Should I open a PDF in Word to fill in a form?

Usually not. Word converts rather than fills, and Microsoft documents that the conversion works best on PDFs that are mostly text. A form full of boxes and rules is the worst case.

Can I get a Word version of my filled-in form?

Yes — PDFpad exports a .docx with one page image per PDF page, so the layout cannot reflow. That is a Pro feature; saving as PDF is free.

PDFpad vs Microsoft Word (open a PDF)

Prices and features checked 20 September 2026

Opening a PDF in Word converts it into a Word document. For a memo that is fine. For a form it usually is not: Microsoft itself warns the result "might not look exactly the way it looked as a PDF", that pages may break in different places, and that graphics-heavy pages can arrive as an uneditable image.

A form is exactly the kind of document that converts badly — boxes, rules and tables are what Word has to guess at. PDFpad leaves the original page untouched and draws your answers onto it.

PDFpad and Microsoft Word (open a PDF), feature by feature
Feature	PDFpad	Microsoft Word (open a PDF)
Type on a flat (non-form) PDF	Yes	Partly
Fill existing form fields	Yes	No
Typed signature	Yes	Partly
Drawn signature (touch/mouse)	Yes	Partly
Upload signature image	Yes	Yes
Save and reuse signature	Yes	No
Date and tick fields	Yes	Partly
Flatten so fills can't be moved	Yes	Partly
Save as PDF	Yes	Yes
Save as Word (DOCX)	Paid only	Yes
Reorder / delete / merge pages	No	No
Works on a phone browser	Yes	No
File never uploaded	Yes	Yes
No watermark on free tier	No	Yes
No account needed to start	Yes	No

Pricing, as published by each vendor
Tool	Free tier	Paid	Billing
PDFpadChecked 20 Sept 2026	Unlimited filling and signing; 3 PDF exports per 30 days, each with a small footer line	£6 a month, £39 a year, or £2 to unlock one document for 24 hours	Monthly or annualOne click from the account page, any time
Microsoft Word (open a PDF)Checked 20 Sept 2026	Not free — part of a Microsoft 365 subscription or a perpetual Office licence	—	—

Choose Microsoft Word (open a PDF) if…

The PDF is mostly text and you genuinely need to rewrite its content, not fill it in
You already pay for Microsoft 365 and want the file as a Word document afterwards

Choose PDFpad if…

The layout of the form has to survive exactly as printed
The PDF is a scan, which Word turns into a picture you cannot type into
You want the filled document as both a PDF and a Word file, without redoing the layout

What each vendor says

Microsoft Word (open a PDF)

Word converts the PDF rather than editing it, and Microsoft warns that the result "might not look exactly the way it looked as a PDF". [source]
Microsoft adds that "the converted document might not have a perfect page-to-page correspondence with the original" and that pages full of graphics may arrive as uneditable images — which is most scanned forms. [source]

Questions

Should I open a PDF in Word to fill in a form?: Usually not. Word converts rather than fills, and Microsoft documents that the conversion works best on PDFs that are mostly text. A form full of boxes and rules is the worst case.
Can I get a Word version of my filled-in form?: Yes — PDFpad exports a .docx with one page image per PDF page, so the layout cannot reflow. That is a Pro feature; saving as PDF is free.

Try it on your PDF

Open your document, fill it in, sign it and save. Nothing is uploaded, and you don’t need an account to start.

or drop a file here · nothing is uploaded

How to sign a PDF using Word

Competitor names are used descriptively to identify their products. Every price and feature above was read from the vendor's own page on the date shown and is re-checked quarterly. If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we will correct it.