How to Convert PDF to Excel Spreadsheets Free Online

Updated Feb 20245 min read

You've just received a quarterly report as a PDF. The numbers you need are right there in a table — revenue by region, expenses by category, the usual drill. But you can't run a pivot on it. You can't sum a column. You can't import it into your accounting software. The data is locked in place, and copying it cell by cell would take forever. That's when you need to convert PDF to Excel free. A few minutes with the right tool, and that static table becomes a real spreadsheet you can actually work with.

Here's the thing: PDFs are built for viewing and printing, not for crunching numbers. Excel is built for data. When you convert PDF to Excel online, you're turning a snapshot of a table into something you can sort, filter, and analyze. Whether it's an invoice, a financial report, or a supplier list, getting that data into Excel unlocks everything you couldn't do before.

Why Convert PDF to Excel?

People convert PDFs to Excel for a handful of clear reasons.

Data analysis — The big one. You need to run calculations, build charts, or compare figures across periods. A PDF table is just text and lines. An Excel spreadsheet lets you add formulas, create pivot tables, and spot trends. No more manual re-entry or copy-paste into a blank sheet.

Editing tables — Maybe the numbers changed. Or you need to add a column, fix a typo, or merge data from another source. PDFs don't let you edit cell contents. Excel does. Converting gives you a working table instead of a fixed image of one.

Importing into accounting software — Many accounting and ERP systems accept Excel imports. If your vendor sends invoices as PDFs, converting to Excel can be the first step to getting that data into your books without retyping every line.

Building reports — You've got multiple PDF reports with similar layouts. Converting each to Excel lets you combine them, standardize formats, and build a master dataset. That's tedious in PDF form; straightforward in Excel.

How to Convert PDF to Excel — Step by Step

Our PDF to Excel tool handles this without signup or installation. Here's how to use it:

  1. Open the tool — Go to PDF to Excel in your browser. No account required.

  2. Upload your PDF — Drag and drop your file onto the upload area, or click to browse. The tool accepts PDFs up to the size limit shown on the page.

  3. Convert — Click the convert button. The tool analyzes your PDF, detects tables, and extracts the data into an XLSX file. Processing usually takes a few seconds.

  4. Download — When processing finishes, download your Excel file. Open it in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or any compatible spreadsheet app. Your data is ready to edit, sort, and analyze.

That's it. Your original PDF stays on your device; the conversion happens in the browser. No uploads to external servers for the client-side flow.

Getting the Best Table Extraction

Not all PDFs are created equal. A few habits improve your results.

Tables convert better than free-form text — The converter is built to recognize table structure: rows, columns, and cells. If your PDF has clear grid-like tables with borders or consistent spacing, extraction will be accurate. Paragraphs of text or mixed layouts are trickier — the tool may place content in fewer columns or merge cells differently than you expect.

Multi-page tables — Tables that span multiple pages can sometimes split awkwardly. The converter tries to keep related rows together, but if your PDF has page breaks in the middle of a table, you may need to manually adjust the Excel output. Pro tip: if you control the source PDF, try to avoid splitting a single table across pages.

Clean source PDFs — PDFs created from Excel, Word, or other office apps usually convert best. They have proper table structure embedded. Scanned PDFs — images of pages — don't contain real table data. For those, you need OCR first. More on that below.

Simple layouts — Invoices, expense reports, and straightforward data tables tend to convert cleanly. Complex layouts with merged cells, nested tables, or unusual formatting may need manual cleanup. Always spot-check the first few rows after conversion.

What to Check After Conversion

Before you rely on the Excel file, run a quick sanity check.

Cell alignment — Make sure numbers landed in the right columns. Sometimes a misaligned table in the PDF can cause data to shift. Check that headers line up with their columns and that numeric columns contain numbers, not text.

Formulas aren't preserved — PDFs don't store Excel formulas. If the original document had formulas, the converter outputs the calculated values only. You'll need to re-add any formulas in Excel yourself.

Header rows — The first row is often treated as a header. If your PDF has multiple header rows or a title row above the data, you may need to adjust. Freeze panes, add filters, or delete extra rows as needed.

Data types — Dates and numbers sometimes come through as text. Excel may need a quick format fix (e.g., Text to Columns or applying a date format) before you can sort or calculate correctly.

When PDF to Excel Works Best

Conversion works best when the source is structured.

Well-defined tables — Clear rows and columns, with or without visible borders. Invoices, receipts, and financial statements often fit this pattern.

Invoices and receipts — Line items, quantities, prices, and totals in a table format. These are ideal for conversion. You get editable rows you can import into accounting systems or use for expense tracking.

Reports with tabular data — Quarterly reports, sales summaries, inventory lists. As long as the data is in a table (not scattered in paragraphs), conversion usually works well.

Supplier or product lists — Catalogs, price lists, and contact tables. Converting to Excel lets you filter, sort, and merge with other data.

If your PDF is a scanned image, a complex form, or mostly free-form text with no clear table structure, results may be mixed. For scanned documents, use OCR first to extract the text, then consider converting the resulting PDF to Excel — though OCR output may need more manual cleanup.

Alternatives for Complex Data

Sometimes a straight PDF-to-Excel conversion isn't enough.

Scanned tables — If your PDF is a scan or a photo of a document, the converter sees images, not text. There's no table structure to extract. Run the file through our OCR tool first. OCR turns the scanned pages into searchable text. After that, you can try converting to Excel, but be prepared for extra cleanup — OCR doesn't always preserve perfect table layout.

Heavily formatted documents — Brochures, magazines, and design-heavy PDFs with text boxes and irregular layouts often convert poorly. For those, manual data entry or a specialized extraction tool might be more efficient.

Forms with fillable fields — If you need data from filled PDF forms, the structure differs from static tables. Our PDF to Excel tool focuses on table extraction. For form data, you may need to export form fields separately or use a form-specific solution.

Common Use Cases

Accountants — Clients send financial statements, bank statements, or tax documents as PDFs. Converting to Excel lets you reconcile accounts, run variance analysis, and prepare reports without retyping figures.

Business analysts — Sales reports, marketing dashboards, and performance metrics often arrive as PDFs. Converting to Excel enables pivot tables, charts, and trend analysis. No more copying numbers by hand.

Procurement and purchasing — Supplier quotes, price lists, and order confirmations come as PDFs. Converting to Excel lets you compare vendors, track prices over time, and build procurement databases.

Inventory and operations — Stock lists, shipment manifests, and production reports. Getting that data into Excel supports inventory tracking, reorder calculations, and operational dashboards.

Researchers and students — Survey results, experiment data, or published tables. Converting to Excel supports statistical analysis and visualization.

FAQ

Is it free to convert PDF to Excel?

Yes. Our PDF to Excel tool is free to use. No signup required. You can convert PDFs to XLSX format directly in your browser.

Will my formulas be preserved?

No. PDFs don't store Excel formulas — only the displayed values. The converter extracts the numbers and text you see. You'll need to re-add any formulas (SUM, AVERAGE, etc.) in Excel after conversion.

Can I convert a scanned PDF to Excel?

Not directly. Scanned PDFs are images. The converter can't read text or tables from images. Run the PDF through OCR first to create a searchable PDF with text. Then you can try converting to Excel, though results may need manual adjustment depending on how well the table structure survived OCR.

What's the difference between XLS and XLSX?

XLSX is the modern Excel format (used by Excel 2007 and later). It's more efficient and widely supported. Our tool outputs XLSX. If you need the older XLS format, you can open the XLSX in Excel and save as XLS, though XLSX is recommended for most uses.

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