How to Convert a PDF to Excel for Free (and Keep the Columns)

To convert a PDF to Excel for free, upload it to a PDF to Excel converter that rebuilds the tables into rows and columns, download the XLSX file, and check that totals and dates landed in the right columns. If you have desktop Excel on Windows, Data > Get Data > From File > From PDF can import tables directly. Scanned PDFs need OCR before any of this works.

Copying a table out of a PDF and pasting it into a spreadsheet rarely goes well. Every row lands in one column, or numbers split across cells. The reason is that a PDF does not store a grid. It stores pieces of text placed at exact positions on the page, and a converter has to work out the columns from the gaps between them. This guide shows how to do that conversion for free, which built-in options exist, and how to tidy the spreadsheet afterwards so the numbers add up.

Key takeaways

• A PDF table is positioned text, not cells, so the quality of the result depends on how evenly the columns are spaced.
• Siliph's PDF to Excel converter is free with no account, takes PDFs up to 300 MB and produces an XLSX workbook, with no settings to choose.
• Excel on Windows can import PDF tables with Get Data > From PDF (Microsoft Support).
• Google Drive's conversion to Docs is weak for tables: Google says "Lists, tables, columns, footnotes, and endnotes are not likely to be detected" (Google Drive Help).
• A scanned PDF has no text to read. Run OCR PDF first, then convert the searchable copy.

First, check what kind of PDF you have

Open the PDF and try to select a word in the table with your mouse.

• The text highlights: it is a text-based PDF, exported from accounting software, a banking portal or a spreadsheet. These convert best.
• Nothing highlights, or the whole page selects like a picture: it is a scan or a photo. A converter has nothing to read. Make it searchable with OCR PDF, then convert.
• It asks for a password: open a copy with Unlock PDF using the password you were given. Bank statements often arrive this way.

How to convert PDF to Excel for free with Siliph

1. Open PDF to Excel and click Choose a PDF file, or drag it into the drop zone. A file can be up to 300 MB and 2,000 pages.
2. There are no options to set. Click Convert to Excel. The converter reads each page, lines the text up into columns where the gaps fall, and builds the workbook.
3. Download the XLSX file and open it in Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice Calc.
4. Check the result before you use it: scroll to a few totals, confirm dates sit in the date column, and compare one row with the PDF.

Every page goes into the same sheet, one after another, with a blank row where each page ended. That keeps a long statement in one list you can sort and filter. For a long annual report, pull out just the table pages first with Extract Pages, so the spreadsheet holds only what you need.

PDF to Excel runs on Siliph's servers. The PDF is sent over an encrypted connection, converted automatically with no human access, and removed together with the spreadsheet within 2 hours. That matters for bank statements and payroll reports, which carry account numbers and salaries.

Free alternatives on your own computer

Excel on Windows: Get Data from PDF

Microsoft's steps: "Select Data > Get Data > From File > From PDF." Then "Select your PDF file, and then click Open. The Navigator dialog box opens your PDF and displays available tables." You can load a table straight into a sheet or choose Transform Data to clean it first. Microsoft notes the connector "requires .NET Framework 4.5 or higher to be installed on your computer" (Microsoft Support). This is a strong option when you already have desktop Excel and the PDF has clear tables.

Word, then copy into Excel

Word can open a PDF by converting it, and Microsoft says this "works best with PDFs that are mostly text" (Microsoft Support). If the table comes through as a Word table, you can copy it into Excel. It is a workable fallback for one small table, less so for a 20-page statement.

Google Drive and Docs

In Google Drive, right-click a PDF and choose Open with Google Docs to convert it to text. Google's own notes make it a poor fit for spreadsheets: the file "should be 2 MB or smaller", and "Lists, tables, columns, footnotes, and endnotes are not likely to be detected" (Google Drive Help).

Adobe Acrobat

Acrobat on the desktop converts PDFs to XLSX through Convert > Microsoft Excel, with settings that let you "Specify whether to create a worksheet for each table, page or the entire document" (Adobe). Adobe also has a free online converter: you upload the PDF, then "Download the converted file or sign in to share it" (Adobe).

Mac, iPhone and Android

On these devices, the simplest free route is a browser converter. Open PDF to Excel in Safari or Chrome, pick the file, and open the XLSX in Numbers, Excel or Google Sheets.

Tidy up the spreadsheet

Even a good conversion usually needs a few minutes of cleaning. These are the common fixes:

Work on a copy and keep the PDF open beside it. Before you build formulas, total one column and compare it with the total printed in the PDF. If they match, the conversion is sound.

Common problems and fixes

• "No text found": the PDF is a scan. Run OCR PDF, then convert the new file.
• Columns shifted by one: merged header cells or a wide first column confused the layout. Move the affected cells across in Excel; the values are correct, only their position is off.
• Two tables side by side came out mixed: crop or split the page first, or convert and separate the columns afterwards.
• You need CSV, not XLSX: open the workbook and use Save As, or Download as CSV in Google Sheets.
• You need one sheet per page: the converter puts every page on one sheet with blank rows between pages. Cut each block into its own tab, or use Acrobat's per-page setting if you have it.

If you want the figures in a document rather than a spreadsheet, PDF to Word keeps tables inside paragraphs; our guide on converting PDF to Word without losing formatting covers what to expect. When the analysis is done, Excel to PDF turns the workbook back into a printable file.

Frequently asked questions

How can I convert a PDF to Excel for free?

Upload the PDF to PDF to Excel, click Convert to Excel and download the XLSX workbook. It is free with no account. If you have desktop Excel on Windows, Data > Get Data > From File > From PDF is a built-in alternative.

Can I convert a scanned bank statement to Excel?

Not directly. A scan is an image with no text, so the converter has nothing to read. Run OCR PDF first to add a text layer, then convert the searchable PDF and check the figures carefully against the original.

Will the columns stay the same in Excel?

Usually, for PDFs with evenly spaced columns, such as statements exported from banking or accounting software. Wrapped descriptions and merged headers can shift a cell or two, so compare a few rows with the PDF.

Why are my numbers stored as text after conversion?

Currency symbols, spaces, thousands separators or trailing minus signs stop Excel from reading a value as a number. Remove them with Find and Replace, or split the column with Text to Columns, and the values become numbers again.

Does the converter create a separate sheet for each page?

No. Every page goes onto one sheet, with a blank row marking where each page ended. That keeps a long statement in a single list you can sort and filter.