XLS is the legacy Microsoft Excel format (97-2003) that uses a binary BIFF (Binary Interchange File Format) structure. Converting PDF to XLS extracts tabular data from PDF documents and places it in an Excel-compatible spreadsheet that opens in every version of Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets, and WPS Spreadsheets.

While XLSX is the modern standard, XLS remains necessary when working with legacy systems, older Excel versions, or automated processes built around the binary Excel format. Many enterprise ERP systems, legacy accounting software, and older database import tools specifically require XLS files and cannot process XLSX.

Organizations with legacy software infrastructure frequently need data from PDF reports in XLS format. Banking systems built on older technology stacks, government financial reporting systems from the early 2000s, and industrial control systems with Excel-based data import capabilities may only accept XLS files. Converting PDF data to XLS bridges the gap between modern PDF documents and these legacy systems.

XLS is also more efficient for very simple spreadsheets because it does not carry the XML overhead of XLSX. For straightforward tabular data without advanced formatting, the binary XLS format is compact and universally compatible.

LibreOffice processes the PDF to detect tabular structures by analyzing text alignment patterns, ruling lines, and spatial relationships between text elements. Detected columns and rows are mapped to XLS cells with appropriate data types — numeric values are stored as Excel numbers, dates are formatted as date cells, and text remains as strings. The output uses the BIFF8 binary format, which supports a maximum of 65,536 rows and 256 columns per sheet. Basic cell formatting (borders, alignment, number formats) is applied based on the PDF's visual styling.

Use XLS when your target system specifically requires the legacy Excel binary format — older accounting software, legacy ERP systems, or Excel 2003. For all other purposes, XLSX is the better choice with larger capacity and smaller file sizes.

XLS supports a maximum of 65,536 rows and 256 columns per sheet. If your PDF table exceeds these limits, data will be truncated. XLSX supports over 1 million rows and 16,384 columns.

Yes. The converter detects numeric values, currency amounts, percentages, and dates, storing them as proper Excel data types. This means they work immediately in formulas and calculations.

Yes. Multiple tables detected in the PDF are each extracted and placed in the spreadsheet. They may appear on the same sheet with spacing between them or on separate sheets depending on the layout.

Merged cells in PDF tables are detected when possible and reproduced as merged cells in the XLS output. However, complex merge patterns may not be detected accurately in all cases.

Device	PDF	XLS
Windows PC	Partial	Partial
macOS	Partial	Partial
iPhone/iPad	Partial	Partial
Android	Partial	Partial
Linux	Partial	Partial
Web Browser	Native	No

Funktion	PDF	XLS
Fulde navn	Portable Document Format	Microsoft Excel 97-2003
Filendelse	.pdf	.xls
Bedst til	Universal format	Legacy support

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