Documents are the main source of how information gets shared around. In this document-specific environment, PDF and Word have made their name. Both are used by working professionals and students alike for delivering content.
While they were created by different companies, they have similar features. So, what factors decide the use of these document types, and what are the differences which make one better than the other? We are here to tell you the major differences between PDF and Word documents.
Basic difference between PDF and Word
PDF, which stands for Portable Document Format, was developed by Adobe. Word documents were created by Microsoft and are saved in DOC format. Adobe and Microsoft also created software to edit these documents. Adobe Acrobat for editing PDFs and Microsoft Word for editing Word documents.
A Word file is a processing document, which means it is used for information that is not yet finalized. It can be easily edited via Microsoft Word. However, a PDF is used to present information. Editing a pdf can be a hassle as Acrobat does not offer much editing flexibility.
Platform flexibility
The biggest difference between the two is their platform features and editing capabilities. Adobe acrobat is mainly used for viewing the final PDF document. There are not many ways you can edit a PDF. PDF is supposed to be a delivery-type document, so it doesn’t make much sense to edit one.
You can always use a third-party PDF editor that does the job for you. These websites or apps let you perform any feasible operation. Merging two PDFs, converting them from one type to another, and much more.
Word was created to be an editable document. Microsoft Word offers a ton of features to edit your document. From text formatting to scaling and rotating your graphics, MS Word is a great software when it comes to creating documents.
Which is better when delivering content?
There is a big difference when it comes to delivering content via Word and PDF. PDFs were specifically made for documents to be delivered as a final product. The contents in the PDFs are uneditable to a certain extent and will stay just as how it was written. PDFs also have exclusive software rights, which makes them much easier to deliver content.
Word documents tend to be less accurate as everyone has the ability to edit the document however they please. Their format also depends upon the device’s specification in which they are used. For example, if the font in which the text was written is not available in the destination device, then it will automatically change the format to a default setting. This leaves the document to look like a total mess.
Can they be converted to each other?
Yes, you can convert PDF to Word and vice versa. MS Word provides a feature that lets you save a Word document as a PDF. However, doing the opposite is not there by default. There are websites online for this specific purpose.
So, there you have it. Everything you needed to know about the differences between Word and PDFs.
