About SwapDoc
SwapDoc is a free tool for converting documents between Word and PDF. It's an independent project, run from the UK, built to do one job well without getting in your way.
Why it exists
Most people only need to convert a document now and then: a CV that has to be a PDF, a
form that arrived as a PDF and needs editing, an old .doc from years ago. Many
converters online ask you to sign up, add watermarks, limit you to a couple of files a day
or push you towards a subscription. SwapDoc doesn't. You drop a file in, you get the
converted file back, and that's it.
How it works
When you upload a file, it's sent over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection to our server, hosted on Microsoft Azure in the UK. The server converts it using LibreOffice, the free, open-source office suite, and sends the result straight back to your browser. Both your original and the converted file are deleted as soon as the download finishes. A clean-up process also removes anything left behind (for example, if you closed the page mid-conversion) within about ten minutes.
Nobody reads your documents, and there's no account, so we never know who you are.
What it can and can't do
- Word to PDF:
.docxand.docfiles. - PDF to Word: PDFs to editable
.docx. - Up to 25 MB per file, with a fair-use limit on how many conversions one person can do in a short time, to keep it fast for everyone.
- No text recognition (OCR) yet, so scanned PDFs won't become editable text. Our PDF to Word guide explains a free way to handle scans.
How it stays free
SwapDoc shows a small number of adverts from Google AdSense, which pay for the hosting. There are no paid plans and no premium features held back. Ads never appear inside your documents. Visitors in the UK and Europe are asked before any personalised advertising is used; see the Privacy Policy for details.
Get in touch
Found a file that won't convert properly, or have an idea? We'd like to hear it. See the Contact page.