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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 | Xodo | Zamzar | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | 91/100 DOCX · Output attached | 90/100 DOCX · Output attached | Active task |
| PDF compression | 94/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| Scanned PDF OCR | 90/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF merge & split | 95/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | Xodo PDF to Word Converter (by Apryse) PDF to Word 91/100 Seven-aspect task score Login-free conversion retains text and tables and supports continued online editing; guests get only one free conversion per day before upgrade prompts. Tested export DOCX · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-19 | Zamzar PDF to DOCX Converter PDF to Word 90/100 Seven-aspect task score No login or email is needed, limits are disclosed upfront, and text and tables are retained; free files are capped at 3MB with stated 24-hour retention. Tested export DOCX · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-19 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | Xodo USD individual web and cross-platform suite; desktop alternative identified · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Xodo Web2026-10-20 ↗ USD 10.99/month USD 95.88/year Monthly 40+ web tools and unlimited document downloads Rules [1] Annual 40+ web tools and unlimited document downloads Rules [1] Xodo Document Suite2026-10-20 ↗ USD 24.99/month USD 107.93/year Monthly Web, desktop and mobile bundle with unlimited web use Rules [1] Annual Web, desktop and mobile bundle with unlimited web use Rules [1] Xodo Desktop · PDF Studio2026-10-20 ↗ USD 19.99/month USD 119.88/year Monthly Desktop alternative, not web access Rules [1] Annual Desktop alternative, not web access Rules [1] Web / suite trial2026-10-20 ↗ Free trial Trial Trial 3 days; valid payment method required, cancellable during the trial. Custom team plan2026-10-20 ↗ Contact sales Quoted Quoted Price varies by app bundle, seats and billing cycle; not all combinations verified. 9 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Monthly and annual bills confirmed. Document Suite USD 107.93/year is a new-annual-subscription promotion through 2026-12-31, retained while the annual subscription stays active. Team seat combinations and desktop perpetual licences were not exhaustively checked. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordMonthly subscriptions can be cancelled anytime; trials require a valid payment method. Refund terms were not fully 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 ↗ | Zamzar USD web monthly subscriptions and free allowance; API excluded · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Basic2026-10-20 ↗ USD 12/month — Monthly Unlimited web conversions; 200 MB files; 25 concurrent; 5 GB storage; desktop separately limited to 50/day. Pro2026-10-20 ↗ USD 19/month — Monthly Unlimited web conversions; 400 MB files; 50 concurrent; 20 GB storage; desktop separately limited to 100/day. Business2026-10-20 ↗ USD 39/month — Monthly Unlimited web conversions; 2 GB files; 100 concurrent; 100 GB storage; desktop separately limited to 500/day. Weekly subscription mentioned in FAQ2026-10-20 ↗ Weekly price not verified Other period Other period FAQ mentions a weekly subscription, but the table does not state its price or tier mapping. FAQ mentions a weekly subscription, but the table does not state its price or tier mapping. 5 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Current Basic/Pro/Business prices are USD 12/19/39 per month, replacing the historical USD 18 Basic summary. Unlimited web conversions are separate from daily desktop quotas. The FAQ mentions weekly subscriptions without prices; no weekly price is inferred. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancel in the account; access continues through the paid period and the next cycle is not charged. 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 | Free guests get 1 free conversion per 24 hours; additional conversions trigger 'Daily free use reached' and require Xodo Pro | Free guests can convert files up to 3 MB, max 2 files per 24 hours; larger files require Basic ($18/mo) or higher |
| Cancellation & refunds | Monthly subscriptions can be cancelled anytime; trials require a valid payment method. Refund terms were not fully verified. | Cancel in the account; access continues through the paid period and the next cycle is not charged. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Top banner notifies the user after the 1st conversion that the daily free quota is reached | 'Max. file size 3MB' is printed directly below Step 1 Choose Files before upload |
| 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 tables and cross-page text; the historical guest allowance was one conversion per day. | Text and editable tables were retained; the historical free file-size limit was 3MB. |
| Original historical observation | Backed by Canada's Apryse (PDFTron) commercial SDK, Xodo exports a 10.0 KB .docx with 100% text and 16-cell native table fidelity in 4.2s; the only caveat is its 1-action/day free limit (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). | Operating for 20 years, Zamzar sets a high bar for upfront rule disclosure: stating 'Max. file size 3MB' right below Choose Files and delivering an 8.1 KB .docx with 100% text and 16-cell native table reconstruction without login (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users who only need to convert 1 important contract or financial report per day and want industrial-grade Apryse (PDFTron) table reconstruction | Users converting small-to-medium text PDFs under 3 MB who appreciate upfront rule disclosure from a 20-year UK pioneer |
| 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 (62 paragraphs + 16-cell native table, capped at ≤3MB on free tier) |
| Watermark observation | Watermark-free | Watermark-free |
| Batch & API | Supports Xodo Drive, Dropbox, and Google Drive; enterprise Apryse Server SDK available | Supports multi-file uploads and the mature Zamzar Developer API |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Published allowances & file limits · not tested | Web free allowance: 1 action/day with limited access to web tools. / Web / suite trial: 3 days; valid payment method required, cancellable during the trial. | Web free: 2 files per 24 hours; tool-page limit 3 MB. |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 4.2s · End-to-end reference: 5s | Network-observed server wait: 6.5s · End-to-end reference: 7.3s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-19 · 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 required (limited to 1 free action per day) | No login required (email notification is optional) |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Clean, ad-free workspace that lets users directly click Download or open the converted file in Xodo's online DOCX Editor. | Has retired its legacy mandatory email-gate workflow in favor of direct browser downloads with zero third-party pop-up ads. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | Apryse Software Corp. (formerly PDFTron Systems Inc.) | Zamzar Ltd |
| Recorded origin | Vancouver, Canada / Denver, USA | United Kingdom (Founded 2006) |
| Domain history record | Xodo launched in 2014 (parent company PDFTron founded in 1998) | 2006–Present (20-year online file conversion pioneer) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Operated by Apryse Software Corp. (formerly PDFTron Systems Inc., founded 1998 in Vancouver, Canada), a premier commercial PDF SDK provider. | Continuously operated by UK-based Zamzar Ltd since 2006 (20 years as one of the web's earliest file conversion platforms). |
| 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 | Clearly states 'We keep your data safe and confidential (permanently deleted after 1h)' and provides a trash-can icon for immediate manual deletion. | Completion page clearly notes 'Files are stored for 24 hours', operating under UK and EU GDPR data protection regulations. |
| Retention statement | Claims deletion within 1 hours; deletion not independently verified | Claims deletion within 24 hours; deletion not independently verified |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 29.5 / 35 Allows guests to upload and complete 1 full watermark-free conversion and download without login (01_landing.png, 02_workspace.png); immediately upon completing the 1st conversion, the top banner announces 'Daily free use reached. Save 40% off Xodo Document Suite' (03_download.png), capping free usage at 1 action per day. | 31.5 / 35 Clearly states 'Max. file size 3MB (want more?)' directly beneath the Step 1 Choose Files button (01_landing.png), and makes 'Email when done?' an optional checkbox; uploading our anchor PDF and clicking Convert Now navigates to the completion page with a direct blue Download button (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). |
| Interaction restraint | 25.5 / 30 Clean, ad-free workspace that lets users directly click Download or open the converted file in Xodo's online DOCX Editor. | 26.5 / 30 Has retired its legacy mandatory email-gate workflow in favor of direct browser downloads with zero third-party pop-up ads. |
| Background & reputation | 19.5 / 20 Operated by Apryse Software Corp. (formerly PDFTron Systems Inc., founded 1998 in Vancouver, Canada), a premier commercial PDF SDK provider. | 19 / 20 Continuously operated by UK-based Zamzar Ltd since 2006 (20 years as one of the web's earliest file conversion platforms). |
| Engineering & privacy | 14 / 15 Clearly states 'We keep your data safe and confidential (permanently deleted after 1h)' and provides a trash-can icon for immediate manual deletion. | 13.5 / 15 Completion page clearly notes 'Files are stored for 24 hours', operating under UK and EU GDPR data protection regulations. |
| Task quality | 62 / 65 Powered by Apryse's commercial PDFTron conversion SDK, achieving 100.0% text retention across 44 paragraphs, 16/16 native Word <w:tbl> table cells, and full Page 2 preservation (62.0/65) | 61 / 65 100.0% text retention across 62 editable paragraphs (1,268 chars), 16/16 native Word <w:tbl> table cells, and full Page 2 preservation (61.0/65) |
| Deliverable specifications | 17.5 / 20 Exports a complete, watermark-free 10.0 KB .docx without login, though free guests are strictly limited to 1 conversion per day (17.5/20) | 16.5 / 20 Exports a compact, watermark-free 8.1 KB .docx without login, though the free single-file size limit is capped at 3 MB (16.5/20) |
| Processing speed | 13 / 15 Apryse cloud conversion finishes in ~4.2s and displays 'Done! Your file is ready.' (13.0/15) | 12 / 15 3-step upload and queue conversion completes in ~7.3s (~6.5s server conversion) (12.0/15) |
