PDF to Excel Converter
Upload a PDF below and click Convert to extract tables and structured data into an editable Excel spreadsheet. The converter detects tables by analysing the position of text on each page, groups text into rows and columns, and builds a standard .xlsx workbook. Scanned PDFs are supported with built-in OCR. Everything happens locally in your browser — your file never leaves your device.
Read the guide: How to convert PDF to ExcelInput
Output
How the PDF to Excel Converter works
- Your PDF is parsed in the browser by PDF.js, the same engine Firefox uses for its built-in PDF viewer.
- Text items are extracted from each page with their positions, then grouped into rows by vertical position and split into columns by horizontal gaps.
- Tables are detected as groups of consecutive multi-column rows, and columns are aligned across rows to preserve structure.
- For scanned PDFs, built-in OCR (Tesseract.js) recognises text from page images before table detection.
- The result is packaged as a standard .xlsx workbook using the SheetJS library, ready to download and edit.
See also: Merge PDF, Split PDF, Compress PDF and Extract PDF.
Useful tips
- Digital PDFs (exported from Excel or an app) convert with the best fidelity — the text layer is already present.
- Enable OCR for scanned PDFs — the converter detects them automatically and offers the option.
- Use 'Automatic' mode for most documents; choose 'Tables only' if you only want detected tables.
- Combine tables into one worksheet for easy sorting and filtering across the whole document.
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert a PDF to Excel for free?+
Yes. The PDF to Excel converter is free to use with the standard free allowance. When you reach your free limit, you can upgrade to Pro for unlimited conversions and larger files.
Can I convert a scanned PDF to Excel?+
Yes. If the converter detects that your PDF is scanned (image-based rather than text-based), it offers to use built-in OCR to recognise text from the page images. OCR results depend on the quality and clarity of the scan.
Can I convert multiple tables from a PDF?+
Yes. The converter detects multiple tables across all pages. You can choose to put each table on its own worksheet, one worksheet per page, or combine all tables into a single worksheet.
Will the formatting be preserved?+
The converter preserves table rows, columns, headers and basic structure. Numeric values, dates and currency are kept as text. Complex formatting like merged cells, colours and fonts are not carried over — the focus is on giving you editable data you can sort and analyse.
Is my PDF secure?+
Yes. Your files are processed securely in your browser and are automatically deleted after processing. Your PDF is never uploaded to any server, so it is safe to convert sensitive documents like invoices and financial statements.
What Excel format will I receive?+
You get a standard .xlsx file that opens in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc and any modern spreadsheet application. The file is named originalfilename-converted.xlsx.
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