PDFCellsPDFCells vs Excel’s Get Data › From PDF
If you already have Excel with Power Query and your PDFs are born-digital, Get Data › From PDF is free and refreshable, and is often enough. PDFCells is the better fit for scanned pages, for checking statement balances before you use the numbers, and for OFX/QBO/Xero files.
Side by side
| Excel Power Query (PDF connector) | PDFCells | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Included with Excel | Free for PDF text and OCR; AI 25 free pages/day signed in, then Anthropic cost + 15% |
| Where it runs | In Excel on your computer | In your browser; AI pages go to our server and Anthropic only when you choose AI |
| How it works | Pdf.Tables returns the tables found in a PDF into a query you can refresh | Tables open in a grid next to the page for review, then export |
| Scanned PDFs | Microsoft’s connector page doesn’t mention scanned pages or OCR | Yes: in-browser OCR, or AI |
| Multi-page tables | MultiPageTables option, on by default | Joined automatically |
| Wrapped rows | Microsoft notes multi-line rows may need manual clean-up in the query | Folded into the row above |
| Checks | None built in | Running balance, footing, line totals, cross-footing, summary ties |
| Bank formats | None | Excel, CSV, OFX, QBO, Xero CSV |
| Many files | Folder or SharePoint Folder connector | Batch of up to 200 files |
| Requirements | Microsoft’s support page says the PDF connector needs .NET Framework 4.5 or higher | A modern browser |
Choose Power Query if
- You already work in Power Query and want a refreshable import, for example the same report every month.
- Your PDFs are generated by software (not scanned), with clean ruled tables.
- You want to stay inside Excel and transform the data with M.
Choose PDFCells if
- Some pages are scans, photos or screenshots.
- You need to know the numbers tie (running balance, totals) before you use them.
- You need OFX, QBO or a Xero CSV, or a cleaned payee and category per transaction.
- You are on a machine without desktop Excel.
Sources (checked October 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: PDF connector (capabilities, options, limitations)
- Microsoft Support: Import data from data sources (PDF connector requirement)
Questions
Can Excel convert a PDF to a spreadsheet by itself?
Yes. In Excel with Power Query, Data › Get Data › From File › From PDF imports the tables it finds in a PDF. Microsoft’s documentation doesn’t describe OCR for scanned PDFs.
Is Power Query better than a converter for bank statements?
For clean digital statements it can be enough, but it doesn’t check running balances or produce OFX/QBO files. PDFCells checks running balances and statement summaries where it recognises them, and makes those files.