Guides
Complete answers to the questions people ask about their documents, with the exact steps on Windows, Mac, iPhone and in the browser.
PDF tools
How to combine PDF files into one document
Learn how to combine PDF files into one for free: an online merger with drag-to-order, Preview on Mac, Windows without Acrobat, and the iPhone Files app.
8 min readGuideHow to compress a PDF without making it unreadable
Learn how to compress a PDF and reduce its file size for email or upload: a free online tool, Preview on Mac, Word's export settings, and when to split instead.
8 min readGuideHow to convert a PDF to Excel and get a table you can use
Learn how to convert PDF to Excel for free and get a usable table: an online converter, Excel's Get Data from PDF, the Google Sheets trick, and OCR for scans.
8 min readGuideHow to convert a PDF to JPG (one page or all of them)
Learn how to convert PDF to JPG: save one page or every page as an image, pick the right resolution, export from Preview on a Mac, and know when PNG beats JPG.
7 min readGuideHow to convert a PDF to Word and keep the layout
Learn how to convert PDF to Word four ways: a free online converter, Word's own open-PDF feature, Google Docs, and OCR for scans. Steps and fixes included.
7 min readGuideHow to edit a PDF for free, on any computer or phone
How to edit a PDF for free: change or add text in your browser, use Preview on a Mac, open it in Word on Windows or Google Docs, and know when to convert first.
8 min readGuideHow to make a PDF fillable, and when you don't need to
How to make a PDF fillable with real form fields in Acrobat, LibreOffice or Word, plus the faster option when you just need to type on a PDF and send it back.
8 min readGuideHow to password protect a PDF, and how to remove the password later
How to password protect a PDF with AES-256 encryption for free, on a Mac or from Word, and how to remove a password from a PDF you are allowed to open.
8 min readGuideHow to redact a PDF so the text is really gone
How to redact a PDF so the hidden text is really gone: a free online redaction tool, Preview on a Mac, Acrobat, and the copy-paste test that proves it worked.
8 min readGuideHow to sign a PDF with an electronic signature
How to sign a PDF for free in your browser, on a Mac with Preview, on an iPhone with Markup, or on Windows, and when an electronic signature holds up legally.
8 min readGuideHow to split a PDF, remove pages and extract the ones you need
Learn how to split a PDF into pages or ranges, remove pages you do not need, and extract one page with a free online tool, the print dialog or Preview on Mac.
7 min readGuideWhat is a PDF and what can you do with one?
What is a PDF? Learn what PDF stands for, why a PDF looks the same on every device, how it differs from Word and images, and how to open, edit and sign one.
8 min readComparisonFree alternatives to Adobe Acrobat, task by task
A free alternative to Adobe Acrobat for most PDF jobs: edit, sign, convert, compress and redact with free tools, and an honest note on who should still pay.
8 min readComparisoniLovePDF alternatives: free tools for the same jobs
iLovePDF alternative: its free limits checked in November 2026, iLovePDF vs Smallpdf, and free ways to compress, merge, convert, sign and edit PDFs, no caps.
8 min readComparisonPDF vs Word document: which should you send, and when
PDF vs Word document: what each format is for, when to send a PDF or a DOCX for a resume, a contract or a shared draft, and how to convert between them free.
8 min readComparisonSmallpdf alternatives: free tools that do the same jobs
Smallpdf alternative: where the free tier stops as of November 2026, what to look for, and free ways to compress, merge, convert, sign and edit PDFs, no cap.
8 min readComparisonThe best free PDF compressor: how to judge one and what to use
How to pick the best free PDF compressor: what to judge it on, a test you can repeat yourself, free online and built-in options, and what happens to your files.
8 min readImage tools
How to compress an image for email, web and upload forms
How to compress an image without losing visible quality: resize first, pick the right format, use 80 percent JPG quality, and hit 100 KB, 200 KB or 1 MB limits.
8 min readGuideHow to convert HEIC to JPG (and stop your iPhone from making them)
How to convert HEIC to JPG with Preview, Photos, Paint or a free online tool, plus the iPhone settings that make your camera save JPEG in the first place.
8 min readGuideHow to convert WebP to PNG or JPG, and why your downloads are WebP in the first place
How to convert WebP to PNG or JPG with Paint, Preview or a free online tool, why Chrome saves images as WebP, and right-click tricks that skip the conversion.
8 min readGuideHow to remove the background from an image and make it transparent
How to remove the background from an image and make it transparent for free: online for logos and signatures, on iPhone, in Preview on a Mac and in PowerPoint.
8 min readGuideHow to resize an image without losing quality
How to resize an image in pixels, percent or to a target file size, online or with Preview, Photos and Paint, plus the exact sizes for Instagram and LinkedIn.
8 min readGuideHow to turn pictures into a PDF (JPG, PNG, HEIC and scans)
How to convert JPG, PNG or HEIC pictures to PDF and scan paper documents to PDF on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac, free. Several photos in one file, in order.
8 min readWord tools
How to compare two Word documents for differences
How to compare two Word documents for differences with Word's Compare and Combine, Track Changes, Google Docs or a free online tool, and how to read the result.
8 min readGuideHow to count words in a document
How to count words in a document in Word, Google Docs or Pages, check a DOCX or PDF with a free word count checker, skip footnotes, and turn pages into words.
7 min readGuideHow to fix a corrupted Word document
How to fix a corrupted Word document that won't open: Open and Repair, Recover Text from Any File, the ZIP trick, a free online repair, and finding a backup.
8 min readGuideHow to password protect a Word document
How to password protect a Word document on Windows, Mac or online with AES encryption, how it differs from Restrict Editing, and how to remove a known password.
8 min readGuideHow to save a Word document as a PDF
How to save a Word document as a PDF in Word on Windows and Mac, from Google Docs, or with a free DOCX to PDF converter when you have no Word, plus checks.
7 min readExcel tools
How to compare two Excel files and find every difference
How to compare two Excel files and find every changed cell: an online compare tool, View Side by Side, conditional formatting, XLOOKUP by ID and Google Sheets.
8 min readGuideHow to convert a CSV to Excel without losing leading zeros, dates or accents
How to convert CSV to Excel and keep leading zeros, dates and accents: Excel's From Text/CSV import, Google Sheets, a free CSV to XLSX converter and cleanup.
8 min readGuideHow to convert Excel to PDF without cutting off columns
How to convert Excel to PDF on one page without cutting off columns: Fit to 1 page wide, print area, landscape, Save As PDF on Windows and Mac, or online.
8 min readGuideHow to unlock a protected Excel sheet, and when no tool can help
How to unlock a protected Excel sheet or workbook: Review, Unprotect Sheet, a free online unlocker for files you own, and the truth about forgotten passwords.
8 min readDocument templates
How to make a certificate (and what to write on it)
How to make a certificate of completion, appreciation or achievement: what goes on it, wording examples, Word and PowerPoint templates, a free maker, printing.
8 min readGuideHow to make a resume that passes applicant tracking systems
How to make an ATS friendly resume: what applicant tracking systems read, the safe single-column format, what to put on a resume, result bullets, PDF vs Word.
8 min readGuideHow to write a cover letter that gets read
How to write a cover letter in the standard US format: what goes in each paragraph, how to tailor it to the posting, mistakes to avoid, and a free generator.
8 min readGuideHow to write an invoice that gets paid
How to write an invoice that gets paid on time: the elements every US invoice needs, numbering, sales tax basics, Net 30 terms, late fees, and a free generator.
8 min read