It is inevitable that at some point you are going to need to convert a document from one format to another.  Generally, doing so on a Windows PC or a MacBook is pretty straightforward.  But what if you are on the go?  Then the challenge gets a bit tougher as there are dozens of apps out there that convert to one type of file or another but not necessarily universally.  That’s especially true if you are using cloud-based storage for documents like Dropbox or Google Drive.

Enter PDF Converter by Cometdocs.  This single app is able to convert virtually any type of document to a PDF or a PDF to any type of document.  It is impressive and while the conversions can take some time based on the horsepower of your phone and the size of the document in question, it is one of the best in its class for what it does.

Recently the Cometdocs team sent me an unlocked version of the app to install and review.  I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks now and it is an impressive app.  The question many readers will ask is if the $19.99 price tag for the fully unlocked version of PDF Converter is worth it?  It is a fair question, especially in the less-than-a-dollar app economy.  The short answer is yes if you meet the use case scenario:  Lots of documents to manage and on the go.

Setup & Basic Operation

PDF Converter is a small app, coming int at just over 10MB once installed.  It will prompt you for access to the storage on your device so you can find files that you on it and need to convert.  Once you open the app, you are presented a clean, simple interface with a red “+” FAB (Floating Action Button) at the bottom right.

Tapping the FAB allows you to select a file that is on your device or to select a device that is in your cloud storage account.  Support accounts include Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and the app leverages the accounts you already have setup on your phone to access those accounts.  Once you have your file selected, you will be prompted for the type of conversion you want to do.  For most conversions there is only one option:  The original to PDF.  However, there are some other powerful conversions from PDF to another format.  For example, you can convert a PDF to a Word document, an Excel spreadsheet or to a JPG image.  You can even convert some lesser used formats such as AutoCad, Microsoft Publisher and Writer files.

Conversion Process

With the conversion formats selected, the conversion process is started.  How long the process takes varies greatly.  I found that simple text files to PDF were very quick,  sub-10 seconds in most cases.  Converting larger files from Excel or Word took several minutes.  In my testing for this review, I did not necessarily find that particular formats took longer than others.  It seemed far more size dependent.

Overall, the process works well and the end result is a readable PDF.  From there, you can save the file, share it, email it and rename the file.

Is it Worth The Cost?

PDF Converter has three pricing options.  The Free version of the app allows you to convert a PDF to a text document.  For $6.99 you can select one of the over 20 different conversions to use unlimited.  So, for example, if you are only converting Word Docs to PDF, this is a good option.  Finally, there is the $19.99 unlimited and completely unlocked version.  This gives you access to all of the conversion options in the app.   If you make an in-app purchase, the price is for lifetime usage.  In other words, it is not a yearly subscription.

For many users, the free version or perhaps one of the conversions will do the trick.  At $6.99 to be able to convert an unlimited number of a particular type of document to PDF is likely worth the cost in the time savings of having to move from your phone to your PC to get the job done.

For the serious, power user who is always mobile and needs to convert a lot of different types of files, the unlimited unlocked version is the way to go.  It will allow you to essentially convert anything to a PDF which for road warriors can be a massive time saver.

I should note that you can run PDF Converter on a Chromebook that supports Android apps.  In order for it to be able to get your Google Docs or Office files, you will need to have the cloud storage app installed for your needs.  For example, to get to files on OneDrive, you will need the OneDrive Android app installed.  Likewise for Google Docs on Google Drive.

Conclusion & Recommendation

If you need to convert files to PDF while on the go, PDF Converter should be on your short list of apps to consider.  The app performs well, makes clean PDF files and when fully unlocked, is almost limitless on the types of files you can convert.  I have no problem recommending the app.

PDF Converter is free with two in-app purchase options priced at $6.99 for one conversion type of your choice or $19.99 for unlimited conversions of over 20 file types.  To get more information or to download the free version, head over to the Play Store.