PDFjet vs PDF.co
PDF.co is a deep, credit-based automation platform. PDFjet is a focused extraction API with RAG output and zero retention.
PDF.co is a broad automation platform: CSV/JSON/XML extraction, OCR, template-based document parsing, AI table detection, barcodes and lots of no-code integrations, on a credit-based plan with 10,000 free credits to start.
PDFjet is a focused extraction API: RAG-ready Markdown and chunks, per-element bounding boxes, schema-guided fields, editable Word and a searchable-PDF pass, on simple per-page pricing with zero data retention (PDF.co holds outputs in temporary storage for around an hour).
PDF.co vs PDFjet, feature by feature
| Capability | PDFjet | PDF.co |
|---|---|---|
| PDF → CSV (tables) | ||
| PDF → Markdown (RAG-ready) | ||
| PDF → structured JSON | ||
| PDF → editable Word (.docx) | ||
| OCR of scans / searchable PDF | ||
| AI / vision-model extraction | ||
| RAG chunking (heading-aware) | ||
| Per-element bbox provenance | ||
| Schema-guided field extraction | Partial | |
| Convert files → PDF | ||
| Merge / split / encrypt | ||
| Files never stored | Partial |
Comparison reflects each vendor's public documentation as of July 2026. Capabilities change — check the source links below before relying on a specific detail.
When PDF.co may fit better
- •You want a broad automation surface — template parsing, barcodes, AI table detection — with many no-code integrations.
- •A credit-based model with 10,000 free starting credits suits your mix of operations.
- •You need lots of PDF utilities beyond extraction in a single platform.
When PDFjet is the better call
- •You're building RAG: PDFjet returns Markdown, heading-aware chunks and per-element bounding boxes; PDF.co doesn't advertise Markdown or RAG chunking.
- •You prefer predictable per-page pricing over credits that vary by endpoint, pages and options.
- •Zero data retention: PDFjet stores nothing, versus PDF.co's ~60-minute temporary output storage.
- •You want editable Word output and an MCP server for AI assistants.
Try PDFjet in one call
Point your PDF at one endpoint and pick the output — CSV, Markdown, JSON, editable Word, or a searchable PDF. No SDK required.
curl -X POST https://pdfjet.dev/extract/md \
-H "Authorization: Bearer pj_live_..." \
-F [email protected]FAQ
Is PDFjet a good alternative to PDF.co?
Yes for AI/RAG extraction with predictable per-page pricing and zero retention. PDF.co is a strong choice when you want a broad, credit-based automation platform with template parsing and many integrations.
What's different between PDFjet and PDF.co?
PDFjet focuses on clean, cited, RAG-ready extraction (Markdown, chunks, bounding boxes) with per-page pricing and no file storage. PDF.co is broader and credit-based, and holds outputs in temporary storage for about an hour.
Does PDF.co store my files?
Outputs are held in encrypted temporary storage behind signed links, expiring by default after about 60 minutes, then deleted. PDFjet processes in memory and stores nothing.
Switching from PDF.co? Start free.
100 pages/month, every feature, zero data retention. No credit card.
Get your free API key →More comparisons
Sources: pdf.co/pricing·docs.pdf.co/api-reference/pdf-to-csv·docs.pdf.co/knowledgebase/security