PDF vs DOCX, side by side
| DOCX | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Portable Document Format | Microsoft Word |
| Type | Document | Document |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| Best for | sharing and printing documents that must look identical everywhere | editing and collaborating on documents |
Choose PDF if…
…you need sharing and printing documents that must look identical everywhere.
Choose DOCX if…
…you need editing and collaborating on documents.
Convert between them
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between PDF and DOCX?
Portable Document Format (PDF) is lossless and best for sharing and printing documents that must look identical everywhere. Microsoft Word (DOCX) is lossless and best for editing and collaborating on documents.
Is PDF better than DOCX?
Neither is universally better — it depends on your use case. Choose PDF for sharing and printing documents that must look identical everywhere; choose DOCX for editing and collaborating on documents.
Should I use PDF or DOCX?
Use PDF when you need sharing and printing documents that must look identical everywhere. Use DOCX when you need editing and collaborating on documents.
Can I convert PDF to DOCX?
Yes — you can convert PDF to DOCX (and back) for free, in seconds, right here.
Last updated July 2026