PDF Vector vs Unstructured
Unstructured is a document ETL platform: it partitions, chunks, enriches and embeds files from many connectors for RAG, with an open-source Python library and a hosted product.
Facts about Unstructured come from its public pricing and documentation pages, checked on November 11, 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm on their site before you decide.
Feature and pricing comparison
| PDF Vector | Unstructured | |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Developer API, TypeScript SDK, MCP server, no-code actions | Developer API, no-code web app, open-source library |
| Input formats | 27 formats, including PDF, Office, images, CSV, HTML, EPUB | Around 50 file types in the partition API, including PDF, Office, email, images |
| Output | Markdown (optionally per page), HTML on Max; JSON via Extract; answers via Ask | Markdown or JSON elements; tables as HTML; chunks and embeddings |
| Schema-based extraction | Yes, any JSON Schema per request | Yes, with a JSON Schema |
| Layout and coordinates | Tables kept in markdown; no bounding boxes | Yes: element coordinates on request |
| Integrations | Zapier, Make, n8n, MCP server, REST from any language | Python and TypeScript SDKs; 35+ connectors; MCP server |
| Deployment and regions | Cloud (shared US instance); dedicated instances in UK, EU, US, Japan, Australia or Asia Pacific on Enterprise | Cloud; in-VPC or bare metal on Business; open-source self-host |
| Pricing | Plans from $25/month; Document Parse $0.97 to $7.76 per 1,000 pages on Pro | $0.015 per page pay-as-you-go |
| Free tier | 100 credits, no credit card | 10,000 pages |
When Unstructured is a good choice
Teams that want an open-source library to self-host, or a full ingestion pipeline with connectors, chunking and embeddings.
- An Apache-2.0 open-source library for experimenting or running your own parsing.
- End-to-end ETL: 35+ source and destination connectors, chunking, embedding and enrichment.
- A flat $0.015 per page after 10,000 free pages, with element coordinates on request.
Things to consider
- Data-center regions for the hosted product are not listed.
- Zapier, Make and n8n integrations are not documented.
- The newer Transform API lists fewer file types than the legacy partition API.
Why teams choose PDF Vector
- Specialized invoice, identity and bank statement APIs that return the fields you define in a JSON Schema.
- Document Q&A (Ask) and academic search in the same API.
- No-code Zapier, Make and n8n actions for operations teams.