Mehrab Imtiaz
PDFZilla is a very simple and lightweight PDF conversion software. The conversion capability is one way only, which is PDF to any other popular file format. This PDFZilla review will dive deep to bring out whatever this lightweight application has on offer to the niche offline users.
PDFZilla Overview
What is PDFZilla?
PDFZilla is, in essence, a simple PDF conversion software. As such, it does one thing and one thing only: Convert PDF files to other file formats. These formats are:
- DOC: Word document
- XLS: Excel spreadsheet
- RTF and TXT: Text formats
- BMP, JPG, GIF and TIF: Image formats
- HTML: Static web page format
- SWF: Flash format
We live in a time where PDF is the most secure way to share office documents. But where it wins in security, it loses in customizability and readability (digitally). So software that can convert these static PDF documents to a more work-friendly format becomes a staple at any organization. This is where a software like PDFZIlla comes into play.
PDFZIlla Details
Website: https://www.pdfzilla.com/
Discussions: https://pdfzilla.com/faq.html (There are no blogs or forums that are available)
Supported Languages: English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
Overview of Features
- Convert PDF documents to any popular file format.
- Convert PDF documents to HTML or SWF format.
- Merge, Split and Rotate PDF documents.
- Ultra-lightweight software package at a very low price
Company Details
No information was available at the time.
Home Page: https://www.pdfzilla.com/
Address: N/A
PDFZilla Review & Comparison
Ratings Breakdown
Our Verdict After Testing
We have done our tests with an office workplace in mind, with ours as an example. The software in our list were chosen among many to fulfill the duties of a primary PDF driver for an organization. That said…
Simplicity has its strengths, but so too do some glaring weaknesses, and PDFZIlla is no exception. From the short time we had experiencing PDFZilla, we can confidently say that it is in all ways unexceptional, especially by today’s standards.
No surprises there, really, the base software was released some ten years ago and is currently running version 3 with no exceptional changes.
At its core, PDFZilla is a simple PDF document converter. And honestly? It is not a very good one. This is owing to the fact that it has the most basic conversion customizability, unbelievably slow processes, and dons an outlook of a software that truly is a decade old. Especially compared to the other software on our list.
But we did mention strengths, didn’t we? That can be simply boiled down to PDFZIlla having such great options to convert your PDF documents to almost any type of editable format you want and in such a small offline package. All of this can be done in under 5 clicks in total. That also brings us to the fact that it is the cheapest product on our list.
Pros
+ Small Package: Not at all imposing on your computer’s specs. Can be carried around in a flash drive.
+ Easy to Use: Simple interface and layout. Not a whole lot of buttons to go through to get the job done.
+ Good Bonus Features: PDFZilla can Merge, Split and Rotate PDF documents very well.
+ Has OCR: Not the best, but at least it has the capability.
Cons
– Almost Zero Document Customization: You cannot create, edit or even view PDF documents.
– Low Features: Not enough depth for the options it does have.
– No Security Features: Passwords, redactions, or signatures.
– No Online Integration: No cloud support or sharing.
– Cannot convert other formats to PDF.
Comparison to Similar Products
User Experience
PDFZIlla is true to its promises and delivers (mostly), but as a PDF software package, it leaves a lot to be desired.
From start to finish, PDFZilla screams simplicity. But it is the simplicity of a generation past. While it does induce certain twangs of nostalgia (I must be getting old), modern-day workplaces may not find it very appealing.
The layout and the processes are very bare bones. All the options that are available are readily presented to you on startup and can be worked through in under a few clicks.
We have tried every possible combination of input during our tests, thanks to the software being so easy to use and having such a low amount of functions. It has executed them all.
The results were satisfactory but the process itself takes a lot of time. By that I mean a lot!
A 150 page of an annual report (text and images) took a solid three minutes, much more than all of its competitors giving similar results.
That said, PDFZilla was clearly made for a much simpler workplace or an individual, which is also reflected by its low one-time-pay pricing scheme. More on that later.
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User Interface
PDFZIlla is a fish out of water with its early Windows XP look and feel. It is a nostalgia trip to be sure, but for most workplaces today those memories are best left in the past.
On startup, PDFZilla is a small window on the center of the screen, virtually taking less than a quarter of the available screen space on some monitors.
Obnoxiously enough, it always tries to be on top of everything unless minimized, even if you click on the open windows behind it. We got used to it after a few days, but it still proves to be annoying at times.
The buttons themselves are pretty neatly arranged and responsive enough. Each click of a button takes us to a different process window accordingly. Each process has its own distinctive style and options, which was very welcome.
Simple and to the point
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Document Customizability
The primary focus of PDFZilla is PDF conversion, so unsurprisingly it has a woefully low amount of options for document customizability. It has the lowest among all the software in our list and takes the bottom position.
The three points that it does get are for the three available options: Split, Merge and Rotate.
Split or PDF Cutter allows you to Delete or Split certain pages of the PDF document. The options available are versatile and on par with the best software on our list.
Merge or PDF Merger of PDFZilla is very simple, only allowing you to add before or after the base PDF document. If you want to get creative, you can always follow the Split>Merge>Merge method if you are looking to add pages in between.
The PDF Rotator of PDFZilla is also surprisingly in-depth, giving us more than standard options to rotate our PDF documents.
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Security
PDFZilla has no security options available in the software package. Much like another dedicated PDF converter on our list, Cogniview PDF2XL.
While it isn’t an issue for individuals, small startups, or if you are dealing with documents that have no sensitive information, features surrounding documents security is a must-have for any modern workplace.
Here’s a workaround however: You can always utilize SmallPDF’s free online security features if you find yourself in a bind.
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Online Support
PDFZilla again takes a bottom position on our list. But not for the lack of trying.
To be fair, the software itself does not require much support. Most of the problems we’ve faced can be categorized as quality of life challenges. PDFZilla’s limited functionality plays a big part in its simplicity and ease of use to actually warrant any online support. At least from our experience.
But what support it does provide comes in the form of written troubleshooting guides with screenshots and FAQs.
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Feature Showcase: Converting a PDF Document to Excel
The main selling point of PDFZilla is its ability to convert PDF documents to any file format. This ability is critical in any workplace.
Let’s see how it’s done and critique the results:
Step 1: Selecting the file(s)
PDFZilla has a very simple interface allowing us to begin our process right after opening the software. Selecting the PDF to Excel Converter will open the conversion window.
Here, selecting the big green ‘plus’ button will allow you to select the file you wish to be converted.
Add Files and other options
You can add multiple files this way, or add a whole folder to be converted by clicking on the button with the folder and the plus sign. Yes, batch conversion is available with PDFZilla.
Step 2: Selecting the conversion options
On the right side of the window, you will see the conversion options that are available to you, which is not much at all. You can only select the range of pages and the type of output format.
Available Customization Options
Step 3: Hit the ‘Start Converting Now’ button
Document before conversion
Worksheet after conversion
The whole process takes 3 clicks but as you can see from the results, the conversion is not great. Barely passable. Formatting is kind of all over the place but at least there is enough space for cleanup and reformatting. We hope that PDFZilla adds some more customization options to the conversion in future updates.
Pricing
PDFZilla offers a very lucrative pricing scheme that reflects the simplicity of the software.
It offers only a single standard package worth $49.95. This is a one-time-only payment for the whole software.
There are frequent promos available which brings down the price to $29.95. Make sure to keep an eye out for it!
PDFZIlla is the cheapest software on our list.
Final Words
PDFZilla may not be the best on our list, but it is good enough to be on our list in the first place. It does not fulfill the role of an all-in-one PDF driver at the workplace, but it has decent enough features to be considered as a baseline PDF converter. It doesn’t hurt that it has other decent tools on it that are on par with the best in our list as well.
And did we mention the price?
While it does have a fraction of the features of the best in our list, it also costs a fraction of what the best are going for. All that with a single payment.
If you are an individual or an organization that is looking for a particular set of tools, then PDFZilla might just be the package for you on a budget.
