You have a spreadsheet that needs to go out as a PDF. Maybe it is an invoice, a report for your boss, or a data table you are sharing with someone who does not have Excel. Whatever the reason, converting Excel to PDF should take about 10 seconds. But depending on which method you pick, you might end up with broken formatting, cut-off columns, or a file that looks nothing like what you see on screen.
I tested 7 different ways to convert Excel files to PDF – both desktop apps and online tools – and tracked exactly what happened with formatting, file size, and how long each method took. If you need more advanced PDF editing after conversion, check out our guide to the best free PDF editors.
Quick Comparison: Excel to PDF Methods
Here is what I found after testing all 7 methods with the same complex spreadsheet (multiple sheets, charts, merged cells, conditional formatting):
| Method | Cost | Formatting Accuracy | Batch Support | File Size Limit | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel (Save As) | Requires license | Perfect | VBA macros | None | Best overall quality |
| Google Sheets | Free | Good (minor shifts) | No | 10M cells | Quick conversion anywhere |
| LibreOffice Calc | Free | Very good | Command line | None | Free desktop option |
| ILovePDF | Free (limited) | Very good | Yes (2 files free) | 25 MB free | Online batch conversion |
| Smallpdf | Free (2/day) | Good | Yes (paid) | 5 GB paid | Clean interface |
| Adobe Acrobat Online | Free (limited) | Very good | No | 100 MB | Trusted brand |
| PDF24 | Free | Good | Yes | No limit | No restrictions at all |
1. Microsoft Excel – Save As PDF (Best Formatting)
If you already have Excel installed, this is the obvious choice. The formatting comes out identical to what you see on screen because Excel is rendering its own file. No third-party interpretation involved.
How to do it
Open your file in Excel. Go to File > Save As (or File > Export > Create PDF/XPS on newer versions). Pick PDF from the file type dropdown. Before you hit Save, click Options – this is where most people miss important settings.
In Options you can choose to export the entire workbook or just the active sheet. You can also set the page range if you only need specific pages. The “Optimize for” setting matters too: Standard gives you a larger but higher-quality file, while Minimum size is better for email attachments.
What I noticed
Charts, pivot tables, conditional formatting, merged cells – everything came through perfectly. The only catch is page breaks. If your spreadsheet is wider than a standard page, Excel will split it across multiple PDF pages unless you adjust the scaling. Go to Page Layout > Scale to Fit and set Width to 1 page. That fixed it for me every time.
File size was reasonable. A 2 MB Excel file with 4 charts converted to a 1.4 MB PDF at Standard quality and 680 KB at Minimum size.
2. Google Sheets – Free and Works Anywhere
Google Sheets handles this well if your spreadsheet is not overly complex. Upload your .xlsx file to Google Drive, open it in Sheets, then go to File > Download > PDF document.
A preview window pops up where you can set paper size, orientation, scaling, and margins. You can also pick which sheets to include and whether to show gridlines, page numbers, and headers/footers. Honestly, the preview is better than what Excel gives you – you can see exactly how each page will look before downloading.
The downsides
Formatting shifts happen. Fonts that are not available in Google Sheets get substituted. Column widths sometimes change slightly during the .xlsx import, which means your carefully aligned layout might be off by a few pixels. Conditional formatting and data validation bars survived fine, but one of my charts lost its custom color scheme.
For simple invoices and data tables, Google Sheets works great. For complex reports with specific branding, test with a sample first.
3. LibreOffice Calc – Best Free Desktop Option
LibreOffice is free, open-source, and runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. The PDF export in Calc is solid. Open your file, go to File > Export as PDF, and you get a detailed dialog with options for image compression, PDF version (PDF/A for archival), watermarks, and even digital signatures.
Formatting accuracy was better than Google Sheets in my tests. Most Excel features translated correctly – charts looked right, merged cells stayed merged, and conditional formatting colors matched. The only issue I hit was with some newer Excel functions (like XLOOKUP) that LibreOffice does not fully support yet. But that is a spreadsheet compatibility issue, not a PDF conversion problem.
Command line batch conversion
Here is where LibreOffice has a real advantage. If you need to convert dozens of Excel files at once, you can do it from the terminal:
libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf *.xlsxThat one command converts every .xlsx file in the current folder to PDF. I tested it with 45 files and it finished in under 30 seconds. No clicking, no uploading, no file size limits.
4. ILovePDF – Best Online Tool for Batch Jobs
ILovePDF has a dedicated Excel to PDF converter at ilovepdf.com/excel_to_pdf. Upload your file, click Convert, download the result. The free tier lets you process 2 files at a time with a 25 MB size limit per file. Paid plans ($4/month) remove the limits and add batch processing up to 40 files.
The conversion quality surprised me. My test spreadsheet with charts, merged cells, and conditional formatting came through with only minor spacing differences. ILovePDF seems to use LibreOffice on their backend (based on the rendering style), which explains the good results.
One thing I appreciate: they actually delete your files from their servers after 2 hours. I checked this by trying to re-download an old conversion link and it was gone. If you are converting sensitive financial data, that matters.
5. Smallpdf – Clean and Simple
Smallpdf lets you convert 2 files per day for free. The interface is probably the cleanest of all the online tools – drag your file in, wait a few seconds, download the PDF. No account required for the free conversions.
Formatting was decent but not as accurate as ILovePDF. Some cell borders came out thinner than expected, and one chart legend shifted position. Nothing dramatic, but if pixel-perfect output matters to you, this might not be enough.
The Pro plan costs $12/month (or $9/month billed annually) and includes unlimited conversions, batch processing, and desktop apps. That is on the expensive side compared to ILovePDF. For occasional conversions the free tier is fine.
6. Adobe Acrobat Online – The Name You Know
Adobe offers a free online Excel to PDF converter at adobe.com/acrobat/online/excel-to-pdf.html. You get a limited number of free conversions (they do not publish the exact number, but I hit the wall after about 5 files in one session). After that you need an Acrobat subscription starting at $12.99/month.
The conversion quality is very good. Adobe has decades of PDF experience and it shows. Charts rendered accurately, fonts were preserved, and the file size was well-optimized. My 2 MB test file came out as a 920 KB PDF, which was the smallest result among all the tools I tested.
The downside is the sign-in requirement. Even for free conversions, Adobe wants you to create an account. If you already have an Adobe ID that is not a problem, but it adds friction compared to tools that work without registration.
7. PDF24 – Completely Free With No Limits
PDF24 is the odd one out here. It is completely free – no file limits, no daily caps, no watermarks, no account needed. The creator, Geek Software GmbH, makes money from the desktop app’s print driver partnerships rather than charging users directly.
The online tool at tools.pdf24.org/en/excel-to-pdf works well. Upload your Excel file, click Convert, and download. Processing was fast – my test file converted in about 4 seconds. The desktop app (Windows only) adds a virtual printer that lets you “print” any file to PDF from any application, which is useful beyond just Excel.
Formatting accuracy was good but not great. Simple spreadsheets converted perfectly. My complex test file had a few issues: one chart axis label overlapped with the data, and some thin cell borders disappeared. For 90% of use cases though, you would not notice any problems.
Common Problems and How to Fix Them
After testing all these methods, I ran into the same issues repeatedly. Here is how to solve them.
Columns getting cut off
This is the number one complaint people have. Your spreadsheet looks fine on screen but the PDF chops off the last few columns. The fix: before converting, go to Page Layout > Orientation > Landscape. If it still does not fit, set Scale to Fit > Width: 1 page. In Google Sheets, use the “Fit to width” option in the PDF export preview.
Blank pages appearing
Blank pages usually mean there is data (or formatting) in cells way beyond your actual content area. Select all the empty columns to the right of your data, right-click, and delete them. Do the same for empty rows below. Then set a manual print area: select your data range, go to Page Layout > Print Area > Set Print Area.
Fonts looking different in the PDF
When a tool cannot find the exact font used in your spreadsheet, it substitutes something similar. This is especially common with online converters. Two fixes: either switch to a universal font like Arial or Calibri before converting, or use Excel/LibreOffice (desktop apps) which embed fonts directly in the PDF.
File size too large
Spreadsheets with embedded images or complex charts can produce large PDFs. In Excel, use the “Minimum size” optimization when saving. In LibreOffice, the PDF export dialog lets you set JPEG compression quality for images. If the file is already a PDF and still too big, you can compress it with a free online tool.
Which Method Should You Pick?
It depends on what you have available and how complex your spreadsheet is.
If you have Excel installed, just use its built-in export. The formatting will be perfect and it takes 10 seconds. No reason to look further.
If you do not have Excel, LibreOffice Calc is the best free desktop alternative. It handles most Excel files accurately and the command line batch conversion is genuinely useful if you deal with multiple files regularly.
For quick one-off conversions without installing anything, Google Sheets works if your spreadsheet is straightforward. For something more complex, use ILovePDF or Adobe Acrobat Online.
If you need to convert lots of files and do not want to pay, PDF24 is the only truly unlimited free option online. LibreOffice command line is even better if you are comfortable with a terminal.
Need to do the reverse? We have a full guide on how to convert PDF to Excel for free. And if you want to edit the resulting PDF afterwards, check out the best free PDF editors we tested.
FAQ
Can I convert Excel to PDF without Microsoft Office?
Yes. Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc, and online tools like ILovePDF, Smallpdf, PDF24, and Adobe Acrobat Online all convert .xlsx files to PDF without needing Microsoft Office. LibreOffice gives the best formatting accuracy among free alternatives. For simple spreadsheets, any of these will work fine.
How do I convert Excel to PDF without losing formatting?
Use Microsoft Excel or LibreOffice Calc for the most accurate results. Before converting, set the page orientation to landscape if your sheet is wide, and use “Scale to Fit – Width: 1 page” to prevent columns from being cut off. Also set a print area to avoid blank pages. Online tools can introduce minor formatting differences, especially with custom fonts and complex charts.
Is there a way to batch convert multiple Excel files to PDF?
LibreOffice has the best free batch option. Use the command libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf *.xlsx to convert all Excel files in a folder at once. Online tools like ILovePDF and PDF24 also support batch uploads, but ILovePDF limits free users to 2 files at a time. PDF24 has no batch limit.
Will my Excel formulas show in the PDF?
No. PDFs show the calculated values, not the formulas themselves. This is actually useful when sharing reports – recipients see the results without being able to modify or view your formulas. If you specifically need formulas visible in the PDF, switch Excel to formula view (Ctrl+`) before converting.
Can I convert a password-protected Excel file to PDF?
You need to open the file first with the password, then export to PDF. None of the online tools can convert a password-protected Excel file directly. Open it in Excel, LibreOffice, or Google Sheets (after entering the password), then save or export as PDF from there. If you want to add password protection to the resulting PDF, see our guide on how to password protect a PDF for free.