PDF vs Word: when to use each

PDF and Word (DOCX) solve opposite problems. One is built for finishing a document; the other for working on it. Pick based on where the document is in its life.

Word: the workshop

A Word document is a living, editable file. Text re-flows, styles cascade, and collaborators can track changes. It's the right format while a document is being written and revised. But it looks different depending on the reader's fonts, Word version, and settings — the same problem PDF was invented to solve.

PDF: the final print

A PDF freezes the layout so it looks identical everywhere and prints reliably. It's the right format when a document is done and needs to be shared, signed, or archived. Editing it is possible but deliberately more constrained.

A simple rule

Author in Word. Deliver in PDF.

Quick comparison

• Consistent appearance: PDF wins.
• Easy editing / collaboration: Word wins.
• Signing and locking down: PDF wins (signatures, passwords).
• Archiving: PDF, especially PDF/A.
• Reflowable text on small screens: Word (or ePub).

Need to go from one to the other? See converting PDF to Word — and remember the conversion is never perfect.