unfleece
English

PDF → Text

Extract the selectable text from a PDF. (Scanned/image PDFs have no text to extract.)

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Overview

About PDF → Text

Reach for this when you need the raw words out of a PDF and nothing else. It reads the text layer that is already embedded in the file and hands you back plain text you can paste into a note, an editor, or a search box. Because it only pulls what is genuinely there, a scanned or image-only PDF gives you nothing back, since those pages are pictures with no text underneath. If that is your situation, run OCR on the file first to build a text layer, then come back here. The whole thing happens in your browser, so the document stays on your machine.

How it works

How to pdf → text

1

Add your file

Drop it in or click to choose. It stays on your device.

2

Set options

Tweak the settings, or just use the sensible defaults.

3

Download the result

One click. It was built right here, in your browser.

The honest difference

Why Unfleece vs fleeceware

Unfleece

  • Runs in your browser — no file upload
  • Free, no account, no card
  • Open source (AGPL-3.0)
  • No file-size paywall

Typical fleeceware site

  • Uploads your file to a server
  • $1 trial → ~$50 / week
  • Closed and opaque
  • Locks results behind pay
Questions

Frequently asked

What does the output look like?
The output is plain text, not a formatted document. It pulls the words from the PDF's text layer, so you get the readable content without the original page layout, fonts, or styling.
Why did I get nothing back from my scanned PDF?
A scanned or image-only PDF has no text layer to extract, so there is nothing for this tool to pull out. Those pages are images of text, not actual text. Run an OCR tool on the file first to add a text layer, then extract from that.
Does it keep formatting, tables, or columns?
No, this tool returns plain text only and does not preserve formatting, tables, or column structure. The text comes out in the order the PDF stores it, which may not always match the visual reading order.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. The extraction runs entirely in your browser and your PDF never leaves your device. You can confirm this by opening your browser's Network tab and watching that no upload request is made.
Keep going

Related tools

Images → PDF PDF → JPG PDF → PNG PDF → EPUB