MinerU

Overview

MinerU 4.0 is a document-parsing and conversion project with a searchable local library and tools for connecting it to software and AI agents. It is a strong fit for developers and teams building repeatable document workflows; occasional users looking for a simple online converter may find it more involved than they need.

Its advantage is the combination of varied inputs, structured outputs, and local or self-hosted workflows. The trade-offs are meaningful memory needs for higher-throughput local use and license conditions for very large commercial services.

Key features

MinerU handles PDF, images, DOC/DOCX, PPT/PPTX, XLS/XLSX, RTF, ODT/ODS/ODP, EPUB, OFD, HTML/MHTML, and CSV/TSV. Four parsing tiers—Flash, Basic, Standard, and Advanced—address different quality and compute needs. That choice is useful for matching processing to a workload, though selecting an appropriate tier entails balancing output quality against available compute.

PDF conversion targets include Markdown, HTML, LaTeX, DOCX, EPUB, PDF, Structured Content, and Content List V1/V2. OCR and batch conversion are supported, making MinerU more relevant to recurring extraction and document-processing pipelines than to a narrow format swap. Images and other supported documents also have documented export options.

The document library discovers files, caches parse results, searches content, resumes by page or block, and preserves citation locators. Those capabilities suit research and document-heavy workflows where material needs to remain searchable and traceable, rather than one-off conversion.

Integration routes include a Python SDK, V1 HTTP API, command-line tools, and a Gradio-based WebUI. MinerU also supports MCP and agent frameworks, with export to Dify and Notion. This breadth gives developers several ways to connect parsing to applications, but readers who only need occasional conversion may not benefit from the added integration surface.

Documents are not automatically uploaded to the official service; remote parsing requires explicit configuration. Users can run a local WebUI and V1 API server or connect the SDK to a self-hosted API. That is a useful privacy and deployment option, but higher-throughput local deployments call for at least 16 GB of system memory; Apple Silicon users are advised to have at least 16 GB of unified memory.

Pricing

MinerU open-source software: free. It is free to use under the project license. There is no paid seat or usage quota attached to this software plan, so it suits individual users and organizations able to operate their own workflow. The trade-off is that local deployment puts setup and hardware demands on the user. The official site also links to an online cloud service, but its pricing is custom pricing.

The license permits commercial use without a separate license unless monthly active users exceed 100 million or monthly revenue exceeds USD 20 million. Online services based on MinerU must attribute MinerU. Commercial operators should account for both conditions before choosing it as the basis of a service.

Platforms

MinerU supports web, Windows, macOS, Linux, API, and self-hosted use. The current quick start provides installation instructions for Linux, macOS, and Windows environments. For unresolved issues, users can turn to the MinerU Discord or WeChat community.

Who it's for

MinerU is best for developers, researchers, and teams that need structured extraction from varied document types, searchable local collections, or integration with applications and agents. Its local processing and self-hosting options also suit users who want to keep documents off the official service by default. It is a less natural choice for someone seeking a minimal online tool for occasional conversion or who cannot accommodate local memory requirements.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Broad documented input and output support makes it useful for workflows that need structured results across many file types.
• Pros: The local library combines search, cached parses, reading continuity, and citation locators, supporting ongoing work rather than isolated conversions.
• Pros: Local processing, self-hosted services, APIs, and agent integrations offer flexible deployment and connection options.
• Cons: Higher-throughput local deployments call for at least 16 GB of memory, a substantial requirement for some machines.
• Cons: Commercial services must observe the license thresholds and attribution condition, adding considerations for large-scale operators.

Alternatives

PDF Converter Software is the broader category to explore when comparing conversion tools.

Choose HiPDF instead if a freemium web-access tool with OCR and batch processing is a better fit than a locally deployable parsing project. Its Basic plan costs $39.95 a year, billed annually.

PDF Agile is another alternative.

Convertio is another alternative.

Docling is a free, MIT-licensed local library that can work offline after model download; consider it if that narrower setup fits your workflow better.

FoxyUtils Online PDF Tools is another alternative.

ZonePDF is another alternative.

pdflayer is another alternative.

Online2PDF is a free web-based alternative.

Verdict

Choose MinerU if you need a flexible document-processing foundation with structured exports, searchable local files, and options for local, self-hosted, API, or agent-connected use. Its breadth and free software license are compelling for technical, recurring workflows; look elsewhere for a lightweight converter, or plan carefully if your deployment needs substantial local memory or operates at the license thresholds.