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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 | lightpdf.com | pdfescape.com | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | 78/100 DOCX · Output attached | 76/100 DOCX · Output attached | Active task |
| PDF compression | 88/100 PDF · Output attached | 93/100 PDF · Output attached | |
| Scanned PDF OCR | 82/100 DOCX · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF merge & split | 90/100 PDF · Output attached | 92/100 PDF · Output attached |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | 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 | PDFescape (PDF to Word) PDF to Word 76/100 Seven-aspect task score Veteran document platform PDFescape delivers clean 2-page DOCX conversion in 9.08s server wait without login, retaining 100% text with flattened tables. Tested export DOCX · Output attached Historical test · 2026-11-06 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | 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 ↗ | PDFescape Free online tools, Premium and Ultimate annual desktop suites · 2026-10-31 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free Online2026-10-31 ↗ Free Free Free Up to 10 stored files for 7 days, 10 MB per file limit Web-based PDF viewing, basic editing, form filling & creation, encryption, and sharing；Ad-supported; lacks desktop offline text/image editing and advanced conversion Premium (billed yearly)2026-10-31 ↗ — Annual price not verified Annual Up to 100 stored files for 30 days, 40 MB per file limit Ad-free, desktop & online PDF editing, PDF to Word conversion, merge & compress, page numbering & watermarks；Displayed as $2.99/month billed yearly without disclosing the upfront annual invoice total Ultimate (billed yearly)2026-10-31 ↗ — Annual price not verified Annual No expiration on online file storage, 40 MB per file limit All Premium features plus advanced form designer, digital signatures, and permanent redaction；Displayed as $5.99/month billed yearly without disclosing the upfront annual invoice total 3 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Free online tools allow up to 10MB/10 files without registration; Premium and Ultimate display monthly equivalents ($2.99/mo and $5.99/mo billed yearly) without stating the upfront annual billing invoice total. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms unverified PDFescape Plans & Pricing ↗ · 2026-10-31 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Downloaded valid 39,398-byte DOCX after free Google sign-in; 1 table (16 cells), Page 2, and 100% of text checkpoints preserved. | Free guest processing for files under 10MB/10 files, zero paywall intercept |
| Cancellation & refunds | 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. | Not verified |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Not verified | Pricing page discloses monthly and annual subscriptions with monthly equivalent presentation |
| 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 | Preserved both pages of text, all key tokens, and one editable 4x4 table with high layout fidelity. | Anchor evaluation confirms 100% text retention across both pages with intact table data flattened into paragraphs, delivering clean 6.0 KB DOCX. |
| Original historical observation | Downloaded valid 39,398-byte DOCX after free Google sign-in with 100% text retention, Page 2 preserved, and 1 native 16-cell table. | PDFescape converted the two-page PDF anchor into an editable 6.0 KB DOCX document in 9.08s server wait, retaining 100% of text and table values without watermarks. |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Not verified | Users seeking a trusted guest-usable tool to quickly convert PDF documents into editable DOCX text |
| 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 · Check watermark record | DOCX · Output attached · No watermark in test |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | Not verified | 2-page intact watermark-free DOCX (6.0 KB · 100% text retention) |
| Watermark observation | Not verified | Watermark-free |
| Batch & API | Not verified | Web application handles single-file conversion without login; desktop client supports batch workflows |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Published allowances & file limits · not tested | 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 | Free Online: Up to 10 stored files for 7 days, 10 MB per file limit · Web-based PDF viewing, basic editing, form filling & creation, encryption, and sharing · Ad-supported; lacks desktop offline text/image editing and advanced conversion |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 6.45s · End-to-end reference: 10.01s | Network-observed server wait: 9.08s · End-to-end reference: 9.08s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-19 · anchor_pdf2word_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-11-06 · 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 | Not verified | No login in this test |
| Sign-in methods | Google / Facebook / Apple / email login required when clicking Download Files | Basic online conversion tools usable without login; email/password accounts supported for desktop suite |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Uses a post-conversion login wall at the download step and places a "Download for MacOS" desktop app button beside Download Files. | Not verified |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | AI Document Tool Suite (Wangxu Tech / Apowersoft) | Avanquest Software (Claranova SE) |
| Recorded origin | Not verified | France / USA / Canada |
| Domain history record | Not verified | Founded in 2007 (operating for nearly 20 years) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Operated by Wangxu Technology (HK) Co., Limited (Apowersoft) since 2018. | Not verified |
| External reputation record | Not verified | Veteran document utility operating since 2007, now maintained by public software group Avanquest / Claranova. |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Not verified | Google Analytics · Google Tag Manager · Axeptio · Avanquest Analytics |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Uploads to Alibaba Cloud Hong Kong OSS and converts via gw.aoscdn.com async task queue; requires account login to retrieve the converted DOCX. | Not verified |
| Retention statement | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record | 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 | 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. | 45 / 65 Text Retention: 100% · Native Word Tables (<w:tbl>): 0 (0 cells) · Page 2 Preserved: Yes |
| Deliverable specifications | 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. | 17 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: 2-page intact watermark-free DOCX (6.0 KB · 100% text retention) |
| Processing speed | 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). | 12 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 9.08s (API mode: async_verified; network upload 0s / end-to-end 9.08s shown for reference only, never penalized) |
