The evidence

Small documents. Inspectable results.

Six free parsers, four controlled PDFs, and the output behind every number. No universal winner and no scan-accuracy claim.

Download the result data

Measured fixture results

How these checks work

Captured 2026-09-12 · darwin/arm64 · Node v22.21.1. Median of up to three sequential local samples. Timings will vary on other machines.

Measured parser results on synthetic fixtures
Fixture / parser	Status	Median	Aligned cells	Reading order
pdf-inspectortext-layer.pdf	ok	1.0 ms	Not scored	Not scored
LiteParsetext-layer.pdf	ok	112.0 ms	Not scored	Not scored
OpenDataLoader PDFtext-layer.pdf	ok	182.0 ms	Not scored	Not scored
@opendocsg/pdf2mdtext-layer.pdf	ok	4.0 ms	Not scored	Not scored
unpdftext-layer.pdf	ok	2.0 ms	Not scored	Not scored
pdf-parsetext-layer.pdf	ok	2.0 ms	Not scored	Not scored
pdf-inspectortables.pdf	ok	2.0 ms	9/9 (100%)	Not scored
LiteParsetables.pdf	ok	144.0 ms	9/9 (100%)	Not scored
OpenDataLoader PDFtables.pdf	ok	180.0 ms	0/9 (0%)	Not scored
@opendocsg/pdf2mdtables.pdf	ok	4.0 ms	0/9 (0%)	Not scored
unpdftables.pdf	ok	1.0 ms	0/9 (0%)	Not scored
pdf-parsetables.pdf	ok	2.0 ms	0/9 (0%)	Not scored
pdf-inspectorragged-table.pdf	ok	2.0 ms	20/20 (100%)	Not scored
LiteParseragged-table.pdf	ok	215.0 ms	20/20 (100%)	Not scored
OpenDataLoader PDFragged-table.pdf	ok	185.0 ms	0/20 (0%)	Not scored
@opendocsg/pdf2mdragged-table.pdf	ok	3.0 ms	0/20 (0%)	Not scored
unpdfragged-table.pdf	ok	1.0 ms	0/20 (0%)	Not scored
pdf-parseragged-table.pdf	ok	2.0 ms	0/20 (0%)	Not scored
pdf-inspectormulti-column.pdf	ok	3.0 ms	Not scored	Preserved · 40/40 lines
LiteParsemulti-column.pdf	ok	745.0 ms	Not scored	Preserved · 40/40 lines
OpenDataLoader PDFmulti-column.pdf	ok	196.0 ms	Not scored	Changed · 40/40 lines
@opendocsg/pdf2mdmulti-column.pdf	ok	4.0 ms	Not scored	Changed · 40/40 lines
unpdfmulti-column.pdf	ok	1.0 ms	Not scored	Changed · 40/40 lines
pdf-parsemulti-column.pdf	ok	2.0 ms	Not scored	Changed · 40/40 lines

pdf-inspector · text-layer.pdf · raw output

Samples: 29.0 ms, 0.0 ms, 1.0 ms

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# Quarterly Report

## Revenue grew 12% year over year.

LiteParse · text-layer.pdf · raw output

Samples: 349.0 ms, 109.0 ms, 112.0 ms

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Quarterly Report

Revenue grew 12% year over year.

OpenDataLoader PDF · text-layer.pdf · raw output

Samples: 332.0 ms, 182.0 ms, 178.0 ms

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# Quarterly Report

Revenue grew 12% year over year.

@opendocsg/pdf2md · text-layer.pdf · raw output

Samples: 64.0 ms, 4.0 ms, 3.0 ms

# Quarterly Report 

Revenue grew 12% year over year.

unpdf · text-layer.pdf · raw output

Samples: 2.0 ms, 2.0 ms, 1.0 ms

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Quarterly Report
Revenue grew 12% year over year.

pdf-parse · text-layer.pdf · raw output

Samples: 64.0 ms, 2.0 ms, 1.0 ms

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Quarterly Report
Revenue grew 12% year over year.

pdf-inspector · tables.pdf · raw output

Samples: 2.0 ms, 1.0 ms, 2.0 ms

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# Financial Summary

|Region|Q1|Q2|Q3|
|---|---|---|---|
|North|120|145|160|
|South|98|102|115|
|East|210|198|225|

LiteParse · tables.pdf · raw output

Samples: 146.0 ms, 144.0 ms, 143.0 ms

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# Financial Summary

| Region | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | 120 | 145 | 160 |
| South | 98 | 102 | 115 |
| East | 210 | 198 | 225 |

OpenDataLoader PDF · tables.pdf · raw output

Samples: 207.0 ms, 180.0 ms, 180.0 ms

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# Financial Summary

Region Q1 Q2 Q3 North 120 145 160 South 98 102 115 East 210 198 225

@opendocsg/pdf2md · tables.pdf · raw output

Samples: 5.0 ms, 3.0 ms, 4.0 ms

# Financial Summary 

Region Q1 Q2 Q3 North 120 145 160 South 98 102 115 East 210 198 225

unpdf · tables.pdf · raw output

Samples: 2.0 ms, 1.0 ms, 1.0 ms

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Financial Summary
Region Q1 Q2 Q3
North 120 145 160
South 98 102 115
East 210 198 225

pdf-parse · tables.pdf · raw output

Samples: 2.0 ms, 1.0 ms, 2.0 ms

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Financial Summary
Region Q1 Q2 Q3
North 120 145 160
South 98 102 115
East 210 198 225

pdf-inspector · ragged-table.pdf · raw output

Samples: 4.0 ms, 1.0 ms, 2.0 ms

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# Q3 Results by Region

|Region|Manager|Q1|Q2|Q3|Notes|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|North|Alice Chen|120|145|160|strong|
|South||98|102|115||
|East|Bob Lee|210|198|225|recovering|
|West|Dana|88||99|pending|

LiteParse · ragged-table.pdf · raw output

Samples: 216.0 ms, 214.0 ms, 215.0 ms

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# Q3 Results by Region

| Region | Manager | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | Alice Chen | 120 | 145 | 160 | strong |
| South |  | 98 | 102 | 115 |  |
| East | Bob Lee | 210 | 198 | 225 | recovering |
| West | Dana | 88 |  | 99 | pending |

OpenDataLoader PDF · ragged-table.pdf · raw output

Samples: 186.0 ms, 185.0 ms, 183.0 ms

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# Q3 Results by Region

Region Manager Q1 Q2 Q3 Notes North Alice Chen 120 145 160 strong South 98 102 115 East Bob Lee 210 198 225 recovering West Dana 88 99 pending

@opendocsg/pdf2md · ragged-table.pdf · raw output

Samples: 3.0 ms, 3.0 ms, 4.0 ms

# Q3 Results by Region 

Region Manager Q1 Q2 Q3 Notes North Alice Chen 120 145 160 strong South 98 102 115 East Bob Lee 210 198 225 recovering West Dana 88 99 pending

unpdf · ragged-table.pdf · raw output

Samples: 2.0 ms, 1.0 ms, 1.0 ms

<!-- Page 1 -->

Q3 Results by Region
Region Manager Q1 Q2 Q3 Notes
North Alice Chen 120 145 160 strong
South 98 102 115
East Bob Lee 210 198 225 recovering
West Dana 88 99 pending

pdf-parse · ragged-table.pdf · raw output

Samples: 2.0 ms, 2.0 ms, 3.0 ms

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Q3 Results by Region
Region Manager Q1 Q2 Q3 Notes
North Alice Chen 120 145 160 strong
South 98 102 115
East Bob Lee 210 198 225 recovering
West Dana 88 99 pending

pdf-inspector · multi-column.pdf · raw output

Samples: 3.0 ms, 3.0 ms, 3.0 ms

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# On Reading Order

Left column line 1. Left column line 2. Left column line 3. Left column line 4. Left column line 5. Left column line 6. Left column line 7. Left column line 8. Left column line 9. Left column line 10. Left column line 11. Left column line 12. Left column line 13. Left column line 14. Left column line 15. Left column line 16. Left column line 17. Left column line 18. Left column line 19. Left column line 20.

Right column line 1. Right column line 2. Right column line 3. Right column line 4. Right column line 5. Right column line 6. Right column line 7. Right column line 8. Right column line 9. Right column line 10. Right column line 11. Right column line 12. Right column line 13. Right column line 14. Right column line 15. Right column line 16. Right column line 17. Right column line 18. Right column line 19. Right column line 20.

LiteParse · multi-column.pdf · raw output

Samples: 745.0 ms, 744.0 ms, 745.0 ms

<!-- Page 1 -->

# On Reading Order

Left column line 1. Left column line 2. Left column line 3. Left column line 4. Left column line 5. Left column line 6. Left column line 7. Left column line 8. Left column line 9. Left column line 10. Left column line 11. Left column line 12. Left column line 13. Left column line 14. Left column line 15. Left column line 16. Left column line 17. Left column line 18. Left column line 19. Left column line 20.

Right column line 1. Right column line 2. Right column line 3. Right column line 4. Right column line 5. Right column line 6. Right column line 7. Right column line 8. Right column line 9. Right column line 10. Right column line 11. Right column line 12. Right column line 13. Right column line 14. Right column line 15. Right column line 16. Right column line 17. Right column line 18. Right column line 19. Right column line 20.

OpenDataLoader PDF · multi-column.pdf · raw output

Samples: 197.0 ms, 196.0 ms, 192.0 ms

<!-- Page 1 -->

# On Reading Order

- Left column line 1. Right column line 1.
- Left column line 2. Right column line 2.
- Left column line 3. Right column line 3.
- Left column line 4. Right column line 4.
- Left column line 5. Right column line 5.
- Left column line 6. Right column line 6.
- Left column line 7. Right column line 7.
- Left column line 8. Right column line 8.
- Left column line 9. Right column line 9.
- Left column line 10. Right column line 10.
- Left column line 11. Right column line 11.
- Left column line 12. Right column line 12.
- Left column line 13. Right column line 13.
- Left column line 14. Right column line 14.
- Left column line 15. Right column line 15.
- Left column line 16. Right column line 16.
- Left column line 17. Right column line 17.
- Left column line 18. Right column line 18.
- Left column line 19. Right column line 19.
- Left column line 20. Right column line 20.

@opendocsg/pdf2md · multi-column.pdf · raw output

Samples: 5.0 ms, 4.0 ms, 4.0 ms

# On Reading Order 

Left column line 1. Right column line 1. Left column line 2. Right column line 2. Left column line 3. Right column line 3. Left column line 4. Right column line 4. Left column line 5. Right column line 5. Left column line 6. Right column line 6. Left column line 7. Right column line 7. Left column line 8. Right column line 8. Left column line 9. Right column line 9. Left column line 10. Right column line 10. Left column line 11. Right column line 11. Left column line 12. Right column line 12. Left column line 13. Right column line 13. Left column line 14. Right column line 14. Left column line 15. Right column line 15. Left column line 16. Right column line 16. Left column line 17. Right column line 17. Left column line 18. Right column line 18. Left column line 19. Right column line 19. Left column line 20. Right column line 20.

unpdf · multi-column.pdf · raw output

Samples: 1.0 ms, 2.0 ms, 1.0 ms

<!-- Page 1 -->

On Reading Order
Left column line 1. Right column line 1.
Left column line 2. Right column line 2.
Left column line 3. Right column line 3.
Left column line 4. Right column line 4.
Left column line 5. Right column line 5.
Left column line 6. Right column line 6.
Left column line 7. Right column line 7.
Left column line 8. Right column line 8.
Left column line 9. Right column line 9.
Left column line 10. Right column line 10.
Left column line 11. Right column line 11.
Left column line 12. Right column line 12.
Left column line 13. Right column line 13.
Left column line 14. Right column line 14.
Left column line 15. Right column line 15.
Left column line 16. Right column line 16.
Left column line 17. Right column line 17.
Left column line 18. Right column line 18.
Left column line 19. Right column line 19.
Left column line 20. Right column line 20.

pdf-parse · multi-column.pdf · raw output

Samples: 2.0 ms, 2.0 ms, 2.0 ms

<!-- Page 1 -->

On Reading Order
Left column line 1. Right column line 1.
Left column line 2. Right column line 2.
Left column line 3. Right column line 3.
Left column line 4. Right column line 4.
Left column line 5. Right column line 5.
Left column line 6. Right column line 6.
Left column line 7. Right column line 7.
Left column line 8. Right column line 8.
Left column line 9. Right column line 9.
Left column line 10. Right column line 10.
Left column line 11. Right column line 11.
Left column line 12. Right column line 12.
Left column line 13. Right column line 13.
Left column line 14. Right column line 14.
Left column line 15. Right column line 15.
Left column line 16. Right column line 16.
Left column line 17. Right column line 17.
Left column line 18. Right column line 18.
Left column line 19. Right column line 19.
Left column line 20. Right column line 20.

Source fingerprints

text-layer.pdfSHA-256 a63eaf9159fd8d6bce6d7ac62f06dc3dbbf04ce06df971d98c8250e90a8fb7e9
tables.pdfSHA-256 fbd6f75e92b935de336d3af6a716d9eaeb930031a531da1ffeb99353f5721cb1
ragged-table.pdfSHA-256 96fb353b91c7fbfdb4d34a4c0c658c5990ce343bbe2b7e1c770705eaac53de32
multi-column.pdfSHA-256 43379d0ef2c66d04388b2341aca9b433fb2a1762650b5b102a36f038a7fedb4a

Package versions

@firecrawl/pdf-inspector · 1.17.0
@llamaindex/liteparse · 2.14.3
@opendataloader/pdf · 2.5.7
@opendocsg/pdf2md · 0.3.0
unpdf · 1.8.1
pdf-parse · 2.4.5