Lass0
PDF to Markdown
Most PDF converters give you one line per line of the page. Lass0 reads the whole file, works out which lines are headings, list items and table rows, and copies clean Markdown. A table that runs over a page break comes out as one table.
A real example
A 2 page handover memo with a table that crosses the page break. Download the PDF and compare. The text below is what Lass0 produced for it, unedited, in 53 seconds on an Apple M1 Pro MacBook.
- Reading 2 pages
- Sorting headings, lists and tables
- Ready to copy as Markdown
Drop a file here
How to do it
Choose Open Document from the menu bar icon.
Drop the PDF on the window, or press Cmd+O and pick it.
Choose Markdown. The text is copied as soon as it is ready.
Accuracy comes first. The model's grouping is checked against the lines on the page, and a part that fails is tried again and then split smaller. If it still fails, nothing is copied and you are told which pages, rather than handed something half right.
Questions
Does it work on scanned PDFs?
Yes. A page with no text layer goes through your operating system's text recognition, the same one used for screen captures, and is then sorted like any other page.
How long does it take?
A two page PDF takes under a minute on an Apple M1 Pro. Longer files are read in parts, and the window shows how far it has got. You can stop at any time.
What about Word and PowerPoint?
Those keep the structure they were written with, so they are quicker. Lass0 reads .docx, .pptx, .md, .txt and .rtf as well as PDF.
Is the file uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read on your computer, the text is sorted by a model that runs on your computer, and only the text is kept, in your timeline. The privacy page lists every network call the app makes, and none of them carries your documents.
Is it free?
The free plan covers 100 plain text copies a week, with smaller allowances for rich text, Markdown and Visual layout. Pro is $6 a month or $48 a year and removes the limits, and adds copying from the timeline, Collect sessions and the three cleaners that rewrite text.
More
Docs · Pricing · Privacy · Copy text from an image · Screenshot to text, straight to your clipboard · Copy text from anywhere on your screen