How Do You Convert a PDF to Excel?
You convert a PDF to Excel by adding it to QuickCatPDF's PDF to Excel converter and clicking Convert to Excel. The tool finds the tables in the PDF, with or without grid lines, puts each value in its own cell, and turns amounts and dates into real numbers and dates you can sort, filter and add up.
It runs in your browser, so the PDF is never uploaded. You get an XLSX file for Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers or LibreOffice, or a CSV if you prefer.
How to Convert PDF Tables to Excel With QuickCatPDF
Turning a PDF into a spreadsheet takes four steps.
- Click Select PDF files or drop your PDFs on the page.
- Choose the Output format and how to split Sheets.
- Check Convert numbers and dates, and set the Date order if your dates are ambiguous.
- Click Convert to Excel, check the preview, then download the spreadsheet.
The result shows a preview of the first rows before you download, plus a summary such as "2 pages · 1 table · 50 rows".
Why Use QuickCatPDF to Extract Tables From PDF?
QuickCatPDF reads tables that have no lines at all, not only neat grids. Statements, invoices and reports often line their columns up with white space instead of borders; the converter finds the gaps that run down the page between columns and splits every row at the same places. Tables drawn with lines are read from the lines themselves, including cells merged across several columns.
The values arrive ready to use. In our tests, "85,000.00" became the number 85000 with a two-decimal format, "(1,234.56)" and "500.00 Dr" became negative numbers, "1.234,56" was read as European style, and 31.12.2026 became a real date. Card numbers, IBANs and codes with leading zeros stay as text, so Excel doesn't round them or drop the zeros.
Because nothing is uploaded, the tool is a safe choice for financial documents, and it keeps working offline once the page has loaded. A two-page statement with 50 rows converted in under a second.
What Do the Sheet Options Do?
The Sheets setting decides how tables are spread across the workbook.
| Option | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| One sheet per table | Each table on its own sheet, with a bold, frozen header row and filters | Reports with several different tables |
| One sheet per page | Everything from a page on one sheet | Matching the PDF page by page |
| Everything on one sheet | All tables stacked on one sheet | Long lists that run across pages |
With Join wrapped rows and tables across pages on, a table that continues on the next page becomes one table, and the repeated header row is left out. Descriptions that wrap onto a second line are joined back into one cell. For statements, the Bank Statement PDF to Excel page starts with the best settings already chosen.
Can It Convert Scanned PDFs to Excel?
Yes. Pages without text, such as scans and phone photos, are read with OCR in the same step, in any of 31 languages; open Scanned pages (OCR) to choose them. In our test, a scanned bank statement page took about 6 seconds, including starting the OCR engine, and its columns, dates and amounts came out in the right cells.
OCR can misread a digit in blurry scans, so check totals against the original. For text-heavy scans, Scanned PDF to Word may suit better.
When Should You Choose CSV Instead of XLSX?
Choose CSV when another program, such as an accounting app or a database, imports CSV files. The CSV is UTF-8 with a byte order mark, so Excel shows Arabic, Hindi and other scripts correctly, and dates are written as 2026-12-31 so they can't be misread.
Choose XLSX for everything else: it keeps number formats, bold headers, frozen rows, filters and several sheets in one file, and opens directly in Google Sheets.
Frequently asked questions
Is this PDF to Excel converter free?
Yes, it's free with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily limit, for up to 20 PDFs of 200 MB each.
Are my PDFs uploaded?
No, they're converted in your browser on your own device. Nothing is sent to a server, which our tests check on every conversion.
Will formulas be recreated?
No, a PDF only contains the printed results, so the spreadsheet holds values. You can add new formulas once the numbers are in Excel.
What if the columns come out wrong?
Check the preview first. For unusual layouts, try One sheet per page, untick Join wrapped rows and tables across pages, or choose Tables and other text to get every line in rows.
Can I open the result in Google Sheets?
Yes, upload the XLSX to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets; dates and numbers stay as values.
Can I convert the spreadsheet back to PDF?
Yes, use Excel to PDF. For documents rather than tables, try PDF to Word.
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