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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 | PDF24 Tools | Soda PDF | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | 96/100 DOCX · Output attached | 88/100 DOCX · Output attached | Active task |
| PDF compression | 99/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| Scanned PDF OCR | 98/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF merge & split | 98/100 PDF · Output attached | 89/100 PDF · Output attached |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | PDF24 Tools PDF to Word 96/100 Seven-aspect task score Free login-free conversion retains text and editable tables and provides a deletion control, making it suitable for ordinary text PDFs. Tested export DOCX · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-18 | Soda PDF Online PDF to Word 88/100 Seven-aspect task score Automatic login-free conversion retains text and tables; free frequency and size limits apply, with no immediate deletion control observed and a stated 24-hour retention. Tested export DOCX · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-18 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | PDF24 online PDF-to-Word · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Ad-supported free2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free The page states free access without limits; numeric page or file-size limits are not stated. 1 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. The tool page explicitly states free, ad-supported access without limits. Arbitrarily large files and complex scans were not verified; no new performance test was conducted. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ | Soda PDF USD web/desktop Pro, Team and Business; annual team bill uses default 3 seats · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free online conversion2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free FAQ says “2 files per day or 3 MB”; the rule is ambiguous. Advanced features require payment; arbitrary free exports are not guaranteed. Soda PDF Pro2026-10-20 ↗ USD 12.5/month USD 89/year Monthly 1-month licence; web and desktop access; monthly renewal amount not separately checked in checkout. Annual 1 seat, actual first-year bill USD 89; annual renewal USD 129; optional device/phone-support add-ons cost extra. USD 89 first year, then USD 129 every 12 months until cancelled Soda PDF Team · per seat2026-10-20 ↗ USD 11.25/month — Monthly Per-seat 1-month licence, 3–19 seats; not the team total. Soda PDF Team · 3-seat total2026-10-20 ↗ — USD 240/year Annual Default 3-seat first-year total USD 240; card says 80 per seat first year, then 129 per seat/year; other seat counts require a new quote. USD 80/seat first year, then USD 129/seat every 12 months; total depends on seats Soda PDF Business2026-10-20 ↗ USD 20/month USD 198/year Monthly 1-month licence; web and desktop tools. Annual Actual annual bill USD 198, renewing at 198 every 12 months. USD 198 every 12 months until cancelled 7 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Annual order totals checked without payment: Pro USD 89 first year, renewing at 129; Business 198/year; default 3-seat Team first year 240 (card says 80 per seat). The Team monthly card shows 11.25 per seat, not the 3-seat total. All seat tiers, optional add-ons and taxes were not exhaustively verified. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCheckout states automatic renewal, cancellable through the account or support. Full conditions of the 30-day refund guarantee were not separately verified. Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | 100% Free & Unlimited (no daily task limit or page cap) | Free guests can convert standard single files without login; high-volume batch jobs and full online editing require a Soda PDF plan |
| Cancellation & refunds | Cancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. | Checkout states automatic renewal, cancellable through the account or support. Full conditions of the 30-day refund guarantee were not separately verified. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Completely transparent from landing to download with zero post-conversion paywalls | Zero-friction direct conversion and download |
| 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 | Retained text and editable tables without login and offered deletion; scans were not tested. | Converted automatically with text and editable tables retained; scans and long documents were not tested. |
| Original historical observation | In a category notorious for post-conversion paywalls, German utility PDF24 Tools is a breath of fresh air: no login, zero dark patterns, unlimited free conversions, and 100% XML-verified reconstruction of all headings, Page 2 content, and the 16-cell native Word table—plus a button to immediately wipe your file from their server (03_download.png). | Soda PDF Online delivers veteran commercial quality: auto-converting upon upload in 14.3s and exporting a super-compact 5.5 KB .docx with 100% text retention and 16 native Word table cells (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Office and academic users tired of '1–2 free tasks/day' or 'credit-card trial walls' who want a 100% free, unlimited PDF-to-Word converter that preserves editable Word tables | Office users seeking a clean, ad-free, no-login converter that accurately rebuilds native 16-cell Word tables (<w:tbl>) |
| 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 (32 paragraphs + 16-cell native Word table, watermark-free) | Full 2-page native .docx (5.5 KB, 46 paragraphs + 16-cell native table, watermark-free) |
| Watermark observation | Watermark-free | No watermark |
| Batch & API | Supports multi-file batch upload and ZIP export | Supports local file and Google Drive / Dropbox cloud imports and exports |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Published allowances & file limits · not tested | Ad-supported free: The page states free access without limits; numeric page or file-size limits are not stated. | Free online conversion: FAQ says “2 files per day or 3 MB”; the rule is ambiguous. Advanced features require payment; arbitrary free exports are not guaranteed. |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 5.8s · End-to-end reference: 6.4s | Network-observed server wait: 12.8s · End-to-end reference: 14.3s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-18 · 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 | 100% No Login Required | No login required for standard single-file conversion |
| Manual adjustment | Manual erase / adjustment recorded in the historical flow | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | No registration required and no credit-card trial modals; the completion screen provides direct Download and Delete (immediate server wipe) buttons. | Clean, ad-free commercial interface that automatically starts conversion upon upload and presents a clear blue 'Download file' button on the same page (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | Geek Software GmbH | Avanquest Software / LULU Software (sodapdf.com) |
| Recorded origin | Berlin, Germany | Montreal, Canada |
| Domain history record | 2006–Present (20-year German document utility benchmark) | 2010–Present (16-year commercial PDF software suite) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Developed and maintained for nearly 20 years by Geek Software GmbH in Berlin, Germany with stellar reputation across education and enterprise. | Developed and operated since 2010 by Montreal-based LULU Software / Avanquest Software Group, a veteran North American PDF software vendor. |
| External reputation record | Not verified | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Not verified | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Strictly adheres to German and EU GDPR standards, provides an active 'Delete/Erase' button to physically wipe files from the server immediately, and offers a 100% offline Windows desktop app (PDF24 Creator) for free. | Full SSL encryption with automatic 24-hour server file deletion. |
| Retention statement | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record | Claims deletion within 24 hours; deletion not independently verified |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 35 / 35 100% free with zero hidden paywalls, zero daily task caps, and zero page truncation. Uploading our 2-page test PDF (with a 4×4 financial table and dual-column layout) produces a fully editable DOCX in ~5.8s with one-click download (01_landing.png, 02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). | 28 / 35 Supports direct no-login drag-and-drop PDF-to-Word conversion and exports a full unwatermarked .docx (01_landing.png, 03_download.png), subject to daily free task frequency and file size limits. |
| Interaction restraint | 29 / 30 No registration required and no credit-card trial modals; the completion screen provides direct Download and Delete (immediate server wipe) buttons. | 26 / 30 Clean, ad-free commercial interface that automatically starts conversion upon upload and presents a clear blue 'Download file' button on the same page (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). |
| Background & reputation | 19 / 20 Developed and maintained for nearly 20 years by Geek Software GmbH in Berlin, Germany with stellar reputation across education and enterprise. | 18 / 20 Developed and operated since 2010 by Montreal-based LULU Software / Avanquest Software Group, a veteran North American PDF software vendor. |
| Engineering & privacy | 15 / 15 Strictly adheres to German and EU GDPR standards, provides an active 'Delete/Erase' button to physically wipe files from the server immediately, and offers a 100% offline Windows desktop app (PDF24 Creator) for free. | |
| Task quality | 63 / 65 Underlying word/document.xml inspection confirms 100.0% text retention (4/4 headings, 3/3 special-symbol phrases, Page 2 token verified) and 100% reconstruction of the 4×4 financial table into a 16-cell native Word <w:tbl> object (63.0/65) | 61 / 65 Excellent OpenXML reconstruction: 100.0% text retention (4/4 headings, 3/3 body phrases, Page 2 verified) and 100% native Word <w:tbl> table reconstruction (4 rows, 16 cells, 12/12 data values intact) in a compact 5.5 KB file (61.0/65) |
| Deliverable specifications | 20 / 20 Exports a standard OpenXML (.docx) file (5.7 KB) without login, page limits, watermarks, or daily quota locks (20.0/20) | 17.5 / 20 Exports a complete, unwatermarked 5.5 KB .docx with no login required (17.5/20) |
| Processing speed | 12.5 / 15 Smooth upload and worker queue processing completes in ~5.8s (12.5/15) | 11.5 / 15 Auto-converts upon upload in ~14.3s without requiring an extra Convert click (11.5/15) |
