PDF vs Word Doc: Key Features and Benefits of Document Formats

In the modern day, business and educational cooperation is being established on the basis of digital documents. Millions of users have to prepare, revise, and transmit files: reports, contracts, instructions, resumes, presentations, etc., every day.

The question that immediately arises is: what format is best? In the vast majority of cases, there are two alternatives: PDF and Word (doc, docx).

On the surface, it might appear that there exist almost no differences between PDF vs Word Doc. They are both made to host text, table, image, and even links. Nonetheless, in terms of compatibility, security, and professional look, PDF has a number of advantages over Word.

Compatibility and Appearance of PDF and Word

The fact that document content is always displayed in a consistent manner has been cited by many users as the primary reason for using a PDF file. A PDF will be displayed identically on any device and on any size of the screen and operating system or version of any software.

Word documents tend to change when opened in different versions of MS Office, Google Docs, or other applications. Pages in documents can become distorted due to different fonts, margins, indents, page settings, and so on. This becomes especially noticeable when working with reports, resumes, and commercial proposals. The layout is disrupted, and the text shifts.

Among the main advantages of PDF over Word document is the ability to lock all content elements:

• Text
• Images
• Fields
• Tables
• Formatting, etc.

This allows the document to remain unchanged when using different PDF programs and online services.

At the same time, working with both formats online is equally convenient. You can create PDF online from a Word document and vice versa with PDF Guru. This is a universal tool for converting, editing, and merging files.

Security and Data Protection

Another important criterion for comparison is security. In this case, PDFs again have the edge. This format offers excellent options for setting passwords to access files, restricting copying, printing, and editing. These settings can be easily configured using specialized software and cloud services.

Word documents also have password protection. However, the protection provided is less effective and can be easily bypassed using specialized utilities. Furthermore, DOC and DOCX files often contain malicious code. This is especially common in corporate environments where users encounter macros.

Therefore, one of the reasons why use a PDF file is security. It's worth noting that PDFs were originally designed as a secure container without executable elements. With proper configuration, this format significantly reduces the risk of data leakage and file malware infection.

Legal Validity and Electronic Signatures

The next point of comparison PDF vs Word is their legal validity and the ability to use digital signatures.

It is worth mentioning that PDF is the new standard of contemporary document management. It is associated with electronic signatures and is compliant with international standards (ISO 32000 and PDF/A as the document archiving standards). Businesses, lawyers, government agencies, and accountants find these features of special interest.

Word files are inferior in this regard. Yes, Microsoft Office has a signature feature. However, it's often incompatible with external platforms and has no legal validity until converted to PDF.

Data Exchange and Cross-Platform Compatibility

PDFs can be easily opened on various devices:

• Windows
• macOS
• Android
• iOS
• Linux, etc.

Also, among the benefits of PDF, it's definitely worth noting its support for reading in many built-in browsers.

As for Word documents, specialized software is required to work with them. Alternative editors can often display the formatting of the original file incorrectly.

An additional advantage of PDFs is that they require less storage space and open faster when forwarded. They can be easily attached to emails, stored in the cloud, or shared as a link. For corporate correspondence, PDFs have long been considered the universal language of business communication.

Preserving Original Formatting and Embedded Elements

The best thing about the PDF format is that it is capable of preserving the original format with accuracy and precision. Your Word document might change: on another device or version of software:

• Font size
• Table placement
• Paragraph spacing
• Image placement, etc.

Everything is preserved correctly in a PDF. Font embedding is also supported in the format. This makes sure the document has a similar appearance even when the fonts are not available on the device of the recipient.

Interactive elements are also supported by PDF. This is in the form of forms, pictures, bookmarks, links, and videos in a few instances. Consequently, the document will be interactive instead of being realized. They come in handy and are especially helpful for creating instructions, commercial proposals, presentations, and questionnaires.

Archiving and Durability

The PDF file was designed to undertake the exchange of data and long-term preservation of documents. In this perspective, it should be noted that there are such versions as PDF/A. They are utilized in government archives, databases and libraries, and university repositories.

Word files do not provide the same features. With time, formatting is altered, and compatibility with earlier versions decreases.

In the long term, document accessibility and layout should be maintained, even decades later, which is better achieved by means of PDF.

Printing and Professional Publishing

PDF is best applied to printed products. The file type offers high precision in the position of the elements, color gamut (CMYK), crop indications, and margins. It is the reason why print shops, publishers, and design agencies use only PDF.

It is not uncommon that Word documents are printed; these documents were designed to be edited, not final. DOCX to PDF conversion may also need some further modifications to maintain page proportions and margins.

The final form of PDF allows having no surprises on printing and no distortions.

Final Thoughts

The comparison of PDF and Word obviously proves that PDF is a stable, safe, and multifunctional format. It maintains the document in its original state so that it has a professional look and legal security.

Word is a useful application in terms of editing; however, in terms of sharing, printing, and publishing, PDF is a definite victory. The format is dependent on the task, though the thing is: in case you have to preserve the appearance of the document reliably, PDF is the best option to select.