PDFs & Documents · PDF to Text
Extract the text from a PDF into a .txt file
Quick answer
Open Toolfox → PDF to Text, drop a PDF and click Extract Text. You get a UTF-8 name.txt next to the original, page by page, with a “--- Page 3 ---” line marking where each page starts. It runs entirely on your computer (Mac, Windows or Linux). Files are never uploaded.
How to do it
- Open PDF to Text and drop one or more PDFs.
- Optionally list pages, e.g. 1-3, 5.
- Turn off “Mark where each page starts” for continuous text.
- Click Extract Text. The .txt file is saved next to the PDF.
Options you can set
- Pages
- Mark where each page starts
Good to know
- Only text stored in the PDF is extracted. Scanned pages are pictures of text and come out empty; Toolfox doesn't do OCR.
- Layout, tables and columns become plain lines, and reading order follows the system PDF engine (PDFKit on macOS, PDFium on Windows and Linux).
- Text in unusual font encodings may come out garbled. Password-protected PDFs need Unlock PDF first.
PDF to Text FAQ
Why is the text empty for my scanned PDF?
Scanned pages are pictures of text. Toolfox only extracts text stored in the PDF and doesn't do OCR.
Are tables and columns kept?
No. Layout, tables and columns become plain lines, in the reading order of the system PDF engine (PDFKit on macOS, PDFium on Windows and Linux).
Why does some text come out garbled?
Text in unusual font encodings may not map to real characters. That depends on how the PDF was made.
Is PDF to Text in Toolfox free?
Yes. PDF to Text is one of 57 tools in Toolfox, a free app for Mac, Windows and Linux with no account, ads, limits or watermarks.
Does PDF to Text upload my files?
No. Toolfox processes files on your own computer and works offline; your files are never uploaded.
More pdfs & documents tools in Toolfox
Get PDF to Text and 19 more tools.
Free forever. No account. Works offline. For macOS, Windows and Linux.
Updated 2026-10-18 · Toolfox v0.2.1