PDFZilla, A Straightforward PDF Conversion Tool for Windows

PDFZilla is a Windows PDF utility that focuses on turning stubborn PDFs into file formats that you can use and edit. It converts PDFs into Word, Excel, text, images, HTML, and even Flash, while also handling basic page jobs like merge, split, and rotate. It is shareware with a free trial but there are limits imposed. It also has a one-time license with no subscriptions needed, which is sweet. The product is aimed at people who need control over PDF content without dealing with bloated, over-complicated, or pricey editors.

Quick Overview

By design, the biggest problem with PDF documents is editing them later to fit your needs. Change date, format, or remove pages.

PDFZilla does not try to compete with the big, expensive PDF suites, and that is probably what we like best about it. You load a PDF or group of PDF's choose an output format, and convert. I have seen it used after someone received a scanned contract that needed edits fast, and opening it in Word instead of retyping everything saved a lot of time.

When done, you can save as a PDF in Word or whatever program you use, and you are good to go.

Batch conversion is one of its strongest points. If you have a folder full of reports or invoices with your accountant breathing down your neck, PDFZilla will process them one after another quickly. You can also convert only selected pages, which matters when a PDF is 200 pages long and you only need five of them.

Features You Will Use

PDFZilla is mostly about practicality, not flash. These are the main features that we use regularly.

●Convert PDF to Word (.DOC) for editing text without rebuilding documents
●Convert PDF to Excel (.XLS, .XLSX) for pulling tables and numeric data
●Export to plain text or rich text for clean content extraction
●Export PDFs to HTML for web use
●Merge multiple PDFs into a single document
●Split or cut pages from large PDFs
●Rotate pages that were scanned sideways
●Batch processing for converting large numbers of files at once

Ease of use is genuinely good here. The interface is simple, and most tasks take just a few clicks. Compatibility is also solid, especially with stiaghtforward documents and older Word and Excel formats. The items we tested had very little of that wierd artifcacting that you will see in converters of this type.

What Is Not Ideal

PDFZilla looks like it has not changed much in years. The interface is functional and intuitive but dated. We get it, people say that same thing about the MajorGeeks layout, but it could use some modern polish if you are asking people to pay a price for the interface. Conversion quality can also vary.

Simple documents convert well, but complex layouts, multi-column designs, or heavy graphics can come out messy. For example, converting a w9 form is easy for this software, but converting or our Phishing for Real EBook whihc has overlyed image and graphics , the program struggled.

The free trial is limited, so you will hit walls unless you buy the license. The price may put casual users off, especially if you only convert PDFs once in a while.

It is Windows-only, so Mac and Linux users are out of luck.

Who It Is For

PDFZilla makes sense for people who regularly deal with PDFs and need to create editable output without learning a more complicated tool. Office users, students, researchers, and anyone handling scanned documents or locked PDFs will appreciate how quickly it gets results.

If you only need to convert one PDF every few months, the price might feel steep. But if PDFs conversion os part of your daily workflow, having all these tools in one program starts to feel worth it.

Geek Verdict

PDFZilla is basic, old school, and but not for casual use. What we like is the solid format support, good ease of use, and reliable batch conversion. We would like to see fewer limits to the trial, but we understand why they are there. There is enough unlocked to let you see whether the product is worth your money and fits into your flow. If you work with PDFs often and want a single Windows tool that handles conversion and basic page tasks without a huge suite of tools, you won't use PDFZilla is worth a look.

If you get stuck or want alternatives, drop by theMajorGeeks forums. Someone there has definitely fought the same PDF battle before.