The subcritical water extraction (SWE) of pectin from durian rind was optimized using response surface methodology with Box-Behnken experimental design. The FTIR, SEM, and DSC analysis were used to examine the physicochemical, structural, thermal, and functional characteristics of the subcritical water-extracted pectin (SWEP) under optimum conditions and contrasted with the conventional acid-extracted pectin (CAEP). The optimum yield of pectin (5.43 %) was achieved under the temperature of 120 °C, time of 18.5 min, and sieve size of 100 μm. The comparative analysis reveals that the yield of SWEP was ∼2.07 % higher than the CAEP yield (3.36 %). Similarly, the equivalent weight, esterification degree, methoxy concentration, anhydrouronic acid content, water holding capacity, and oil holding capacity of SWEP were consistently higher than the CAEP. Therefore, SWE proved effective for obtaining high-quality pectin from durian rind and offers a simplified, cost-effective, and eco-friendly approach, which makes it a viable method for industrial application.