PDF Text Extractor
Copy or save all the text from a PDF as a TXT file in your browser, with nothing uploaded.
- Runs in your browser, files never leave your device
- Free, open source, no account, no ads
- Works offline after the first visit
Extract text from a PDF
Drop a PDF here or choose a PDF
Reads the text layer of one PDF. Nothing is uploaded.
Ctrl+A (⌘A) inside the box selects all the text. Text in several columns may come out interleaved line by line.
How it works
- Open a PDF. Drop it on the page or pick it. pdf.js reads it on your device; nothing is uploaded.
- Tune the text. Join wrapped lines into paragraphs, keep or drop page markers and hyphens, and choose a page range.
- Copy or save. Copy all the text, or download it as a UTF-8 .txt file with the same name as your PDF.
Questions, answered
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. PDF Text Extractor runs entirely in your browser. Your PDF is read into memory on your device, processed with JavaScript, and never sent to a server. You can disconnect from the internet and it keeps working.
Why do some pages come out empty?
Those pages have no text layer: they are scanned images or photos of paper. This tool copies the text that is already stored in the PDF and does not do OCR (character recognition), so it lists those pages instead of guessing.
Can it open password protected PDFs?
Yes, if you know the password. The tool asks for it, unlocks the file in your browser and never stores or sends the password. It does not crack or bypass passwords.
Is it really free?
Yes. It is open source under the MIT license, with no account, no file size cap and no ads. Very long documents are read page by page with a progress bar and a Cancel button. If it saves you a paid subscription, you can say thanks on Ko-fi.
Does it work offline?
Yes. After your first visit the page is cached by a service worker, so it loads without a connection. You can also install it from your browser's menu as an app.
Was this written by AI?
Yes. PDF Text Extractor was generated by Claude Code from a written specification inside an automated pipeline, with a test suite that runs in a real browser. The full source is on GitHub, so you can read every line before you trust it with your files.
Built by one person, given away for free
PDF Text Extractor is a free alternative to paid tools like Adobe Acrobat online and Smallpdf PDF to Text. If it earns a place in your bookmarks, a coffee keeps the updates coming.
☕ Support Or on Ko-fi