How to Convert PDF to CSV: 5 Easiest and Instant Methods

PDFs are often used to lock the content from editable file formats and conveniently share those files with others. Therefore, we can see individuals and organizations sharing spreadsheet-related content in PDF format. However, it is not uncommon to see people searching for how to convert PDF to CSV format to get editable data for further manipulation and analysis.

CSV, or comma-separated value, is a file format used by spreadsheet software like Excel or Google Sheets to present data in a text format, separated by commas. In this guide, we will discuss in detail how to convert PDF to CSV for free using the easiest methods.

Part 1. The Easiest Method to Convert PDF to CSV for Free with UPDF

This section presents the easiest method to convert PDF to CSV, which works on both Windows and Mac computers. This seamless method is offered by UPDF.

UPDF is the most advanced, AI-driven PDF editor and converter tool that provides a click-based interface to convert PDF to CSV on Mac and Windows. All it requires is to open the PDF, choose CSV as the conversion format, and get the converted CSV file instantly.

Below are the key features of UPDF that reflect its credibility:

• It can instantly and accurately convert PDF to CSV.
• It can convert all or selective pages of PDF to CSV.
• Its AI intelligence detects and converts all the content in the PDF to CSV without losing formatting.
• Its batch feature can convert multiple PDFs to CSVs instantly.
• Its OCR technology allows you to convert scanned PDF to CSV.
• It can also convert PDFto other file formats, such as Word (DOCX), PowerPoint (PPT), image, RTF, text, and HTML.
• It does not require online file uploading to do the conversion.
• It is compatible with both Windows and Mac systems.

In short, UPDF offers a complete conversion experience that you need to proficiently convert PDF to CSV. Follow the below simple steps to do the conversion with UPDF:

Step 1. Launch UPDF and tap “Open File” to open the PDF file you want to convert.

Step 2. Click the “Export” button from the right sidebar and choose “CSV” as the export option.

Step 3. In the pop-up window, customize the settings you want and then click “Export”.

That’s it! So, three click-based steps and you have successfully converted PDF to CSV in no time. So, why think more? Download UPDF and convert PDF to CSV effortlessly.

Part 2. Convert PDF to CSV Online

Besides the powerful UPDF desktop tool, you can also convert PDF to CSV through online tools. Let’s discuss a few of the online tools you can use:

1. Adobe Online

Everyone knows about Adobe Acrobat for accessing PDF files, but Adobe also provides a web-based tool to assist in different PDF-related activities. For PDF to CSV conversion, you can use Adobe Online first to convert PDF to Excel (.xlsm) and then convert XLSM to CSV through Excel.

Follow the below steps to learn how to convert PDF to CSV with Adobe Online:

1. Go to Adobe PDF to Excel online converter. Click “Select a file” and choose the PDF you want to convert.
   
2. Sign up or log in to download the file.
3. In the preview window, click the “Download” button to download the Excel file.
4. Open the downloaded file in Excel and click File > Save as and choose CSV format.

This way, you can convert PDF to CSV with Adobe Online. However, the multiple steps involved in this method make it less effective compared to UPDF.

Cons

• Not direct conversion of PDF to CSV.
• No option for selective PDF page conversion.
• Time-consuming.
• Requires a fast internet connection to upload and download files.
• Slow processing.

2. Zamzar

Zamzar is another online tool to convert PDF to CSV for free. However, it offers a faster way to do the conversion compared to Adobe Online, as you can directly convert PDF to CSV.

Follow the below steps to do the conversion with Zamzar:

1. Go to Zamzar PDF to CSV online converterand click “Choose Files” to upload the PDF.
2. Click “Convert Now” to initiate the conversion.
3. Once the conversion is completed, click “Download” to download the CSV file.

This way, you can quickly convert PDF to CSV with Zamzar. However, it only allows you to convert a 2 MB PDF file for free.

Cons

• Occasionally fails to convert.
• Conversion can take longer for large-sized files.
• No option for selective PDF page conversion.
• 2 MB file size limit in the free plan.
• Requires a fast internet connection to upload and download files.

3. AnyConv

AnyConv is also a web-based PDF to CSV converter offering Zamzar similar approach to do the conversion. Follow the below steps to convert PDF to CSV for free with AnyConv:

1. Go to AnyConv PDF to CSV online converterand click “Choose File” to upload the PDF.
2. Click the “Convert” button to initiate the conversion.
3. Once the conversion is completed, click the “Download” button.

This way, you can seamlessly get CSV from PDF with AnyConv. However, there is a file size limit of 100 MB only.

Cons

• 100 MB file size limit.
• No option for selective PDF page conversion.
• Requires a fast internet connection to upload and download files.

Part 3. More Advanced Ways to Convert PDF to CSV

For users who need more advanced ways to convert PDF to CSV, below we are listing two methods that use Python and Java to do the conversion:

1. Convert PDF to CSV with Python

Follow the below steps to convert PDF to CSV for free using Python:

1. Start by configuring your Python environment. Install the Aspose.PDF for the Python library via the .NET library.
2. Use the Document class to load the source PDF document you want to convert to CSV format.
3. Create an instance of the ExcelSaveOptions class. This object will specify the export format and settings for the conversion.
4. Within the ExcelSaveOptions object, set the desired output format to CSV. Then, export the source PDF file to a CSV file using the specified options.

Below is the code of the steps discussed above:

So, use this code and quickly convert PDF to CSV with Python.

2. Convert PDF to CSV File in Java

Follow the below steps to convert PDF to CSV for free in Java:

1. Start by including the Aspose.PDF for the Java library from the Maven repository.
2. Add the Aspose.PDF namespace to your product to convert PDF to CSV.
3. Create an instance of the Document class to load the source PDF file that you intend to convert.
4. Use the ExcelSaveOptions object to configure the desired properties for the output CSV file.
5. Use the Save method and the ExcelSaveOptions parameter to begin the PDF to CSV conversion process in Java.

Below is the code of the steps discussed above:

So, use this code and quickly convert PDF to CSV in Java.

Part 4. UPDF Capabilities Beyond PDF to CSV Conversions

UPDF presents itself as a powerful tool to convert PDF to CSV or other formats. However, its capabilities are not just limited to conversions. It is reputed as a complete PDF editor and handler tool due to its below-diverse range of features:

• Edit PDFs:Its AI-driven editing feature allows you to accurately edit the text, images, and links in the PDF.
• Annotate PDFs: It lets you highlight, draw, mark, underline, add comments, insert stickers, and do more annotations of your choice.
• Compress PDFs:It can shrink the PDF size based on the specified quality level.
• UPDF AI: Its integrated ChatGPT intelligence allows you to chat with PDF, ask questions, and consume complex content easily with AI summaries, explanations, etc.
• Protect PDFs:It can password-protect PDFs to safeguard sensitive documents.
• Organize PDFs:It can add, remove, split, extract, rotate, crop, and rearrange PDF pages.

Overall, UPDF is an all-in-one PDF editor and converter tool to handle almost all PDF activities. This makes it a must-have tool on our smartphones and computers to deal with PDF files effectively.

Part 5. FAQs About Converting PDF to CSV

Q1. Why converting a PDF to CSV?

There are different reasons to convert PDF to CSV. Mostly, it is required for easy data extraction and analysis. Since PDF format is meant for viewing and printing, it is converted to CSV to convert the data into a format compatible with data analysis tools.

Q2. How do I convert a PDF to CSV in Google Sheets?

1. Go to Google Drive and upload the PDF file.
2. Click the uploaded PDF file and then choose “Open with Google Docs”.
3. Copy the table.
4. Create a New Google Sheets file.
5. Paste the table in Google Sheets.
6. Click File > Download > Comma Separated Values (.csv).

Q3. Can Google Docs convert to CSV?

No, Google Docs cannot convert to CSV. For that, you have to copy the table and paste it into a new Google Sheets file. Afterward, you can save it as CSV by clicking File > Download > Comma Separated Values (.csv).

Conclusion

When a PDF contains spreadsheet-related data, the need to convert PDF to CSV can likely emerge. Above, we have discussed different methods to do the conversion with ease. Out of all the methods, UPDF seems to be the best pick due to multiple reasons. Its easiest conversion approach, fastest processing, offline conversion, selective page choice, batch conversion, and other feature-rich functionalities truly make it the perfect pick to convert PDF to CSV instantly. So, download UPDF and get the CSV from PDF right away.