Adobe's Extract API returns rich structural detail. If you want clean extraction without Adobe credentials and credits, this is the leaner option.
Adobe's PDF Extract API is a mature service that pulls text, tables and structure out of PDFs as detailed JSON. It's thorough, and if you need that structural depth inside the Adobe ecosystem it delivers.
pdftojson is a simpler, cheaper way to get a PDF's data: one authenticated call returns JSON, Markdown, CSV, XML or text, on flat monthly pricing rather than credits, with a free browser tool for quick jobs.
It's a well-supported API from Adobe with strong table and structure extraction and detailed structural output.
It returns headings, tables and reading order as detailed JSON, which is useful when you need that depth.
| pdftojson | Adobe PDF Extract API | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | One API call, bearer token | Adobe credentials plus SDK/credits |
| Free in-browser tool | Yes | No |
| Output formats | JSON, Markdown, CSV, XML, Text | Detailed structural JSON |
| Bank-statement reconciliation | Yes | No |
| Pricing | Flat $29/mo | Credit-based |
| Best for | Simple, affordable extraction | Deep structural detail in the Adobe stack |
Adobe's structural output is thorough, and if you need that level of detail and are already in the Adobe ecosystem, it's a solid choice. pdftojson trades some of that depth for simplicity: a single call, five output formats, flat pricing, and a free browser tool.
It also reconciles bank statements against their opening and closing balances and flags any that don't add up, which Adobe's extraction doesn't do.
For most usage, yes: it's a flat $29/mo plan billed per page rather than Adobe's credit model, with a free tier to test first.
Yes, through the API. Adobe's structural detail on complex tables is very thorough; pdftojson focuses on clean, usable output across five formats.
It reconciles the extracted transactions against the opening and closing balances and flags statements that don't tie out, so you catch errors before trusting the data.
A flat $29/mo Developer plan with a free tier, billed per page processed.