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Convert PDF to RTF Online


CONVERT PDF to RTF ONLINE

1) Upload PDF file to convert

 

Drop files here, or Click to select
0 %

Allowed file types: pdf, ps, xps, pcl, pxl, prn, eps, djvu

2) Set converting PDF to RTF options

Convert to

 

Options

3) Get converted file

DOWNLOAD CONVERTED FILE
Need to convert more than one PDF file?

This free tool converts one file at a time. Total PDF Converter does it in bulk - whole folders at once, recursively, and from the command line or a .bat script.

  • Batch hundreds of files in one run
  • Convert whole folders (recursive)
  • Automate from the command line or .bat
Download free trial See Total PDF Converter →
30-day free trial. $39.90 one-time. Windows 7/8/10/11.

How to convert PDF to RTF?

1

💾 Upload Your File: Go to the site, click on «Upload File,» and select your PDF file.

2

✍️ Set Conversion Options: Choose RTF as the output format and adjust any additional options if needed.

3

Convert and Download: Click 👉«Download Converted File»👈 to get your RTF file.

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Cloud Based
Convert PDF to RTF without Microsoft Office or any editor. Upload the document in your browser and download the RTF in seconds, on any device.
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Secure
Documents can include personal and business information. Your PDF upload is encrypted in transit with HTTPS/TLS and processed in data centers with multi-factor access control during the conversion to RTF.
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Ease of Use
Converting PDF documents to RTF online has never been so simple. Drop your .pdf and the converter rebuilds an editable Rich Text Format document preserving paragraph flow, fonts, tables, and images. RTF opens in Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer, and virtually any word processor. Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
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Privacy
The contents of your PDF are never read or reused. After the conversion to RTF, both files are deleted automatically from our servers. Privacy Policy.

 

PDF File

File extension .PDF
CategoryDocument File
DescriptionAdobe Systems Portable Document Format (PDF) format provides all the contents of a printed document in electronic form, including text and images, as well as technical details like links, scales, graphs, and interactive content.

You can open this file in free Acrobat Reader and scroll through the page or the entire document, which is generally one or more pages. The PDF format is used to save pre-designed periodicals, brochures, and flyers.

Associated programsAdobe Viewer
Ghostscript
Ghostview
Xpdf
CoolUtils PDF Viewer
Developed byAdobe Systems
MIME typeapplication/pdf
application/x-pdf
Useful linksMore detailed information on PDF files
Conversion typePDF to RTF

RTF File

File extension .RTF
CategoryDocument File
DescriptionRTF is a text file type for exchanging data between various platforms and text editors. This format is friendlier to word processors than HTML. Originally it was a meta-tag format for MS Word, and now it is widely used by numerous third-party office packages. The supported character packs include ANSI, Macintosh, IPM PC, PC-8. RTF is a unite format for all operating systems, the same file is compatible with all apps that support RTF. Besides texts, RTF file contains control commands.
Associated programsAbiWord
Kword
Microsoft Word
TextEdit
WordPad
Developed byMicrosoft
MIME typetext/rtf
application/rtf
Useful linksMore detailed information on RTF files
5 star2026-02-11
Our legal document management system only accepts RTF imports, and this converted a batch of scanned PDF contracts to RTF without losing paragraph structure. Saved the whole team days of manual work.
Hendrik Van der Berg
4 star2026-04-19
Needed a cross-platform editable format from a PDF report shared by a client — RTF opened fine in both LibreOffice and the legacy editor our office still uses. Conversion was clean with no garbled characters.
Oksana Petrenko
5 star2026-01-27
I edit documents in a non-Word RTF editor and this is the only online converter that produced RTF files my software could actually open without errors. Highly recommended for non-standard editing workflows.
Marcus Osei

Rating PDF to RTF   5 star PDF to RTF   4.6 (580 votes)
Rate It

 

 

PDF to RTF Conversion — Frequently Asked Questions ▼

Can any PDF be converted to RTF?
Most PDFs can be converted to RTF. PDFs with selectable text (the text is stored as character data in the PDF) convert cleanly — paragraphs, fonts, and tables are reconstructed. Scanned PDFs (image-only PDFs where the text is a picture) require OCR to extract text. The converter includes built-in OCR for scanned documents.

What is RTF format and who uses it?
RTF (Rich Text Format) was created by Microsoft in 1987 as a portable document exchange format. Unlike DOCX (which is proprietary Office Open XML), RTF is an open format understood by virtually every word processor: Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer, Google Docs (via upload), WordPad, TextEdit (macOS), WPS Office, and Nisus Writer. It is the safest choice when you need to send an editable document to someone whose software you don't know.

Is the layout preserved when converting PDF to RTF?
The converter reconstructs paragraph flow, font sizes, bold/italic, tables, and basic layout from the PDF's structure. However, pixel-perfect layout replication is not always possible — PDFs store absolute coordinates, while RTF uses flow-based paragraph model. Complex multi-column layouts and text frames may reflow differently in the RTF output.

Does PDF to RTF handle scanned PDFs?
Yes — the online converter includes OCR that recognizes text in scanned pages. OCR output quality depends on scan resolution and clarity. For best results, scans should be at least 300 DPI with good contrast. Handwritten text is not recognized.

Will tables in a PDF be preserved in the RTF output?
Tables with clear visible grid lines are generally detected and reproduced as RTF table structures. Tables that appear as aligned columns of text (no visible borders) may be converted as tab-separated text rather than proper tables. Complex nested tables or merged cells may simplify during conversion.

What word processors can open RTF files?
Microsoft Word (all versions), LibreOffice Writer, Apache OpenOffice Writer, WPS Office, Google Docs (upload as RTF), Apple Pages, Nisus Writer, Mellel, WordPad (Windows built-in), and TextEdit (macOS). RTF is one of the most universally compatible editable document formats — if someone can't open DOCX, they can almost certainly open RTF.

Is PDF to RTF better than PDF to DOCX?
It depends on the recipient. DOCX is better if the recipient uses Microsoft Office 2007+ and needs full fidelity (complex formatting, styles). RTF is better for maximum compatibility — older Word versions, LibreOffice, and non-Microsoft word processors handle RTF more reliably than DOCX. RTF is also simpler to process programmatically.
 

 

Convert PDF to RTF Online

PDFs are locked — you can read and print them, but editing the content requires converting to an editable format first. RTF (Rich Text Format) opens in every word processor on every platform: Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, Apple Pages, WordPad, and AbiWord. Converting PDF to RTF extracts the text and basic formatting, giving you a document you can edit, reformat, and repurpose without re-typing a single word.

What Is PDF?

PDF (Portable Document Format) is a fixed-layout document format developed by Adobe. PDF renders identically on every device and is the standard for distributing finalized documents — contracts, reports, forms, and manuals. Its strength — layout fidelity — is also its limitation: text in a PDF is not freely editable. To modify the content of a PDF, you need either a paid Adobe Acrobat subscription or a conversion to an editable format like RTF or DOCX.

What Is RTF?

RTF (Rich Text Format) is a document interchange format developed by Microsoft in 1987. RTF stores text with formatting (fonts, bold, italic, paragraph spacing, tables) in a plain-text encoding that every word processor can read. Unlike DOCX, RTF does not require Microsoft Office — it opens in WordPad on Windows, TextEdit on macOS, LibreOffice, and dozens of other applications. RTF is the most universally compatible editable document format, making it the safest choice when you don't know what word processor the recipient will use.

Online Converter vs Desktop Converter — PDF to RTF

FeatureOnline (this page)Total PDF Converter (desktop)
Batch conversion✓ Single file✓ Entire folders, recursive
File size limitUp to 50 MBNo limit
Page range selection✗✓ Convert specific pages or page ranges
Automation / scripting✗✓ Command-line, .bat, Task Scheduler
Files stay local✗✓ No upload required
PriceFreeFrom $29.90

Batch CLI example: TotalPDFConverter.exe C:\pdf_files C:\rtf_out /ConvertTo rtf /ProcessRecursively

How to Convert PDF to RTF

  1. Click Choose File and select your .pdf file
  2. The format is detected automatically
  3. Select RTF as the output format
  4. Click Convert — processing takes a few seconds
  5. Click Download to save your RTF file
  6. Open in Word, LibreOffice, WordPad, or any word processor to edit and reformat

When Do You Need PDF to RTF?

Feature Online Converters CoolUtils Desktop Adobe Editor Other Software
Batch Conversion Limited ✅ Unlimited Manual only Limited
File Size Limit 1-5MB ✅ No limits System dependent Varies
Privacy & Security Upload required ✅ 100% offline ✅ Local only Varies
Conversion Speed Internet dependent ✅ Fast local processing Slow Medium
Advanced Options Basic ✅ Full customization Limited Basic
Cost Free/Premium One-time purchase Requires Office Subscription
Formatting Preservation Good ✅ Excellent Good Varies
Multiple Formats Support Limited ✅ 40+ formats Few formats Limited

Convert from PDF

Using CoolUtils, it is possible to convert PDF files to a variety of other formats:

🔍 Online PDF Viewer

Convert to RTF

Using CoolUtils, it is possible to convert a variety of other formats to RTF files:

                                                                                                 

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