NimboThe text is read from the PDF's own text layer, page by page, with line breaks kept. It is fast and exact for documents created digitally. Scanned PDFs are pictures of pages: they contain no text to extract, and the tool tells you so.
How it works
- Drop the PDF.
- Choose whether to add a separator before each page.
- Select Extract text, then Copy text or Download TXT.
Supported files
Input: one PDF. Output: plain text (UTF-8 .txt).
Up to 400 MB per PDF on a computer, 150 MB on iPhone and iPad. Larger files depend on your device's memory.
When to use it
- Paste the text of a report into an email or a document.
- Count the words of a PDF.
- Feed the text of a document into your own notes or tools.
Quality and limitations
- Scanned pages have no text; they need OCR (Nimbo for iPhone has Recognize Text).
- Columns, tables and footnotes come out as plain lines, without layout.
Common issues
- The result is empty.
- The PDF is a scan. Use OCR first: in Nimbo for iPhone, PDF Tools → Recognize Text.
- Words are joined or split oddly.
- Some PDFs store letters in an unusual order. The text is extracted as the PDF stores it.
Private by design
This tool runs entirely in your browser with JavaScript. Your file is read and processed on your device and is never uploaded to a server. Closing the tab discards everything.
Frequently asked questions
Does it keep the formatting?
It keeps line and page breaks, not fonts, columns or tables.
Does it work with any language?
Yes, including right-to-left and Asian scripts, as long as the PDF contains real text.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The text is extracted in your browser.