Top 10 Pros and Cons of Using PDF Converters

We live in a world of rapid tech advancements, where processing and sharing information plays a pivotal role in our everyday affairs, both personal and business alike. So, the fact that PDF converters are progressively gaining traction comes as no surprise, while the format itself has become an integral part of data handling.

The usage statistics of such tools are impressive. For example, PDF Guru — arguably the most renowned PDF converter and editor – has been used over 2.5 million times in a single year, and its popularity continues to grow. But are all the services for file conversion equally good? What are their main perks, and what pitfalls may you come across when converting PDF? Let’s puzzle things out.

10 Main Benefits of PDF Converters

High-quality and proven converters give lots of perks to anyone willing to transform a PDF file into another format or vice versa:

1. Ease of Use: Online converters are designed to simplify the life of busy professionals, so they feature a straightforward, user-friendly interface with a minimum of buttons and site sections. No tech knowledge or skills are required to change file formats, since all you need is to follow the on-screen instructions that traditionally have only 2–3 steps.  
2. Accessibility: If you want to convert to PDF one of your files, you can do it right on the go using a web-based conversion tool. They are optimized for all screen sizes, device models, and operating systems, which makes them accessible at any time, anywhere. The process of converting files will be equally easy whether you use a phone, tablet, or PC.  
3. Advanced Editing Capabilities: The best converters also incorporate a variety of editing features, allowing users to create well-polished, professionally looking files according to their needs, be it personal or business purposes. The most prominent PDF advantages include versatility and support of different interactive elements, so you will manage to add bookmarks, hyperlinks, and multimedia content, edit text, draw shapes, and more. 
4. Versatility: While PDF is used to keep files in a non-editable format, online converters give you the power to work with content in any convenient way, just by changing your file to the needed format. What’s more, some conversion services accept PDF scans, allowing you to transform paper docs into digital ones.
5. Wide Format Support: Dedicated online services offer two-sided conversion, meaning that you can change documents to PDF and from PDF in one place. The list of accepted formats typically includes JPG, JPEG, PNG, Word, Excel, MOBI, TIFF, HTML, and dozens of other options to suit the needs of every user.
6. Preservation of File Integrity: Technology never stands still, and PDF conversion services are no exception. The most innovative and popular tools implement cutting-edge conversion algorithms, allowing them to change document formats without spoiling their layouts, fonts, images, and styles. Therefore, the resulting files look nearly identical to their originals.  
7. Greater Productivity and Time Savings: Online converters are the most efficient solution to improve document workflow and thus enhance the overall productivity of your business. There is no need to download additional software or spend valuable time puzzling out how it works – just open a converter online, upload a document you are eager to convert from PDF or to PDF, and the tool will do everything automatically in seconds.
8. Cost-Effective Conversion Solutions: The most reliable PDF converters offer affordable pricing policies for everyone. At the same time, their long-term subscriptions prove to be much cheaper than the monthly ones, which makes online converters a top business solution for companies dealing with a heavy volume of documentation on a regular basis. After all, it eliminates the need to invest in costly software licenses to fulfill different business operations.
9. Additional Functionality: Some PDF converters and editors may be an efficient addition to the best project planning tools as they come with a number of extra features allowing you to get the most out of your files. This includes adding checklists, graphs, and tables, as well as writing comments and annotations. Top online converters and editors also allow you to e-sign and password-protect your projects to enhance their security.
10. Variety of Choices: Today, there is an impressive choice of online converters for PDF files. They differ in features and subscription costs, so you can choose the service that best suits your needs. In addition, there are lots of offline converters for those willing to download software on their devices.

10 Pitfalls of Converting PDF Using Dedicated Converters

Far from all PDF converters can guarantee you a seamless format change, and you should know about their disadvantages beforehand.

1. Dependence on Web Connection: One of the main pitfalls of online converters is that they are dependent on an internet connection to operate smoothly. Therefore, you will not manage to do any manipulations with your files in situations with poor web connectivity or when you do not have it at all. If the problem arises regularly, consider improving your wireless network to make it work at its best.
2. File Size Limits: The majority of online converters limit the size of files you are allowed to process when changing formats. Although the presented limits are often enough for basic conversions, things may get more complicated if you are working with a book, a lengthy project, or a huge annual report. However, you can split your file into parts and convert each of them separately.
3. Possible Security Concerns: While reputable online converters protect the sensitive information and privacy of their users, some other services do not impose any measures to keep you safe while you are converting PDF files. That’s why it’s crucial to find out how the converter gathers and stores your data to prevent its loss and unauthorized access.
4. No Batch Conversion: Many format-changing tools do not support batch conversion. So if you have two or more files to convert to PDF, you will need to upload each of them separately and wait for the end of the process to start transforming the next file. Keep in mind that some online PDF editors offer a merge tool, so you can combine several documents into one and then convert it.
5. No Collaboration Features: Even though you can transform PDF file into any other format with just a few clicks, you cannot work on it with other users in an online environment. To do that, you will need to download the freshly created document on your device and then share it using Google Drive, Dropbox, or any other reliable cloud collaboration tool.
6. Potential Quality Loss: Depending on the resources used by a PDF converter and its algorithms, the performance of one tool may be significantly lower if compared with its counterparts. Hence, advanced formatting, special fonts, and complex layouts may be lost during conversion.
7. Paid Subscription: Decent online services to convert your files from or to PDF do cost money, and far from all of them may be cost-efficient. Subscription for some services may reach dozens of dollars per month, which may hit your pocket, especially if you do not convert PDFs on a regular basis. You may also purchase third-party software to change file formats offline, although their costs vary, too.
8. Lack of Mobile App: Since PDF converters operate online, you will hardly manage to download the majority of them on your device. But there is still a way to access such a tool with a click. All you need to do is open it in a regular web browser and add the page to your home screen.
9. Difficulty in Finding the Needed Tool: If you have never converted files before, you may find it tricky to identify which service is best to use, since their number is overwhelming. To handle this task more easily, check out what features a converter offers and what sensitive information it stores. If there is a free trial, try it out before purchasing a subscription.
10. Software Installation May Take Lots of Disk Space: This refers to offline converters that must be downloaded on your PC or mobile device, taking up a considerable amount of its storage space. What’s more, the recommended system requirements for software installation may be rather high, which will not allow you to use a chosen PDF converter.

Final Thoughts

PDF converters are handy tools that provide you with a wide range of advantages, ensuring a quick and convenient process of format change. There are also a number of pitfalls you may encounter in case of choosing the wrong service. Therefore, take your time to find a trusted, high-quality, and feature-packed format changer, and you will get seamless results with each conversion.

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