converting your files' prompt with a faint gray 'skip' link at the bottom (03_share_modal.png). |
| Background & reputation | 18 / 20 Operated by Singapore-based PDFgear Tech Pte. Ltd., widely praised across tech communities for its 100% free Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android apps. | |
| Engineering & privacy | 14 / 15 Stateless cloud processing where temporary files are purged after a few hours; TLS encrypted transfer. | 14 / 15 Provides an instant trash-can delete icon right beside 'Download File' and explicitly states 'Your files remain private and will be deleted after leaving our site' (03_download.png). |
| 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). | 51 / 65 OpenXML inspection confirms 100.0% text retention (all 4/4 headings, 12/12 table values, 3/3 body phrases, and Page 2 code preserved) with 3 background graphics preserving visual table borders, though it does not generate a native Word <w:tbl> table object (51.0/65) |
| 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). | 18 / 20 Exports a clean 16.0 KB .docx with no login or watermark, plus free optional Advanced OCR mode (18.0/20) |
| Processing speed | 15 / 15 Cloud conversion task (s85.pdf.io/pdf/process) completed in 0.72s verified network server wait (15.0/15). | |
