Google Drive opens PDFs for viewing and lets you 'Open with Google Docs' for a rough text extraction. That covers a tiny slice of what people actually need.
Flint runs in any browser, including alongside Drive. Here is the comparison.
Where Drive wins
Free with any Google account. Tight Drive integration. Shareable links. View on any device. If you live in Drive anyway, the friction is zero.
Where Flint wins
Real editing. Edit-pdf changes body text, sign-pdf signs properly, merge-pdf merges, redact-pdf redacts. 'Open with Google Docs' produces a rough text approximation that loses formatting; Flint preserves the PDF.
Best for…
Drive for storage, viewing and quick text extraction. Flint for actual editing. Use both — they do not conflict.
Workflow tip
Download the PDF from Drive, edit in Flint, re-upload. Three clicks, total. Many users do this daily without thinking about it.
FAQ
Why does 'Open with Google Docs' lose formatting?
It runs OCR-style extraction into a Doc, which loses layout. For preserving formatting, edit the PDF directly in Flint.
Can Flint open files from Drive?
Yes — download from Drive, drop into Flint. We are working on closer Drive integration.
Does Drive cost extra for PDFs?
No. Storage limits apply, but PDF tools are free.
Drive stores and shares; Flint edits. Stack them.