Convert PDF to Excel Free with Convertavo
Convertavo's free PDF to Excel converter pulls the tables out of your PDF and puts them in a real spreadsheet. Rows and columns stay where they belong. It works on bank statements, invoices, price lists and reports, even when the table has no lines.
- ✓ Scans and sideways pages read
- ✓ Preview and edit before download
- ✓ Deleted after 1 hour
Your files stay private
Uploads are deleted from our servers one hour after processing. Nothing is read or reused, and nothing is kept unless you save it to your account.
No account required
20 free credits a day, with no email address and no watermarks on the output.
Runs on any device
Works in any modern browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
How to convert PDF to Excel online
Nothing to install, and no account needed.
- STEP 01
Upload your PDF
Choose your PDF, or paste a link to one.
- STEP 02
Leave the settings alone for now
The defaults work for most files.
- STEP 03
Click Extract to Excel
Most files are ready in 10 to 30 seconds.
- STEP 04
See what was found
You'll see how many rows and columns came out, and how many cells, if any, need a check.
- STEP 05
Download your .xlsx file
Any cell the converter wasn't sure about is highlighted, with a note, so you know where to look.
It opens in Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice. Free files can be up to 25 MB, and the defaults work for most of them.
What the PDF to Excel tool does
Grid detection
Finds where each row and column starts, even in tables with no lines.
Unsure cells flagged
On scanned pages, any cell read with low confidence is highlighted with a note in the sheet.
Multi-page tables
A table that carries on across pages is joined back into one sheet.
Why is it hard to get a table out of a PDF?
A PDF doesn't know what a table is. It only saves bits of text at set spots on a page, and sometimes a few lines drawn between them.
To build rows and columns, a converter has to work out which bits of text belong together. That structure was never saved in the file. That's the hard part.
Tables with grid lines are the easy case, because the lines show where each cell starts and ends. Tables without lines are harder. Bank statements and money reports often use only spacing, so the columns must be worked out from how the text lines up.
How our converter handles it
- Grid detection: it finds where each row and column starts, even in tables with no lines.
- Confidence scores: on scanned pages, cells it isn't sure about are highlighted, so you know where to look.
- Multi-page tables: joined back into one sheet.
How to convert a bank statement PDF to Excel
Bank and credit card statements are the most common reason people need to convert a PDF like this. This is the easiest way to do it:
- Download the statement as a PDF from your online banking, not as a photo or a screenshot.
- If the PDF has a password and you know it, open it first with Unlock PDF.
- Upload it here, and leave Header row on "Detect automatically".
- Set the decimal separator to match your bank.
- Click Extract to Excel, then check any highlighted cells.
Dates, descriptions, debits, credits and balances each land in their own column. From there, you can sort, filter, add up totals, or import them into your accounting software.
Point or comma: which decimal separator should I pick?
The decimal separator, the mark that comes before the cents, depends on where your bank is.
- Point (1.50): for most English-language statements
- Comma (1,50): for much of Europe
If you pick the wrong one, your amounts turn into text, and Excel can't add up text.
Excel, CSV or Google Sheets: which one should I pick?
| Format | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Excel (.xlsx) | Each table on its own sheet, with numbers saved as numbers | Most people, plus sorting, totals and charts |
| CSV (.csv) | One plain table in a simple text file | Importing into a database or accounting tool |
| Google Sheets | An .xlsx ready to open in Google Sheets (File, then Import) | Working online and sharing with others |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
CSV (comma-separated values) is the simplest table file format, and every spreadsheet program can open it.
Looking for XLS, the old Excel file format? Every Excel since 2007 can open .xlsx files, so just take Excel (.xlsx).
How to get a clean result
- A PDF made by software, like one downloaded from a website, converts far better than a scanned one.
- Set the page range to only the pages with your table, for example "2-4".
- Check the Header row setting if your column names show up as the first row of data.
- Check the number columns first. One wrong digit is the easiest mistake to miss.
What do the other settings do?
- Keep empty rows: on by default, so any blank rows in your table stay blank in Excel.
- Treat numbers as text: off by default. Turn it on for account numbers and ID codes, so Excel doesn't drop a leading zero.
Can I convert a scanned PDF to Excel?
Yes, you can. We will apply OCR to the scanned PDF to read the text and then reconstruct the Excel table from the text. The cells that were unclear to the OCR will be marked in the worksheet.
The best option for a scanned table is to upload a clear scan. If you have a screenshot or photo of a table, you can use the Image to Excel tool as well.
Why are my numbers stored as text in Excel?
Excel marks these cells with a small green corner, and they won't add up in a total. These are the usual causes, and how to fix each one.
| What you see | Likely cause | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Numbers have a green corner and won't add up | The decimal separator doesn't match your file | Switch between Point and Comma, then convert again |
| Every number is text | Treat numbers as text is turned on | Turn it off and convert again |
| Column names show up as data | The header row was missed | Change the Header row setting |
| Extra rows from other pages | The page range covers the whole file | Type only the pages with your table |
| Some cells are highlighted | The converter wasn't sure about them | Check those cells first; each has a note with its score |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Is Convertavo's converter free and safe?
Is it free?
Yes, you get 20 free credits a day, and each file uses 5, so that's 4 free conversions every day. There's no email to give and no watermark on your file.
Free files can be up to 25 MB, or 100 MB with a free account, and Standard plans and above also get priority processing.
Is it safe for bank statements?
Your file travels over HTTPS, a secure connection, and is deleted from our servers one hour after processing. Nothing is stored, read or reused.
Does it work on a Mac or a phone?
Yes, it runs in any modern browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, with nothing to install.
Upload your PDF above, check the result, and download a spreadsheet you can actually work with.
Convert a PDFPDF to Excel — frequently asked questions
Short, precise answers to common requests.
How can I convert a PDF table to Excel?
Upload the file and select Excel (.xlsx) as the output format. Leave the Header row option at "Detect automatically" and proceed to Extract to Excel. All tables found in the document will appear as worksheets that you can edit.
Is it possible to convert a bank statement PDF to Excel?
Yes, simply download the statement from your online banking system as a PDF file and upload it here. Select the decimal separator your bank uses, and separate columns for dates, debits, credits, and balances will appear as appropriate.
Is it possible to convert PDF to CSV?
Yes, just choose CSV (.csv) as the output format and you'll get one readable table that can be further imported into any database or spreadsheet tool.
Why are my numbers stored as text in Excel?
Most likely, you're using a different decimal separator. Try switching Point and Comma in the settings and converting again. Also, make sure that "Treat numbers as text" is disabled.
Does it work with scanned PDFs?
All scanned pages are processed with an OCR engine before extracting any tables. Any cells the OCR was unsure about are highlighted. Please note that a PDF created digitally is likely to yield better results.
Is it possible to convert PDF to XLS?
Choose Excel (.xlsx) as the output format instead. It's the modern standard, supported by all Excel versions since 2007, and should open in Google Sheets, LibreOffice, or any other spreadsheet program.
More PDF tools that help
Upload your PDF to Convertavo above, check the result, and download a spreadsheet you can actually work with.