When you are tasked to do a PDF conversion, you have three options and courses of action. First, you try to do the edit or the conversion through a standalone, third-party software that’s probably living in your desktop or laptop by default. The second option is the same route, only on smartphones. This gives you the flexibility to do edits anywhere, anytime.
The third, which is the most contemporary, is to do it through browser-based PDF converters. Yes, you’ve read that right. Online PDF edits and conversion is a thing, and it is the future of PDF applications. In this article, we are looking at the things to consider when deciding on the right browser-based PDF application you can bookmark:
Table of Contents
High-quality outcome
It should come as no surprise that the first thing to consider when looking for an online PDF editor is how excellent the quality of the converted file it creates. You can have the most streamlined web-based app in the world, but when you want to convert PDF to PNG and the resulting file has less than desirable quality, then it should be a no-go.
While it is true that most online PDF applications have almost the same way in approaching image conversions, some are less than intuitive when compared to others. PDFBear’s approach is one of the better ones, where users can choose the quality of the resulting file before converting the image.
Conversion time
Another factor to consider is the conversion time wherein the converter processes the file. For most files under 25MB, conversion time shouldn’t be 2-3 minutes long. Lengthy and heavier files should be completed in 5-10 minutes, and if you are doing a batch conversion, the online converter should swiftly go through the files without choking.
Is it accessible?
Ask yourself as well if the online PDF converter you are using is accessible from all of your devices. Although it is given that browser-based applications only need a working Internet connection, some sites aren’t mobile-optimized. This means that if worse comes to worst, you can only convert on a laptop, or worse, a desktop computer.
Some sites make it less than optimal to upload from mobile. Watch out for those sites as well. Since the core of online browser-based PDF converters is in uploading the documents in question, the upload tool should be fast, streamlined, and intuitive. If the upload time is taking too long, then that’s a sign that you should look for other options.
Is your tool multi-platform supported?
A reliable online PDF converter should be multi-platform supported. What that means is that it should be accessible from any device with a browser. In fact, not just accessible but perfectly usable. Before deciding on a site that offers a browser-based PDF application, check on your available devices first if it can be used in every single one without a hitch. Once you’ve done that and confirmed it is indeed usable, then that’s the only time you bookmark it.
Make sure that the browser you are using is multi-platform supported as well. In this case, you won’t have too many problems as Chrome, Safari, and Mozilla Firefox are supported on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.
Takeaway
Deciding on the right site to do your PDF conversions in shouldn’t be too hard. In fact, a quick search on Google should give you lots of options to choose from. Just make sure that the site checks the list we’ve discussed in this article. Every single one of it. Every single one of it. If not, then you’re better off with another one.