5 Ways to Convert PDF to Excel for FREE

Need to analyze data trapped in a PDF? Learn 5 free methods to convert PDF tables into editable Excel spreadsheets.

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5 Ways to Convert PDF to Excel for FREE

We’ve all been there: a client sends a bank statement or a price list as a PDF, and you need to crunch the numbers. Retyping data manually is slow and error-prone.

Fortunately, you don’t need expensive software to unlock that data. Here are 5 ways to convert PDF to Excel for free.

1. Copy and Paste (The Right Way)

If the PDF is text-based (not a scan), you can sometimes just copy and paste.

  • Tip: In Adobe Reader, hold down the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (Mac) while dragging your mouse. This selects a column of text instead of horizontal lines, making it much easier to paste into Excel columns.

2. Microsoft Word

Word can open PDFs and convert them to editable text.

  1. Open Word.
  2. Go to File > Open and select your PDF.
  3. Word will convert it.
  4. Copy the table from Word and paste it into Excel.

3. Excel’s “Get Data” Feature (Windows Only)

Modern versions of Excel have a powerful built-in importer.

  1. Open Excel.
  2. Go to the Data tab.
  3. Click Get Data > From File > From PDF.
  4. Select your file. Excel will analyze it and show you a list of tables it found.
  5. Select the table you want and click Load.

4. Google Docs

  1. Upload the PDF to Google Drive.
  2. Right-click the file and choose Open with > Google Docs.
  3. Google will convert it to a document.
  4. Copy the table and paste it into Google Sheets or Excel.

5. Online Converters

Sites like Adobe’s free online tool, Smallpdf, or I Love PDF work well for simple files.

  1. Upload the PDF.
  2. Download the converted .xlsx file. Note: Be careful with sensitive data.

Conclusion

Data shouldn’t be trapped in a PDF. With these free tools, you can liberate your numbers and get back to analysis.

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