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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 | PDF Candy | mconverter.eu | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | 90/100 DOCX · Output attached | 88/100 DOCX · Output attached | Active task |
| PDF compression | 92/100 PDF · Output attached | 92/100 PDF · Output attached | |
| Scanned PDF OCR | 87/100 TXT · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF merge & split | 94/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | 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 | MConverter PDF to Word 88/100 Seven-aspect task score Requires Google sign-in (Free Plan); completes cloud conversion in 8.59s with auto-download of watermark-free DOCX, retaining 100% text and paragraph structure with tables rendered as paragraphs. Tested export DOCX · Output attached Historical test · 2026-11-02 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | 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 ↗ | MConverter free tier and Plus, Pro, Max monthly subscriptions · 2026-10-31 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free2026-10-31 ↗ Free Free Free Free batch conversion without login, 100MB maximum file size, 4-hour auto-purge Basic conversions, isolated sandbox, immediate manual deletion；100MB per file cap, limited batch size；No renewal required, permanently free；Perpetual access Plus Plan2026-10-31 ↗ USD 12.99/month — Monthly Convert 250 files at once, 1 GB maximum file size, unlimited conversions per day No ads, no file branding, cross-device history, human support, File Explorer integration；1 GB per-file cap, 250 files per batch Rules [1] [2]Pro Plan2026-10-31 ↗ USD 25.99/month — Monthly Convert 750 files at once, 2 GB maximum file size, unlimited conversions per day No ads, no file branding, priority support, File Explorer integration；2 GB per-file cap, 750 files per batch Rules [1] [2]Max Plan2026-10-31 ↗ USD 33.99/month — Monthly Convert 1000 files at once, 10 GB maximum file size, unlimited conversions per day High-priority cluster, 10GB massive files, priority support, File Explorer integration；10 GB per-file cap, 1000 files per batch Rules [1] [2]4 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Free unregistered tier supports batch conversions up to 100MB per file with 4-hour automatic purge; Plus is $12.99/mo (1GB file cap, 250 batch limit), Pro is $25.99/mo (2GB cap, 750 batch), Max is $33.99/mo (10GB cap, 1000 batch). Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms unverified MConverter Premium Plans & Pricing ↗ · 2026-10-31 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Unauthenticated free users can execute 1 free task per hour (subsequent tasks require waiting 1 hour or upgrading to PRO) | Free Plan supports single PDF to DOCX conversion; higher batches require subscription |
| Cancellation & refunds | 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. | Not verified |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Hourly rate limit is not stated on the landing dropzone, appearing as 'No hourly limits' on the PRO comparison card after conversion | Displays target format and conversion actions upfront before starting |
| 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 | Text and editable tables were retained; the historical free tier allowed one task per hour. | Exported 10.2 KB DOCX achieved 100.0% text retention via XML inspection (4/4 headings and 12/12 table cells preserved), with table content converted to paragraphs. |
| Original historical observation | 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). | MConverter completes conversion in 8.59s upon login, exporting an editable 10.2 KB .docx with 100% text retention confirmed via XML parsing, rendering table data as aligned paragraphs. |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users converting a single PDF document who want 100% native Word table (`<w:tbl>`) editability and an ad-free workspace without logging in | Users needing fast extraction of complete PDF text and two-page document structure into editable DOCX who accept Google login |
| 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 (44 paragraphs + 16-cell native table, watermark-free) | Full 2-page native .docx (72 paragraph nodes, watermark-free) |
| Watermark observation | Watermark-free | Watermark-free |
| Batch & API | Supports Google Drive / Dropbox integration and offline Windows desktop software | Supports multi-file batch uploads and cloud drive connections |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Published allowances & file limits · not tested | Free: No account; page, hourly and file-size limits; no batching. Numeric limits are not listed. | Free: Free batch conversion without login, 100MB maximum file size, 4-hour auto-purge · Basic conversions, isolated sandbox, immediate manual deletion · 100MB per file cap, limited batch size |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 4.78s · End-to-end reference: 5.68s | Network-observed server wait: 8.59s · End-to-end reference: 9s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-18 · anchor_pdf2word_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-11-02 · 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 | Account required in this test |
| Sign-in methods | No login required for free conversion; optional PRO account sign-in | Sign-in required via Google SSO |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Zero ad banners, zero email gates, and no registration prompts; displays a non-intrusive PRO upgrade card alongside the download button. | Requires account login before first conversion; executes conversion pipeline smoothly upon file upload and auto-triggers watermark-free DOCX download. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | Icecream Apps Ltd. (PDF Candy) | MConverter (mconverter.eu) |
| Recorded origin | Cyprus (European software team) | Europe |
| Domain history record | 2016–Present (10-year PDF utility suite) | European online multi-format conversion platform |
| Background & reputation assessment | Operated since 2016 by Cyprus-based Icecream Apps Ltd., a well-known developer of desktop and web PDF utilities. | Operated by the European MConverter team, maintaining long-term multi-format online document conversion tools. |
| 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 | No third-party services listed in this record; this is not proof that none exist. |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | SSL/TLS encrypted transfers with automatic server deletion after 2 hours and an immediate delete icon on the download screen. | End-to-end HTTPS encryption, provides an instant delete button to destroy server files, with scheduled automated cleanup. |
| Retention statement | Claims deletion within 2 hours; deletion not independently verified | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| 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). | 31 / 35 Provides free PDF to DOCX conversion option upon login with no hidden paywalls or download lockouts. |
| 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. | 24 / 30 Requires account login before first conversion; executes conversion pipeline smoothly upon file upload and auto-triggers watermark-free DOCX download. |
| Background & reputation | 18.5 / 20 Operated since 2016 by Cyprus-based Icecream Apps Ltd., a well-known developer of desktop and web PDF utilities. | 18 / 20 Operated by the European MConverter team, maintaining long-term multi-format online document conversion tools. |
| 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. | 13 / 15 End-to-end HTTPS encryption, provides an instant delete button to destroy server files, with scheduled automated cleanup. |
| Task quality | 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) | 58 / 65 Underlying XML inspection confirms 100.0% text retention across all 4/4 headings, 12/12 table cells, and Page 2 token, with table content converted to aligned paragraph typography (58.0/65) |
| Deliverable specifications | 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) | 18 / 20 Free tier exports a complete watermark-free .docx file (10.2 KB) with 72 editable paragraph nodes (18.0/20) |
| Processing speed | 12 / 15 Completes cloud PDF-to-DOCX reconstruction in ~4.78s after clicking CONVERT (12.0/15) | 12.5 / 15 Cloud PDF-to-DOCX conversion engine completes in ~8.59s and auto-triggers browser download (12.5/15) |
