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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 | PDFgear | TinyWow | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background removal | Not tested in topic | 62/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Compare in task topic → |
| Image compression | Not tested in topic | 82/100 2048 × 2048 (3,744.0 KB PNG, -9.52%) · Historical description; output not attached | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF to Word | 82/100 DOCX · Output attached | 71/100 7.9 KB OOXML package named .doc (100% text, 0 native tables) · Historical description; output not attached | Active task |
| PDF compression | 99/100 PDF · Output attached | 93/100 PDF · Output attached | |
| PDF merge & split | 99/100 PDF · Output attached | 95/100 PDF · Output attached |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | PDFgear PDF to Word 82/100 Seven-aspect task score Free login-free access includes deletion, but a skippable sharing prompt interrupts conversion and tables retain only visual borders, hindering edits. Tested export DOCX · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-18 | TinyWow PDF to Word PDF to Word 71/100 Seven-aspect task score Free login-free access required a retry after an error; text survived, but paragraph and table structure did not, and the file extension mismatched its format. Tested export 7.9 KB OOXML package named .doc (100% text, 0 native tables) · Historical description; output not attached Historical test · 2026-10-19 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | PDFgear web PDF-to-Word; free desktop alternative noted separately · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Web free2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free One PDF at a time, up to 100 MB; OCR is claimed by the vendor. Batch processing and no file-size limit are desktop features. 1 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. The official web limit is 100 MB per file. Its OCR claim is not a RealTest scanned-document test. Desktop batch and offline processing are not web capabilities. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ | TinyWow current PDF-specific and all-tool subscriptions; USD · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Web free2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free No registration; free PDF tools are available, but exact daily allowances are not listed. PDF Unlimited2026-10-20 ↗ USD 9/month USD 72/year Monthly 45+ PDF tools, unlimited PDF use, no daily limits or ads Annual 45+ PDF tools, unlimited PDF use, no daily limits or ads TinyWow Unlimited2026-10-20 ↗ USD 20/month USD 180/year Monthly All PDF/image/writing/video/file tools; no ads or captcha Annual All PDF/image/writing/video/file tools; no ads or captcha 5 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Monthly and annual modes confirm annual bills USD 72 / 180. Current PDF Unlimited and all-tool TinyWow Unlimited replace the historical Supporter description. Other single-category subscriptions do not include PDF. Numeric free limits and cancellation terms remain unspecified. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. 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 | Both the web tool (including Advanced OCR) and cross-platform desktop/mobile apps are currently 100% free | Free unlimited conversions without login |
| Cancellation & refunds | Cancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. | Cancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Completely free throughout; only requires clicking 'skip' on the social share modal | Download button immediately delivers the converted file after completion |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | Text retained: 100% · Editable table cells: 0 · Page 2 preserved: Yes | Text retained: 100% · Editable table cells: 0 · Page 2 preserved: Yes |
| Fixture findings | Text was retained but tables were not editable grids; a sharing prompt appeared during conversion. | Extracted the text but merged paragraphs and flattened tables; unsuitable when layout must be retained. |
| Original historical observation | PDFgear stays true to its 100% free philosophy—offering both Standard and Advanced OCR modes without login (02_workspace.png) and exporting a 16.0 KB .docx with 100% text retention and instant deletion (03_download.png); its only drawbacks are a 'Share to Continue' prompt with a faint gray 'skip' button (03_share_modal.png) and paragraph-based rather than native <w:tbl> table reconstruction. | TinyWow PDF to Word retains 100% of text strings across both pages (including the Page-2 token), but collapses the entire document into 3 giant paragraphs with 0 native <w:tbl> tables and saves the OpenXML zip with a `.doc` filename extension. |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users who detest paywalls and third-party ads or need free OCR text recognition on scanned PDFs | Quick plain-text extraction from a PDF without login when table formatting is not needed |
| Result & output evidence | No native output obtained; the preview does not establish final export quality. | |
| 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 | 7.9 KB OOXML package named .doc (100% text, 0 native tables) · Historical description; output not attached · Check watermark record No native output is attached; check the evidence for specification and watermark claims. |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | Full 2-page unwatermarked .docx (16.0 KB, 39 paragraphs, free OCR mode supported) | 2-Page OOXML Package Named .doc (7.9 KB, 3 Paragraphs, 0 Native Tables) |
| Watermark observation | No watermark | Watermark-Free |
| Batch & API | Single-file conversion on web; unlimited local batch conversion via free Windows/macOS desktop app | Single-file browser upload with Turnstile verification |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Published allowances & file limits · not tested | Web free: One PDF at a time, up to 100 MB; OCR is claimed by the vendor. Batch processing and no file-size limit are desktop features. | Web free: No registration; free PDF tools are available, but exact daily allowances are not listed. |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 10.8s · End-to-end reference: 12.3s | Network-observed server wait: 6.5s · End-to-end reference: 8s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-18 · 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 | No login in this test |
| Sign-in methods | No login or registration required | No login required (Cloudflare Turnstile verification) |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Zero third-party banner ads, though clicking 'Convert' pops up a 'Share to Continue — Share this tool on social media to unlock access and continue converting your files' prompt with a faint gray 'skip' link at the bottom (03_share_modal.png). | First conversion attempt after Cloudflare Turnstile threw 'An unexpected error occurred' before succeeding on immediate retry; also names the downloaded file `.doc` even though it is an OpenXML ZIP container. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | PDFgear Tech Pte. Ltd. (pdfgear.com) | Box20 Media LLC (United States) |
| Recorded origin | Singapore | United States |
| Domain history record | 2022–Present (fast-growing free cross-platform PDF suite) | 2021–Present |
| Background & reputation assessment | Operated by Singapore-based PDFgear Tech Pte. Ltd., widely praised across tech communities for its 100% free Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android apps. | Operated by US-based Box20 Media LLC. |
| 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 | Provides an instant trash-can delete icon right beside 'Download File' and explicitly states 'Your files remain private and will be deleted after leaving our site' (03_download.png). | Automatically deletes uploaded and converted files 1 hour after processing. |
| Retention statement | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record | Claims deletion within 1 hours; deletion not independently verified |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 33 / 35 Genuinely free with no subscription paywall, no registration requirement, no watermark, and even makes its 'Advanced (Enable OCR to recognize text from scans)' mode completely free for guests (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). | 30.5 / 35 Completely free with no account registration required (01_landing.png, 02_result.png, 03_download.png). |
| Interaction restraint | 19 / 30 Zero third-party banner ads, though clicking 'Convert' pops up a 'Share to Continue — Share this tool on social media to unlock access and continue converting your files' prompt with a faint gray 'skip' link at the bottom (03_share_modal.png). | 22 / 30 First conversion attempt after Cloudflare Turnstile threw 'An unexpected error occurred' before succeeding on immediate retry; also names the downloaded file `.doc` even though it is an OpenXML ZIP container. |
| Background & reputation | 18 / 20 Operated by Singapore-based PDFgear Tech Pte. Ltd., widely praised across tech communities for its 100% free Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android apps. | |
| Engineering & privacy | 14 / 15 Provides an instant trash-can delete icon right beside 'Download File' and explicitly states 'Your files remain private and will be deleted after leaving our site' (03_download.png). | 13 / 15 Automatically deletes uploaded and converted files 1 hour after processing. |
| Task quality | 51 / 65 OpenXML inspection confirms 100.0% text retention (all 4/4 headings, 12/12 table values, 3/3 body phrases, and Page 2 code preserved) with 3 background graphics preserving visual table borders, though it does not generate a native Word <w:tbl> table object (51.0/65) | 41 / 65 Text Retention: 100.0% · Native Word Tables (<w:tbl>): 0 (0 cells, entire document merged into 3 paragraphs) · Page 2 Preserved: Yes (42.0/65) |
| Deliverable specifications | 18 / 20 Exports a clean 16.0 KB .docx with no login or watermark, plus free optional Advanced OCR mode (18.0/20) | 14 / 20 Outputs a 7.9 KB (8,113 bytes) OpenXML package misnamed with a .doc extension and flattens paragraph/table structure (12.0/20) |
| Processing speed | ||
