How to Convert a PDF to Word on a Mac: 3 Free Ways That Work

You'll often be told to just open the PDF in Microsoft Word. Here's the catch: Microsoft's own help article on converting a PDF by opening it in Word lists Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019 and Word 2016, and doesn't list any Mac edition of Word. So on a Mac, don't assume that route will work. The three methods below don't depend on it.

Which method should you use?

Method	Cost	Best for	Watch out for
Adobe online converter	Free in the browser	Keeping layout, tables and columns	You may be asked to sign in to download after the first use
Google Docs	Free with a Google account	Plain text from simple PDFs	Files must be 2 MB or smaller; tables and columns usually aren't detected
Preview, copy and paste	Free, built into macOS	A few paragraphs or one table column	You're copying text, not converting the file

Method 1: Adobe's free online converter

Adobe says its online tool works in any web browser and on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Linux. It exports to .docx and Adobe says it reconstructs multi-column layouts, tables, headers, footers and footnotes in most cases.

1. Open Adobe's PDF to Word page in Safari, Chrome or Firefox.
2. Click Select a file, or drag your PDF into the drop zone.
3. Wait while Acrobat converts it to DOCX.
4. Download your Word file. If you've used the tool before, Adobe may ask you to sign in to download.

Adobe says files are handled on its servers and deleted unless you sign in and save them. For contracts or anything confidential, read that sentence twice and decide whether you're happy uploading the file.

Method 2: Google Docs

This is free with any Google account and works in your Mac's browser. Google Drive can turn a PDF into an editable Google Doc, which you can then download as a Word file.

1. Go to Google Drive and upload the PDF.
2. Right-click the file and click Open with, then Google Docs.
3. Check the text, then download it from Google Docs as a Microsoft Word file.

Google's help page sets clear limits: the file should be 2 MB or smaller, text should be at least 10 pixels high and the page must be the right way up. Bold, italics, font size, font type and line breaks are likely to be kept, but lists, tables, columns, footnotes and endnotes are not likely to be detected. My full walkthrough of converting a PDF to a Google Doc covers the fiddly bits.

Method 3: Copy the text out of Preview

If you only need some of the words, you don't need a converter at all. Apple's Preview app is on every Mac:

1. Open the PDF in Preview.
2. Choose Tools, then Text Selection.
3. Drag over the text you want, then choose Edit, then Copy.
4. Paste it into Word, Pages or Google Docs.

Here's a trick most people don't know: Apple says that if you hold down the Option key while you select, Preview copies text vertically, which is how you grab a single column from a table. To copy part of a page as a picture instead, choose Tools, then Rectangular Selection.

If Preview won't let you select text

Apple lists two common reasons: the Text Selection tool isn't switched on, or the PDF is password protected. If the PDF is just a scan, there's no real text in it to select, so you'll need a converter with text recognition, such as Adobe's, instead.

Scanned PDFs need text recognition

A scanned PDF is a picture of a page. Adobe says Acrobat's OCR, which stands for optical character recognition, can detect text in scanned or image-based PDFs and turn it into an editable Word document. Google Docs also reads text from images, within the limits above. Expect to tidy up the result either way.

Why the converted file looks different

Microsoft explains why every converter struggles: a PDF stores where text and images sit on the page, but not how they relate. Most PDFs don't record what's a paragraph, a table or a column, so a converter has to guess. Conversion works best on files that are mostly text, such as business, legal or scientific documents. Pages that are mostly charts can come through as images you can't edit.

For heavier PDF work, the Acrobat Pro free trial guide explains the trial.

Tips for a cleaner result

• Start from the original document if you can get it. Ask the sender for the Word file before you convert anything.
• Use Adobe's converter for anything with tables or columns, and Google Docs for plain letters and notes.
• Check numbers, dates and names line by line after converting. That's where small errors hide.
• Save the converted file with a new name so you always keep the original PDF.

Need to go the other way afterwards? My guide on turning a Word document back into a PDF covers Mac and Windows.

My verdict

On a Mac, I'd go straight to Adobe's free online converter for anything that needs to look like the original, and use Preview's copy trick when I only need a section. Google Docs is the backup for simple text files under 2 MB. And if someone tells you to just open it in Word, check your version first, because Microsoft's own conversion guide doesn't list any Mac edition of Word.

Working with tables instead? See our PDF to Excel walkthrough.

Frequently asked questions

Can I convert a PDF to Word on a Mac for free?

Yes. Adobe's online PDF to Word converter works in any Mac browser, and Google Docs can convert simple PDFs for free with a Google account.

Does Word for Mac convert PDFs?

Don't count on it. Microsoft's Edit a PDF article, which describes opening a PDF in Word to convert it, lists Word for Microsoft 365 and Word 2016 to 2024 but no Mac edition of Word.

How do I copy text from a PDF in Preview?

Choose Tools, then Text Selection, drag over the text, then choose Edit, then Copy. Hold Option while selecting to copy a column vertically.

What's the file size limit for converting a PDF in Google Docs?

Google says the file should be 2 MB or smaller.

Can I convert a scanned PDF to Word on a Mac?

Yes, with a tool that has text recognition. Adobe says Acrobat's OCR can turn scanned or image-based PDFs into editable Word documents.