You need to send a contract, a spreadsheet or a web page as a PDF, and your program has no "save as PDF" option. doPDF from Softland fixes this by installing a virtual PDF printer. You print to it the same way you print to paper, and a PDF file comes out.
Quick facts
- Version: 11.9.530
- Platforms: Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista; Server 2025, 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012, 2008R2 (x86/x64)
- Price: free, including for commercial and business use
- Needs: .NET Framework 4.6 or higher (setup prompts you to install it if missing)
How it works
After installation, doPDF shows up in your printers list and in All Programs. You can convert in two ways: choose Print in any application, or run the Startup window from the program group and pick what to convert and where to save it. The finished PDF opens in your default PDF viewer.
Key features
Print any printable document to PDF
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Visio, Outlook emails, AutoCAD drawings, web pages and text files all work. If you can print it, you can convert it.
Searchable PDFs with no GhostScript
The text inside the PDFs you create can be searched and indexed. doPDF doesn't need GhostScript or other third-party tools, so the setup file stays small.
Control page size and output quality
Pick from about 50 predefined page formats, including A4, Letter and Legal. Use a high-quality preset for print, a smaller one for web publishing, or a medium preset between the two. Fonts are embedded as subsets by default so the PDF looks like the original.
Add document info for indexing
You can set the PDF title, subject, author, keywords and creator. These show up in the metadata in your PDF viewer.
Optional Microsoft Office add-in
During setup you can add the novaPDF add-in for Microsoft Office. It gives you one-click conversion from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Visio and Outlook. Bookmarks and links carry over, but only when you convert through the add-in.
Save to the same folder every time
The Always use this folder option puts every PDF in one place, wherever the source document came from. A tray application gives you shortcuts and notifications, and automatic updates can be checked daily, weekly or monthly, or turned off.
Interface in 33 languages
The interface is available in 33 languages, so you can run it in your own.
Who it's for
It suits you if you regularly turn office documents, reports, forms or web pages into PDFs on a Windows PC and don't want to pay for it. It also suits small businesses that need a free tool they can use commercially. The same setup installs on 32-bit and 64-bit Windows.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free for personal and commercial use
- Works from any application that can print
- Needs no GhostScript or other third-party converter
- Light on memory and CPU during conversion, according to the vendor
- Many page sizes and quality presets
Cons
- Windows only
- Needs the .NET Framework 4.6 or higher
- Links and bookmarks are only converted through the Office add-in
- The vendor promotes its paid novaPDF as an upgrade, which has more features
FAQs
Is doPDF really free for business use?
Yes. The vendor says it is free for both commercial/business and personal use.
Do I need Adobe Acrobat or GhostScript?
No. doPDF creates the PDF itself. You only need a PDF viewer to open the result.
Can I search the text in the PDFs it creates?
Yes. The PDFs are searchable, and search engines can index their text.
Does it run on 64-bit Windows?
Yes. One setup file installs on both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows.
Can I convert straight from Word or Excel?
Yes. Choose Print and select doPDF as the printer, or install the optional Office add-in for one-click conversion.
System requirements
- OS: Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista; Server 2025, 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012, 2008R2 (x86/x64)
- Software: .NET Framework 4.6 or higher
- Download size: about 97.8 MB