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Test scope & comparison notes
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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 | deftpdf.com | lightpdf.com | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | 97/100 DOCX · Output attached | 78/100 DOCX · Output attached | Active task |
| PDF compression | 97/100 PDF · Output attached | 88/100 PDF · Output attached | |
| Scanned PDF OCR | 97/100 PDF · Output attached | 82/100 DOCX · Output attached | |
| PDF merge & split | 91/100 PDF · Output attached | 90/100 PDF · Output attached |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | DeftPDF PDF to Word 97/100 Seven-aspect task score DeftPDF delivers account-free, high-fidelity online PDF-to-Word conversion. In our 2-page anchor benchmark, it converted the document in 4.5 seconds into a 10.0 KB native DOCX file with 100.0% text retention across 4 headings and 12 table cells, faithfully reconstructing editable Word tables backed by a 3-hour deletion guarantee. Tested export DOCX · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-31 | LightPDF PDF to Word 78/100 Seven-aspect task score After free account sign-in, the exported DOCX preserves both pages of text and a native editable table with solid fidelity, but guests are blocked by a login modal at the download step after conversion. Tested export DOCX · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-19 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | DeftPDF free tier, Pro Plan and Premium annual subscriptions · 2026-10-31 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free Plan2026-10-31 ↗ Free Free Free Free per-tool limits across 40+ tools; merge up to 25 files, 20-50MB task limit, 3-hour scheduled deletion PDF viewing, merge & split, format conversions, OCR, basic translation, and Standard AI chat;Per-tool batch and file size caps apply; lacks Fast/Premium AI models Pro Plan (Annual)2026-10-31 ↗ — USD 49.99/year Annual Merge batch limit up to 500 files, Chat with PDF stores 50 docs (200 questions/mo), 30MB file size Higher per-tool limits, PDF text editing, paid templates, and Fast AI tier ($4.17/mo equivalent);Billed annually at $49.99/year; auto-renews annually Premium (Annual)2026-10-31 ↗ — USD 199.99/year Annual Chat with PDF stores up to 100,000 docs (1,000 questions/mo), 10 PDFs per chat, 90MB file cap (6,000 pages) All Pro limits plus top-tier Premium AI models and multi-document chat ($16.67/mo equivalent);Billed annually at $199.99/year; auto-renews annually 3 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Free unregistered tier supports over 40 tools (merge batch limit 25, 20-50MB per task cap, 3-hour automatic purge); Pro Plan is $49.99/year ($4.17/mo), Premium is $199.99/year ($16.67/mo). Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms unverified DeftPDF Plans & Pricing ↗ · 2026-10-31 Capture 1 ↗ | LightPDF Individual Free, Monthly, Annual and Perpetual plans; Team & Business and Education tabs priced separately · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free Plan2026-10-21 ↗ Free Free Free Web only; max file size 10 MB, 1-year cloud storage for up to 5 files; downloading converted DOCX requires signing in to a free account Monthly Plan2026-10-21 ↗ USD 19.99/month — Monthly 1-month full access to all PDF tools across Web, Mobile and Desktop, unlimited file size, plus 1,000 AI credits/month Promotional price USD 19.99/month (strikethrough USD 29.99), billed monthly, cancel anytime;Unused AI credits expire monthly Annual Plan2026-10-21 ↗ — USD 49.99/year Annual 1-year full access to all PDF tools across 5 platforms (1 active device at a time), unlimited file size, plus 1,000 AI credits/month 3-day free trial then USD 49.99/year (strikethrough USD 89.99; skipping trial saves USD 5);1,000 AI credits per month expire monthly Perpetual Plan (Lifetime)2026-10-21 ↗ USD 109.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time One-time payment for lifetime access to all PDF tools across 5 platforms, unlimited file size, plus 40,000 AI credits 40,000 AI credits granted instantly and valid until used 4 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Individual pricing lists Free, Monthly USD 19.99, Annual USD 49.99 (with 3-day trial or $5 skip-trial discount), and Perpetual USD 109.99; per-feature AI credit deductions require hover tooltips and enterprise plans require custom quotes. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancel recurring subscriptions via support ticket or payment platform email link; money-back guarantee is 30 days for Perpetual, 7 days for Annual, and 3 days for Monthly. LightPDF official Individual pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | 20-50MB per task cap with 3-hour scheduled deletion | Downloaded valid 39,398-byte DOCX after free Google sign-in; 1 table (16 cells), Page 2, and 100% of text checkpoints preserved. |
| Cancellation & refunds | Not verified | Cancel recurring subscriptions via support ticket or payment platform email link; money-back guarantee is 30 days for Perpetual, 7 days for Annual, and 3 days for Monthly. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | 3-hour purge policy disclosed on homepage | Not verified |
| 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 | Two-page structure fully preserved with 100% retention across all 4 headings, 12 table cells, and 3 key body phrases; successfully reconstructed native editable Word tables (perfect 65.0/65 quality score). | Preserved both pages of text, all key tokens, and one editable 4x4 table with high layout fidelity. |
| Original historical observation | DeftPDF converted PDF layout into clean native Word formatting without text corruption. | Downloaded valid 39,398-byte DOCX after free Google sign-in with 100% text retention, Page 2 preserved, and 1 native 16-cell table. |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users needing fast, accurate conversion of PDFs into fully editable Word documents with intact tables | Not verified |
| 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 · Check watermark record |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | 2-page DOCX (10.0 KB, zero watermark, 100% text and table preserved) | Not verified |
| Watermark observation | Watermark-free | Not verified |
| Batch & API | Supports 10-file batch upload and cloud export | Not verified |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Published allowances & file limits · not tested | Free Plan: Free per-tool limits across 40+ tools; merge up to 25 files, 20-50MB task limit, 3-hour scheduled deletion · PDF viewing, merge & split, format conversions, OCR, basic translation, and Standard AI chat · Per-tool batch and file size caps apply; lacks Fast/Premium AI models | Free Plan: Web only; max file size 10 MB, 1-year cloud storage for up to 5 files; downloading converted DOCX requires signing in to a free account |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 4.2s · End-to-end reference: 4.5s | Network-observed server wait: 6.45s · End-to-end reference: 10.01s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-31 · anchor_pdf2word_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-10-19 · 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 | Not verified |
| Sign-in methods | Direct upload without login | Google / Facebook / Apple / email login required when clicking Download Files |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Not verified | Uses a post-conversion login wall at the download step and places a "Download for MacOS" desktop app button beside Download Files. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | DeftPDF Inc. | AI Document Tool Suite (Wangxu Tech / Apowersoft) |
| Recorded origin | United States | Not verified |
| Domain history record | Founded in 2013 | Not verified |
| Background & reputation assessment | Not verified | Operated by Wangxu Technology (HK) Co., Limited (Apowersoft) since 2018. |
| External reputation record | Operating for over a decade with explicit 3-hour automatic file deletion policy. | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Google Analytics | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Not verified | Uploads to Alibaba Cloud Hong Kong OSS and converts via gw.aoscdn.com async task queue; requires account login to retrieve the converted DOCX. |
| Retention statement | Claims deletion within 3 hours; deletion not independently verified | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 15 / 35 Landing page headlines "Free Online PDF to Word Converter" and completes cloud conversion for guests, but clicking Download Files triggers a mandatory login modal; after free Google sign-in, the full 38.5 KB DOCX downloads without payment. | |
| Interaction restraint | 12 / 30 Uses a post-conversion login wall at the download step and places a "Download for MacOS" desktop app button beside Download Files. | |
| Background & reputation | 15 / 20 Operated by Wangxu Technology (HK) Co., Limited (Apowersoft) since 2018. | |
| Engineering & privacy | 10 / 15 Uploads to Alibaba Cloud Hong Kong OSS and converts via gw.aoscdn.com async task queue; requires account login to retrieve the converted DOCX. | |
| Task quality | 65 / 65 Text Retention: 100% · Native Word Tables (<w:tbl>): 1 (16 cells) · Page 2 Preserved: Yes | 61 / 65 Exported a valid 39,398-byte (38.5 KB) DOCX (43 paragraphs): 4/4 headings, 12/12 table cell values, 3/3 body phrases, and the Page 2 marker are 100% preserved, and the 4×4 financial table is reconstructed as 1 native 16-cell Word table. |
| Deliverable specifications | 20 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: 2-page DOCX (10.0 KB, zero watermark, 100% text and table preserved) | 15.5 / 20 Signed-in free account exports a complete, watermark-free 2-page DOCX with native editable table structure; deducted for the post-conversion login gate on guest download. |
| Processing speed | 14 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 4.2s (API mode: cloud_server; network upload 0.3s / end-to-end 4.5s shown for reference only, never penalized) | 12 / 15 2026-10-21 single-sample network timing: OSS upload and hash registration took 3.19s (PUT upload ~1.89s), and async conversion task /v2/tasks/conversion (r16 to r21) took 6.45s server wait (end-to-end 10.01s). |

