See your options side by side
Choose one task and 2–4 tools. Compare pricing, output, test results and trust.
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 | deftpdf.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 | 97/100 PDF · Output attached | 87/100 TXT · Output attached | |
| PDF merge & split | 91/100 PDF · Output attached | 94/100 PDF · Output attached |
Select at least 2 tools to compare
You can also filter a task page first, then compare your shortlist.
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 | 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 | 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 ↗ | 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 | 20-50MB per task cap with 3-hour scheduled deletion | 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 | 3-hour purge policy disclosed on homepage | 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 | 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). | Text and editable tables were retained; the historical free tier allowed one task per hour. |
| Original historical observation | DeftPDF converted PDF layout into clean native Word formatting without text corruption. | 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 fast, accurate conversion of PDFs into fully editable Word documents with intact tables | 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 | 2-page DOCX (10.0 KB, zero watermark, 100% text and table preserved) | Full 2-page native .docx (44 paragraphs + 16-cell native table, watermark-free) |
| Watermark observation | Watermark-free | Watermark-free |
| Batch & API | Supports 10-file batch upload and cloud export | 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 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: No account; page, hourly and file-size limits; no batching. Numeric limits are not listed. |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 4.2s · End-to-end reference: 4.5s | Network-observed server wait: 4.78s · End-to-end reference: 5.68s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-31 · 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 | Direct upload without login | No login required for free conversion; optional PRO account sign-in |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Not verified | 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 | DeftPDF Inc. | Icecream Apps Ltd. (PDF Candy) |
| Recorded origin | United States | Cyprus (European software team) |
| Domain history record | Founded in 2013 | 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 | 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 | SSL/TLS encrypted transfers with automatic server deletion after 2 hours and an immediate delete icon on the download screen. |
| Retention statement | Claims deletion within 3 hours; deletion not independently verified | 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 | 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 | 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 | 65 / 65 Text Retention: 100% · Native Word Tables (<w:tbl>): 1 (16 cells) · Page 2 Preserved: Yes | 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 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: 2-page DOCX (10.0 KB, zero watermark, 100% text and table preserved) | 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 | 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 Completes cloud PDF-to-DOCX reconstruction in ~4.78s after clicking CONVERT (12.0/15) |

