Word for Microsoft 365 Word 2021 Word 2019 Word 2016 Word 2013 More…Less
To open a PDF file without converting it to a Word document, open the file directly wherever it’s stored (for example, double-click the PDF file in your Documents folder).
However, if you want to edit the PDF file, go ahead and open it in Word. Word makes a copy of the PDF, converting it to a Word document and attempting to match layout of the original PDF. You always have the original PDF file, in case you don’t want to keep the version that Word converts.
Converting from PDF to Word works best with files that are mostly text—for example, business, legal, or scientific documents. But when you open a PDF file in Word, it might not look exactly the way it looked as a PDF.
If the PDF contains mostly charts or other graphics, the whole page might show up as an image. When that happens, the text can’t be edited.
Sometimes, Word doesn’t detect an element, and so the Word version doesn’t match the original PDF file. For example, if Word doesn’t recognize a footnote, it treats the footnote as regular text and might not put it at the bottom of the page.
Document elements that don’t convert well
Some elements are known to be problematic when converting from PDF to Word format. If your PDF includes these, you might want to open it directly rather than converting it to a Word document:
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Tables with cell spacing
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Page colors and page borders
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Tracked changes
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Frames
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Footnotes that span more than one page
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Endnotes
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Audio, video, and PDF active elements
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PDF bookmarks
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PDF tags
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PDF comments
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Font effects, like Glow or Shadow (in the Word file, the effects are represented by graphics)
How does conversion work?
PDF is a fixed file format, which means the file stores the location of text, pictures, and vector graphics on a page, but not necessarily the relationships among them. Most PDFs don’t include information about structural content elements, such as paragraphs, tables, or columns. For example, PDF stores a table as a set of lines without any relationship to the content inside the table cells.
Different programs represent the same content using different structures in PDF files. For example, a PDF might contain invisible text, graphics, and images. It might use different text boundaries. But you can’t see those differences when you look at the PDF in a reader.
When you open a PDF file in Word, Word uses a system of complex rules to figure out what Word objects (like headings, lists, tables, etc.) best represent the original PDF and where to put those objects in the Word document.
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- Word 2013 and Later
- Word 2010 and Earlier (Adobe Acrobat Online)
- Word 2010 and Earlier (Adobe Acrobat Desktop App)
- Q&A
- Tips
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Trying to view a PDF in Microsoft Word? In Word 2013 and later, including Microsoft 365, you can easily open a PDF directly! Once you open the PDF in Word, it will be converted to a document that you can edit. If you’re using an older version of Word, you’ll need to use an online converter or additional software to convert the PDF to a Word document. This wikiHow guide will show you how to open a PDF in Microsoft Word for editing on your PC or Mac.
Things You Should Know
- In the latest versions of Word, including Word 2021, 2019, 2016, and 2013, you can open a PDF and edit the text.
- In Word 2010 and earlier, you’ll need to use a 3rd party PDF to Word converter to create a Word document.
- One of the best PDF to Word converters is Adobe Acrobat’s free online tool.
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Open Microsoft Word on your PC or Mac. This method uses Word to convert the PDF into a Word document.
- If you’re using Windows, you’ll find Microsoft Word in the Start menu. On a Mac, it’ll be in your Applications folder.
- This method will work in any modern version of Word, beginning with Word 2013 through Microsoft Office 365.
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Click Open. This is an option in the left menu. A new page with a list of files will appear.
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Click a file source. If the PDF file is on your computer, click Computer. If the PDF file is on a flash drive or other external drive, click on that drive.
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Select the PDF document. Find and open the PDF file from its location on your computer.
- In later versions of Word, the file navigation is done within the Word app rather than a file dialog window. Clicking the PDF will immediately open it.
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Click OK or Open in the dialog box. After opening a PDF, you will be notified that the process may take a while to complete. Depending on the size of the PDF file and the number of graphics in the File, the process will take longer.
- Be aware that if you have many images in the PDF, there is a chance that Word will not be able to properly format the document. It will still open, but may not look identical.
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Enable editing. If you downloaded the file from the web, you may be notified that editing is not enabled. This is a security measure that Word takes to prevent your computer from being infected by a virus.
- If you trust the source, click File in the upper-left corner of the window, then click Enable Editing in the yellow box.
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Edit the document. You can start editing the document just like you would any other Word document. You’re ready to cross out some words or remove blank pages.
- When you’re done, you can export the document as a PDF:
- Click the File tab.
- Click Export in the left menu.
- Click Create PDF/XPS Document.
- When you’re done, you can export the document as a PDF:
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Click Convert. It’s in the menu bar at the top of the page.
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Click PDF to Word. It has a blue page icon.
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Upload the file to the converter. To do so:
- Click Add a file from your device.
- Select the PDF and click Open.
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Click Export to DOCX. This will convert the PDF file to a Word document. It will open in the online editor.
- You can click the drop down menu under «Export to» to change the file type to .doc or .rtf.
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Download the converted file. To do so:
- Click the Download file button. It’s the downward arrow icon in the top right of the online editor menu.
- Choose a file location and click Save.
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Double-click the downloaded file to open it. This will open the converted Word document in Microsoft Word. You’re done!
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Download Adobe Acrobat reader. Adobe Acrobat costs money, but you can get around this by downloading a free trial. You can also use Adobe’s free online converter using the above method.
- Get Adobe Acrobat reader at https://www.adobe.com/acrobat.html. Adobe created the PDF so you can get the best PDF tools from it.[1]
- You will need to enter in some information such as your name and email. Be sure to uncheck the option which notifies you through email about new Adobe products and information.
- Alternatively, there may be an extension that you can use within Microsoft Word that would allow you to edit PDF.[2]
- Get Adobe Acrobat reader at https://www.adobe.com/acrobat.html. Adobe created the PDF so you can get the best PDF tools from it.[1]
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Open Acrobat Reader. The process is slightly different depending on if you are Mac or PC user.
- For PC users:Click the ⊞ Win key, type «Acrobat Reader,» then press ↵ Enter.
- For Mac users:Open Finder from your dashboard, search for «Acrobat Reader» in the search box, then open the program.
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Upload a document. To convert a PDF document, you will first need to open a PDF document in Acrobat Reader.
- Click the File tab in Adobe Acrobat.
- Click Open and select the PDF.
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Convert the document. This will create a Word document from your PDF document.
- Click the «Export PDF» button on the right side of the window.
- Choose your version of Word,
- Click the Export button.
- Name the converted file and select DOC or DOCX in the file options.
- Click Save. You’re done!
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Open your new Word document. Find and open the newly created word document from wherever you decided to save it.
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Question
Can I convert a scanned PDF to a Word document for editing?
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
In the most recent versions of Word, yes. Simply open the file in Word and click “OK” on the dialogue box stating that the document will be converted to Word format. Keep in mind that there might be some formatting or transcription errors in the new document that you will have to fix manually.
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Question
How do I convert a PDF to Word without Acrobat?
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
In the most recent version of Word, you can do this directly from Word itself. Simply open the PDF file in Word and confirm that you’d like to convert it. Otherwise, there are a variety of third-party PDF to Word converters that you can download or use online.
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Question
Why can’t I open a PDF in Word?
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
It’s possible you’re using an older version of Word that doesn’t support PDF files. This feature isn’t available in any version of Word before Word 2013.
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Make sure you convert to the right Word format for your computer. Older Word files (before 2007) are generally in DOC format, whereas the newer ones are in DOCX.
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About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 397,094 times.
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Introduction:
PDF has been widely used in our daily lives and work. It can be opened on almost all browsers and operating systems. Usually, most people will download a dedicated PDF tool to read and edit PDF files, such as Adobe Reader or Acrobat. However, have you ever thought that Microsoft Word can open PDF files? Yes, it’s true; you can open PDFs in Word!
With over three decades of development, Microsoft Word has become the most famous and outstanding word processor in the world. With the inception of Microsoft Word 2013, it also enables opening PDF documents, despite being designed for Word documents.
Since its debut, you no longer need to download other PDF processors or pay for them. After all, some users don’t want to go to the trouble of installing any third-party software. So, if you have Microsoft Word on your device, you can use it to open PDF files directly.
Wondering how to open a PDF file in Word? Don’t worry, you’ll find all the information you need in this post.
How to Open a PDF in Word (Losing Formatting)
Opening a PDF file in Word is not as difficult as you may have thought. As described above, you don’t have any additional extensions or tools, simply because Microsoft Word enables you to open a PDF in Word directly.
Steps for opening a PDF in Word on Windows 11:
Step 1. Launch Microsoft Word on your device;
Step 2. Click File > Open;
Step 3. Select Browse to open a new window;
Step 4. Locate your target PDF files and click Open at the bottom of the navigation bar;
Step 5. You will see a notification window that tells you Word will start converting your PDF file. By agreeing to this conversion, Word will automatically transform the PDF documents, and the file may not look exactly like the original PDF. If you don’t mind the consequences, just click OK;
Step 6. When Word opens your PDF file successfully, you have managed to open a PDF in Word, and you can even edit it wherever you want as well.
Note: PDF files can only be opened in Microsoft Word 2013 and later versions. Check whether you have the right edition installed before starting to open PDF files.
In fact, this method only applies to the standard PDF document, which has no complicated multi-media content. To be specific, it is workable when your PDF contains only text and images. Otherwise, if there are table, frame, annotation, audio, and video elements in your PDF files, the converted Word documents will be presented in a messed-up layout.
That’s why we’ve offered a better way to help you open a PDF in Word if your PDF files contain various interactive elements.
How to Open a PDF in Word without Losing Formatting
Word isn’t a dedicated PDF converter at all. You definitely don’t want misformatted PDF documents that lead to a bad reading experience. Here, SwifDoo PDF can help to open a PDF in Word without losing formatting.
Convert a PDF to Word with SwifDoo PDF
It’s never easy to open a PDF in Word without changing the format. However, you may convert PDFs to Word before opening them in Microsoft Word. And, luckily, SwifDoo PDF, a completely free PDF application, can assist you in converting PDF files to other file formats and vice versa. It preserves the file’s original layout. Furthermore, it provides a 15-day free trial, during which all functionalities are accessible. Let’s see how to convert a PDF file to Word in SwifDoo PDF:
Step 1. Download and install SwifDoo PDF;
Free Download
Step 2. Launch this software and open your PDF file within it;
Step 3. Click Convert in the top navigation bar, then select PDF to Word;
Step 4. There will be a new pop-up window that shows the details of the conversion. You need to click Start in this step.
The conversion will take only seconds, and your file will be opened in Microsoft Word automatically once the conversion is completed. By this means, you can open a PDF in Word without changing its format easily. Of course, if you don’t want to download too many programs on your device, you can use SwifDoo PDF online converter to make it.
How to Easily Insert a PDF into MS Word Document
In some cases, users may need to add a PDF to an MS Word document for further explanation. See how to readily insert a PDF into Word without any errors.
READ MORE >
Open a PDF in SwifDoo PDF Directly
As mentioned before, SwifDoo PDF is an all-in-one PDF tool that can help you handle all issues regarding PDF files. So why not use SwifDoo PDF directly?
Though it’s very convenient to use Microsoft Word on most occasions, it does have some limitations. Maybe you won’t have any problems with Word documents. However, it’s better to download dedicated tools for better processing other file formats.
Opening a PDF document with SwifDoo PDF requires no effort. You only need to download and install it on your device. After that, it’s very easy to open the file, and it won’t take you long.
How to open PDF files with SwifDoo PDF:
Step 1. Launch SwifDoo PDF on your computer;
Step 2. Click Open in the left navigation bar;
Step 3. Go to the folder that contains your PDF file and click Open in this pop-up window.
With only three steps, you can open a PDF file without hassle. In fact, no matter what tool you use, you can’t avoid these steps. What’s more, SwifDoo PDF is far more than a PDF reader, and you can use it for more advanced requirements.
SwifDoo PDF — Your Ultimate Solutions for PDF Documents
- The best PDF to Word converter
- Opening PDF in Word without a hassle
- A fully-fledged PDF, high-capability PDF editor
Free Download
Windows 11/10/8.1/7/XP
The Bottom Line
Microsoft Word is indeed a powerful office tool, which can also be used to open a PDF file. However, as we’ve mentioned, Word cannot display multimedia content or scanned PDF documents. After all, you can’t expect Word to perform as good as dedicated PDF tools.
To open PDF in Word, it’s highly suggested that you use SwifDoo PDF as your go-to tool. It can help keep all formatting in your PDFs without any changing.
Download for PC
PDF (Portable Document Format) files are generally viewed in PDF viewers such as Adobe Reader and edited in PDF editing applications such as Adobe Acrobat. PDF files can consist of both text and graphical elements, but how much easier would things be if you could simply open and edit a PDF file in Microsoft Word? Microsoft Word can also be used to create and edit documents that contain both text and graphics, so it would make sense for Word to be able to open PDF files. Unfortunately that isn’t the case – or at least wasn’t the case, not until Microsoft Word 2013 came into being.
With Word 2013, Microsoft added the ability to open PDF files in Word, edit them and then save them in the PDF file format. To do so, Word converts the PDF file into a file Word can read, open and edit, and then opens it, converting it back to a PDF file when the user saves the changes they make to it. The conversion from PDF to Word is not flawless, which is why a user may find that some lines and pages break at bizarre points or that there are some inconsistencies in the document once it has been converted from PDF to Word and then opened in Word. This functionality is also available in Word 2013’s successor, Word 2016.
However, what of all of the versions of Word that came before Word 2013? And what of instances where converting the PDF file in question from PDF to Word causes the file to lose substance? Well, in these cases, you can make use of an application – say, Adobe Acrobat – to fully convert the PDF file into a Word file and then open the converted Word file in Word.
Without further ado, here’s exactly how you can open a PDF file in Word:
Opening a PDF file in Word 2013 and Word 2016
If you’re using Word 2013 or Word 2016, opening a PDF file in Word is pretty simple – all you need to do is use the Open functionality to locate the PDF file and have Word open it, and the program will automatically convert and then open the file. Here’s exactly what you need to do:
- Click on File > Open.
- Under Open, click on Computer to select it.
- Click on Browse in the right pane.
- In the Open window, navigate to the location on your computer the PDF file you want to open in Word is in.
- Locate the PDF file in question and click on it to select it.
- Click on Open.
- Word will display a message stating that it will now convert the selected PDF file into an editable Word document and that you may lose some substance or formatting as a result, especially if the selected PDF file is graphics-heavy. Word will also inform you that the process may take some time. Click on OK.
- Simply wait for Word to convert the selected PDF file into a Word document you can edit.
When Word converts a PDF file into an editable Word document, it prioritizes your ability to edit the text in the file over the overall layout of the file and the formatting of its contents. While the formatting of the content of the resulting document is pretty impeccable compared to the original PDF file in almost all cases, the layout (page breaks, for example) can be a bit messed up, and that’s just something you’ll have to be okay with.
Converting a PDF file into a Word file and then opening it
If you’re using a version of Word that is older than Word 2013 or if converting the PDF file in question into an editable Word document messes it up to the extent that you can’t successfully make the changes you want, you can convert the PDF file into a Word file beforehand and then open it in Word. You’re going to need Adobe Acrobat to do so, however. To convert a PDF file into a Word document using Adobe Acrobat, you need to:
- Open the PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
- In the right pane of Adobe Acrobat, click on the Export PDF tool.
- For your export format, select Microsoft Word.
- Select Word Document.
- Click on Export. Adobe Acrobat will begin converting the PDF file into a Word document, which may take some time depending on how large the PDF file is and just how graphics-heavy it is. If the PDF file contains any scanned text, Adobe Acrobat will automatically run text recognition on it.
- Name the Word file Adobe Acrobat creates and save it in a desired location on your computer.
Kevin Arrows
Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.
Can you open a PDF in Word? Well, if you have a PDF you want to open in Word, you may consider the different ways to do it. There are several methods you can use, but you need to choose the easiest. Below are three convenient methods on how to open PDF in Word.
Method 1. How to Open PDF in Word Directly
1. Open PDF in Word Directly
It’s possible to open a PDF file in Word directly and do all the edits you want. Here are the simple steps on how to open a PDF file in Word directly.
- Step 1: Install Microsoft Word on your PC if you don’t have it and open the application. You can install Microsoft Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.
- Step2: Now open a blank or new file. From the various templates and options provided, open a blank document.
- Step 3: On the upper left-hand corner of the app, click the file option. After clicking the file, it opens a drop-down menu on the left side of the window. Here you have a wide range of options provided.
- Step 4: Now click «Open». Here you get a menu full of contents. The menu lists the various sources from where you will be able to open your documents in Word. For instance, you find recent documents, documents shared with you, OneDrive, this PC, and other options.
- Step 5: Now you can choose the source where you have saved the PDF file you want to open in Word. For instance, if you have saved it on OneDrive, click on it. If you have saved it on your flash drive you need to click on the computer.
- Step 6: When you select the PDF, you can now open it in Word format.
- Step 7: Now click «OK» and allow your PDF document to open. It may take several minutes. This depends on the size of the file and its features. That is it; your PDF is open in Word.
Disadvantages of opening PDF in Word Directly
- If there are visuals and other elements included in the opened document, it may not open effectively. The Word document may not entirely look like the original PDF. Thus, if you want to have a Word document looking exactly like the original PDF, this is not the right method to use.
- If the PDF document has graphics and charts, the entire page may show like an image. In this case, you cannot edit the text. So, if your major objective of opening PDF to Word is to make edits, you should look for another alternative method.
- At times, Word fails to detect an element. Thus, the Word version does not look like the original file.
How to avoid losing the original format
Some of the elements that will not convert well include footnotes, endnotes, PDF tags, page borders, frames, font effects, or tracked changes. With the challenge of converting or editing these elements as you open PDF in Word directly with MS Word, it is advisable to open the PDF document with a professional PDF Converter like UPDF Converter.
Method 2. How to Open PDF in Word with Converting
It is now easy to open PDF in Word by converting using UPDF. Unlike most of the other converters, the app ensures that the format of the original file is not lost. This saves your time since you just need to perform a few corrections after the conversion and the conversion is done instantly.
Consistency, accuracy, and security are the major pillar of this PDF converter. It is an all-in-one PDF solution with annotation, editing, and encryption features together. This makes it a time saver especially if you work in a busy office environment where you need to perform a lot of actions on PDF documents. Your document security is also guaranteed the tool enhances data security and privacy at all times. Your files are never shared with third parties without your permission.
The converter features Optical Character Recognition you can use to convert all image-based or scanned PDFs into editable forms such as Word. It also allows for high accuracy conversion with support of 38 languages for OCR recognition. Follow these steps on how to open a PDF as a Word document with UPDF.
Step 1: Open the PDF Document
You can open the PDF file you want to convert into the program’s interface by either dragging and dropping them or clicking the «Open File» button.
Step 2: Choose the output format
UPDF has a formats panel located on the right side. But you should click the «Export PDF» button first.
Click the format you want to convert the PDF file and then select the options provided. In this case, choose «Word» as your desired format.
Step 3: Convert and Open PDF File in Word
Setting the page range of the conversion is also possible. You have the option to convert odd pages, all pages, even pages, or custom pages.
Tap the «Export» button to start the conversion. The converted files get saved and the folder is displayed on your screen. You can now open the PDF in Word.
Method 3. How to Open PDF in Word without Converting
You can open PDF in Word without converting it into a Word document from wherever you have stored the files. This helps make work easier since you do not have to go through a lot of conversion steps. Here are the simple steps you need to follow.
Step1: Insert PDF into Word
- Open the Word documents
- Inside the document, go to «Insert» and then «Object». When you get to the object dialogue box, click the tab «Create from file» and then «Browse».
Step 2: Open PDF in Word
- Check the PDF file you want to insert and then tap «Insert». Your PDF will be opened in Word successfully. In case you have selected the display icon, your PDF file will appear as an icon. On the other hand, if you leave it blank, the first page of your PDF file will be displayed. Now you are done.
Disadvantages of opening PDF in Word without converting
Although the process makes your work easier, there are some disadvantages involved in the process.
- The quality of the formatting results is not of high standards.
- You cannot scan the PDF professionally and completely. This happens because the scanner fails to scan all the pages.
- With a PDF that is not more than a page, the Word program cannot insert it. This means that large PDFs are problematic when using this method.
- You cannot span the object you insert. This is also why Word will only show the first page of the PDF documents you are inserting.
Conclusion
Overview, the best option for opening PDF in Word is to convert it directly with UPDF converter, and this will keep the original formatting of the PDF document. Not only it has conversion confuction, but it also has reading, annotating, organizing and editing PDF features. Try it Now!