The best PDF to Excel converter depends on the job and on the PDF. Converting one whole file, pulling out only the tables and capturing the same fields from many documents are three different tasks. Check too whether your PDF has selectable text or is a scan, because several makers say scanned pages need a text recognition step.
PDF to Excel sounds like one button. Read the makers' own pages, though, and you'll find three kinds of tool: converters that turn a whole PDF into a spreadsheet, extractors that pull out only the tables, and data capture services that read the same fields from document after document.
This list covers ten of them, using only what each maker's site says, read on 2 Nov 2026 (as of Nov 2026). It's alphabetical and in no particular order, and it's about what each tool does with your PDF, not accuracy or speed.
PDF to Excel tools and what each one does
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Able2Extract | Desktop PDF converter for Windows, Mac and Linux | Scanned and native PDFs into Excel |
| CloudConvert | Online file converter | Automatic table extraction to XLSX |
| Convertio | Online file converter | PDF tables to XLSX, with text recognition |
| Docparser | PDF data capture service | Excel, CSV, JSON, XML or Google Sheets |
| iLovePDF | Online PDF toolkit | Selectable-text PDFs into editable Excel |
| PDF24 | Online PDF tools with a desktop app | Tables into Excel cells in the browser |
| PDFTables | PDF-to-Excel converter with an API | Excel, CSV, XML or HTML, plus an API |
| PDFtoExcel.com | Online PDF-to-Excel converter | Whole multi-page documents into XLSX |
| Sejda | Online PDF editor and converter | Excel or CSV output |
| Tabula | Desktop table extractor for Windows and Mac | Tables into CSV or Excel |
Ten ways to get PDF tables into a spreadsheet
Able2Extract
Best for: Converting scanned and native PDFs into Excel, with Word, CSV, AutoCAD, HTML and images as other outputs, plus conversion templates you set up.
CloudConvert
Best for: Turning a PDF into an XLSX file on a converter that says it extracts the tables from any PDF document automatically.
Convertio
Best for: Moving PDF tables to XLSX online, with a Recognize text option for scans and a bulk upload for a folder of PDF reports.
Docparser
Best for: Pulling data out of PDFs and downloading it to Excel, CSV, JSON or XML, or sending it on to Google Sheets.
iLovePDF
Best for: Laying out converted PDF data as one Excel sheet or multiple sheets, from a toolkit that flags scanned pages before you convert.
PDF24
Best for: Extracting tables from PDFs into Microsoft Excel in the browser, with a desktop app on the same site.
PDFTables
Best for: Converting PDF to XLSX, CSV, XML or HTML on the web, with an API listed for coders who want to automate it.
PDFtoExcel.com
Best for: Uploading a regular or scanned PDF, or importing one from Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive, and getting the entire document back as an XLSX spreadsheet.
Sejda
Best for: Picking Excel or CSV as the output when you extract table data from a PDF online, alongside other PDF tools on the same site.
Tabula
Best for: Extracting the data in PDF tables into a CSV or Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
One search, three different jobs
Here's what's easy to miss: 'PDF to Excel' covers three jobs. Converting one whole file is the first, and PDFtoExcel.com says its web app 'converts entire PDFs to Microsoft Excel'. Pulling out only the tables is the second: Tabula calls itself 'a tool for liberating data tables locked inside PDF files'. Capturing the same fields from many PDFs is the third, and Docparser lets you 'download directly to Excel, CSV, JSON, or XML formats'.
- Whole-file converters: upload a PDF and get a spreadsheet back.
- Table extractors: pick out the tables and export them to CSV or Excel.
- Data capture: set rules once and send the same fields from many documents on to Excel, CSV, JSON or Google Sheets.
If the PDF needs to become slides instead, these PDF to PowerPoint converters are the ones to compare.
Scanned or selectable text: check this first
The second thing that decides which tool will work is the PDF itself. iLovePDF's options spell it out: one option will 'convert PDFs with selectable text into editable Excel files', and the page warns when 'some of your files contain scanned pages', adding that OCR is needed to extract all the text from them.
Other makers say it in their own way. Convertio's page asks 'Do You Need Text Recognition?' before you convert, Able2Extract handles 'scanned and native PDFs', and one browser tool here tells you to run OCR text recognition first to get editable text.
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So open your PDF and try selecting a line of text before you choose. If you can't, you've got a scan, and you'll want a tool whose page names OCR or text recognition.
After converting a table, a check with text compare tools shows whether anything changed.
Browser, desktop or automated
Where the tool runs matters too. Seven of the ten tools here work in a browser. Two are desktop programs: a converter its maker says runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, and a table extractor with downloads for Windows and Mac. The tenth is a data capture service that can take documents from cloud storage, email attachments or a REST API.
Sejda sits in a wider online toolkit, with PDF to Word, PDF to JPG and PDF to PowerPoint on the same menu, so it's handy if Excel isn't the only format you convert to. And if you're processing PDFs in volume, one converter here lists a web API for coders who want to automate the job.
Questions before you convert a PDF
- Is the PDF a scan, or can I select the text?
- Do I need the whole document, or only the tables?
- Am I converting one file, or the same layout every week?
- Do I want Excel, CSV, or data sent straight on to Google Sheets?
- Would I rather upload the file or use a desktop program?
- Will I need an API to automate the job?
Do you make a PDF to Excel converter or table extraction tool? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My advice for PDF to Excel
Check the PDF before you pick the tool. If the text is selectable and you only need one file, a browser converter will do. If you only want the tables, use a tool built to extract them. If you get the same invoices or statements every month, a data capture service that sends the fields on to a spreadsheet is built for that job, and one here lists bank statements and invoices among its document types. And if it's a scan, choose a tool whose page names OCR.
For the step-by-step version, see my guide on how to convert PDF to Excel. Once the data's in a spreadsheet, these AI spreadsheet tools can help you work with it.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert a scanned PDF to Excel?
Some tools on this list say so. One desktop converter handles scanned and native PDFs, one online converter accepts regular or scanned PDFs, and several pages offer a text recognition or OCR step for scans. One toolkit warns you when your files contain scanned pages and says OCR is needed to extract all the text.
What's the difference between converting and extracting tables?
Converting turns the whole PDF into a spreadsheet: one online tool here says its web app converts entire PDFs to Microsoft Excel. Extracting pulls out only the tables: one desktop tool describes itself as a tool for liberating data tables locked inside PDF files and exports them to CSV or Excel.
Which of these export to CSV as well as Excel?
Several do on their own pages: one converts PDF to Excel or CSV, one extracts tables into a CSV or Excel spreadsheet, one lists Excel, CSV, XML and HTML outputs, one names CSV among its desktop converter's outputs, and one data capture service downloads to Excel, CSV, JSON or XML.
Can I send PDF data straight to Google Sheets?
One data capture service on this list says you can send extracted data to Excel, Google Sheets and other formats and integrations, or connect it to cloud applications such as Zapier, Workato and MS Power Automate.
Which PDF to Excel tools have an API?
Two makers here describe one: one says coders can automate conversion with its web API, and one data capture service lists a REST API for importing documents. Two online converters also have an API link on their menus.
Which of these run on a desktop instead of in a browser?
Two are desktop programs: a converter its maker says runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, and a table extractor with downloads for Windows and Mac. One browser toolkit here also offers a desktop app, and another online toolkit has a Desktop link on its menu.
