Paperly / PDF translation to English / Local Markdown vs layout translator
Local PDF to Markdown vs cloud layout translator: which to use.
Paperly has two tools that both start with a PDF and sound similar. They are built for different jobs and they handle your file very differently. This page compares them directly so you can pick the right one before you upload anything.
Open the PDF layout translator ↗ Read the main guideThe short answer
If the goal is an English PDF that looks like the original, use the PDF layout translator. If the goal is editable Markdown text, or the file is confidential, use the local document converter on the home page. The translator uploads your file and the converter does not, and that is the main difference.
Side-by-side comparison
| Document converter | PDF layout translator | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Locally in your browser | Paperly server, plus Alibaba Cloud Machine Translation for the text |
| What leaves your device | Nothing | The PDF, and the extracted text when you click Translate to English |
| Retention | Nothing to retain on a server | One hour of inactivity, then the PDF, text and translation are removed |
| Output | Markdown, with a Markdown ZIP for Obsidian-style batch conversion | English PDF only. Not Markdown, and not a bilingual ZIP |
| Language handling | No translation. Local OCR for English and Simplified Chinese | Translation to English from Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, French, German or English sources, with auto detect |
| Review | Edit the Markdown yourself | Original and English pages side by side, edit text, then Update PDF after editing |
| Best for | Notes, specs, research, anything confidential or destined for a text workflow | Documents you may share, where page layout matters |
What the local converter does
The converter runs in your browser. The PDF is read on your own device and no file is sent to a server for the conversion. The output is Markdown, which suits notes, search, version control and publishing. It includes local OCR for English and Simplified Chinese, so scanned pages can be recognised on your device. A batch run can produce a Markdown ZIP that works as an Obsidian-style folder of notes.
It does not translate, and it does not try to keep the page looking like a page. Conversion is approximate: complex tables, merged cells, images and list formatting may be lost or changed, so check the Markdown against the original. See the guides on PDF to Markdown and scanned PDF OCR for details.
What the cloud layout translator does
The translator uploads your PDF to Paperly so the page can be rebuilt. Extracted text is sent to Alibaba Cloud Machine Translation when you click Translate to English. You then see the original page and the English page next to each other, edit any segment, click Update PDF after editing, and download the result as an English PDF.
It produces an English PDF only. There is no Markdown export from this tool and no bilingual ZIP. If an English string cannot fit its original region, that region stays in the original language and is listed in the review notes. See the main guide for the full workflow and the Chinese to English sample for a before and after.
Which to use for which job
- You need an English version of a report, invoice or manual that keeps its layout. Use the layout translator, provided you are allowed to share the file. See the guides on Spanish tables and invoices and manuals.
- You need the text of a PDF in an editor, a notes app or a repository. Use the local converter and take Markdown.
- The document is confidential, or you are not sure you may upload it. Use the local converter. Do not use the translator.
- You need to read a foreign-language PDF but not republish it. Either can work. The translator gives you the page as a page, and the converter gives you text you could paste into a translation tool you already trust.
- You need many files turned into notes. Use the converter and its Markdown ZIP.
- You need a bilingual document with both languages together. Neither tool produces a bilingual file today. The translator shows the two side by side on screen, but the download is English only.
Honest limits of the layout translator
- Scanned pages need OCR reconstruction before translation. That is a beta limitation: a scan has no text layer, so there is nothing to translate until it is recognised.
- Images and text inside images are not translated. Logos, stamps, charts and screenshots stay as they are.
- Mixed inline styling may need review. Bold spans, superscripts and footnote markers can shift after translation.
- Machine translation needs a human read for names, numbers and legal wording. The output is a draft you check against the original.
The converter has limits of its own: OCR on difficult scans can misread characters, and complex multi-column pages may need manual cleanup in the Markdown. Check output against the original in both tools.
Cost and status
Both tools are currently part of a free beta and are not for sale. Read the privacy page for how uploads and retention are described.
Questions
Which tool keeps my PDF on my device?
The local document converter. It runs in your browser and nothing leaves your device. The layout translator uploads the PDF to Paperly.
Can the layout translator give me Markdown?
No. It produces an English PDF only, not Markdown and not a bilingual ZIP. Use the local converter for Markdown.
Does the converter translate?
No. It converts to Markdown locally and includes local OCR for English and Simplified Chinese. Translation is done by the layout translator.
Which should I use for a confidential file?
Use the local converter. The translator uploads the PDF and sends extracted text to Alibaba Cloud Machine Translation.
Related
- PDF layout translator - keep layout, keep formatting, side by side
- Translate a PDF to English and keep layout - the main guide
- Translate a Spanish PDF to English without breaking tables
- Keep invoice or manual layout when translating a PDF to English
- Converter path: PDF to Markdown · Scanned PDF OCR
- Chinese → English sample - desensitized before/after
- Free beta - not for sale
- Privacy - uploads and retention