PDF.ai is an AI-powered document processing platform that lets users chat with PDFs, parse documents into structured data, and extract custom fields using natural language prompts. The platform combines advanced OCR with layout detection to transform PDFs into structured JSON with headings, paragraphs, tables, and figures. With an API-first approach, PDF.ai enables developers to build production-ready document workflows in minutes using a single REST endpoint. The platform serves millions of users including students from every Ivy League school and offers a comprehensive suite of free PDF tools alongside its core API products.
Core Products
- Parse Documents: Advanced OCR and layout detection transforms PDFs into structured JSON output. Supports headings, paragraphs, tables, figures, and metadata extraction with intelligent document structure recognition.
- Extract Fields: AI-powered field extraction using custom prompts to pull specific data points such as names, dates, amounts, invoice numbers, and any custom field you define from documents.
- Split Documents: Intelligently split PDFs into sections by defining custom section criteria, with AI identifying and separating content automatically for downstream processing.
- Chat with PDFs: Upload any PDF and ask questions, get summaries, find information, and extract insights through a conversational interface. Available as both a web app and Chrome extension.
API and Integration
PDF.ai provides a simple REST API that turns any PDF into structured data. Developers need only an API key and a document URL to get started, with no SDK required. Most documents process in under five seconds with enterprise-grade security and automatic file deletion after processing. The API supports document parsing, field extraction, content splitting, and conversational querying through dedicated endpoints. Usage-based pricing means you pay only for what you process.
Free PDF Tools
Beyond the core AI platform, PDF.ai offers a suite of free browser-based PDF utilities including parse, extract, split, merge, compress, PDF to PNG, PDF to JPEG, PNG to PDF, JPEG to PDF, Markdown to PDF, and PDF to Markdown converters. The platform also provides specialized AI tools including a Resume AI Scanner, Invoice AI Scanner, and Quiz AI Generator.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Credits |
|---|
| Free | $0 | 200 credits/month, all APIs, no credit card required |
| Starter | $49/month | 3,000 credits/month, all APIs |
| Pro | $99/month | 10,000 credits/month, all APIs |
| Scale | $249/month | 30,000 credits/month, all APIs |
| Growth | $599/month | 100,000 credits/month, all APIs |
Custom plans are available for higher-volume needs. Credits are consumed per API operation with pricing per credit decreasing at higher plan tiers.
Use Cases
- Legal Document Review: Parse contracts and legal agreements to extract key clauses, dates, party names, and obligations without manual review of hundreds of pages.
- Invoice Processing: Automatically extract invoice numbers, line items, totals, vendor information, and payment terms from supplier invoices using the Invoice AI Scanner.
- Resume Screening: Process resumes in bulk to extract candidate names, skills, experience, education, and contact details with the Resume AI Scanner for recruitment workflows.
- Academic Research: Upload research papers and textbooks, then ask targeted questions to find specific information, compare studies, and summarize findings across documents.
- Data Entry Automation: Replace manual data entry by parsing PDF forms, reports, and records into structured JSON for database ingestion and workflow automation.
Security and Platform
PDF.ai provides enterprise-grade security with files automatically deleted after processing. The platform is built for developers with a clean REST API, comprehensive documentation, and SDK examples in multiple programming languages. The Chrome extension brings PDF chat capabilities directly into the browser for instant document querying. All paid plans offer access to the full API suite with usage-based credit consumption, and the free plan requires no credit card to get started.
