Extract text from Pleco dictionary backups (PQB-BACKUP)
To convert PQB-BACKUP backups to another format, you need Pleco or other Backup software.
To convert other file formats to the "Pleco Database Archive" file type, you need software like Pleco or a similar tool.
The .PQB-BACKUP file is primarily used by the Pleco Chinese Dictionary, a highly popular language learning application for iOS and Android. These files act as comprehensive backups for a user's custom dictionary entries, study history, and flashcard databases.
When users switch devices or try to migrate their vocabulary lists to spaced repetition software like Anki, they often hit a wall. The .PQB-BACKUP format is entirely restricted to the Pleco ecosystem. Standard text editors or spreadsheet programs cannot read these files, usually returning unrecognizable gibberish. This is because, under the hood, the file is a structured binary database, not a simple flat text file.
If you are trying to liberate your language data, your best target formats are SQLITE, CSV, or TXT. By converting to standard comma-separated values or text strings, you can easily import your flashcards into other study apps, though you will likely lose Pleco-specific styling and review history.
Standard online converters fail to process .PQB-BACKUP files because they do not understand Pleco's proprietary table schema. Because these backups are built on standard database architecture, our tools can often inspect the file, reveal the embedded text, and help you extract your vocabulary lists safely.
Convert.Guru analyzes your PQB-BACKUP file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted PQB files.
If you want to convert PQB-BACKUP file to , you can use Pleco or similar software from the "Dictionary and Flashcard Backup" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to PQB-BACKUP, try Pleco or another comparable tool in the "Dictionary and Flashcard Backup" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our PQB-BACKUP converter.