XLS to PDF Converter Free — Convert Excel (.xls) to PDF Online
Need to convert an old .xls spreadsheet to PDF without buying Excel or uploading sensitive data to a stranger's server? Here's the 30-second method, plus what actually happens to your charts, formulas, and formatting.
Written and fact-checked by the Convertify editorial team. We test every workflow on real documents (government forms, design exports, scanned IDs, source code) before publishing — and re-test on each review date to keep the steps current.
The 30-Second Method
The fastest way is a browser-based converter — no Excel install, no upload to a server.
- Open Convertify's Excel to PDF converter.
- Drag your .xls (or .xlsx) file into the upload area, or tap to pick it from your device.
- Click Convert. Your PDF downloads in seconds.
That's it. The PDF will keep your tables, charts, formatting, fonts, and clickable links — just like Excel's built-in "Save as PDF." The only difference is you don't need to own Excel.
Why Convert XLS to PDF?
Excel files are great for working — bad for sending. Common reasons people convert XLS to PDF:
- Email-safe sharing. Many email clients block or strip macros from .xls attachments. PDFs always go through.
- Portal uploads. Government forms, bank portals, school admission systems, and tax filings rarely accept .xls — but always accept PDF.
- Layout integrity. Open the same .xls in Excel, LibreOffice, and Google Sheets and you'll see three slightly different layouts. PDF freezes the layout exactly as you intended.
- Read-only sharing. A PDF can't be accidentally edited the way an .xls can.
- Print-ready output. Excel's page breaks are notoriously fragile. A converted PDF prints predictably.
- Long-term archiving. Decades from now, .xls might be hard to open. PDFs (especially PDF/A) are designed to last.
XLS vs XLSX: What Actually Changes in the Conversion
If you're converting an .xls file, you're probably working with a spreadsheet from before Excel 2007. Two practical differences:
- .xls files have a 65,536-row limit per sheet (XLSX raised that to 1,048,576). If your XLS hits that limit, the PDF will too.
- .xls macros (.xlsm equivalents) won't run during PDF conversion. Their last-saved output values are converted, but no fresh recalculation happens.
Other than that, the visual output is identical. Convertify reads both formats the same way.
What Happens to Charts & Formulas?
The most common worry: "Will my pivot chart still look right?" Quick answers:
- Charts render into the PDF as crisp vector or image data. Bar, line, pie, scatter, area — all render. Custom 3-D charts with rotation may flatten to 2-D in some edge cases.
- Formulas are not stored in the PDF. Instead, the converter evaluates each formula and writes the resulting value into the PDF cell. So a cell showing
=SUM(B2:B10)in Excel will show1,247(or whatever the sum is) in the PDF. - Cell formatting — borders, fills, font sizes, font families, conditional formatting colors — all transfer.
- Hyperlinks remain clickable in the PDF.
- Comments / cell notes are not visible by default in the PDF (they aren't shown when you print from Excel either).
Converting XLS to PDF on iPhone & Android
iOS doesn't come with anything that opens .xls files, and the "Files → share as PDF" trick only works for files iOS can already preview. Use Convertify in Safari (iOS) or Chrome (Android) — same three-step flow as desktop. The converted PDF saves to your phone's Files / Downloads folder.
This is also the only way to convert .xls to PDF on phones without installing the heavy Microsoft Excel app.
Comparison: Convertify vs Excel vs Smallpdf
| Tool | Cost | Watermark | Files leave device? | Phone friendly? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convertify | Free | No | No (browser-only) | Yes (no app) |
| Microsoft Excel "Save as PDF" | $$$ (Excel license) | No | No | Excel app required |
| LibreOffice Calc | Free | No | No | No (desktop only) |
| Smallpdf / iLovePDF (free tier) | Free w/ daily limit | Free tier limited | Yes (server upload) | Yes |
| Google Sheets "Download as PDF" | Free | No | Yes (file imported to Google) | Yes |
Troubleshooting
Charts look pixelated in the PDF
Open the .xls in Excel and resize the chart before converting. Charts that are very small in the source spreadsheet render at low resolution in the PDF. Doubling the chart size in Excel before converting fixes this.
Page breaks split tables awkwardly
Set explicit page breaks in Excel (Page Layout → Breaks → Insert Page Break) before converting. Or use Page Layout → Print Area → Set Print Area to control what each PDF page contains.
Some rows / columns are missing from the PDF
Check Excel's Print Area in the source file. If a print area is set, only that range gets converted. Clear the print area (Page Layout → Print Area → Clear Print Area) to convert the entire sheet.
PDF is too large to email
Run it through our PDF compressor with the "Medium" setting. Most spreadsheet PDFs compress 60–80% with no visible quality change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about XLS to PDF Conversion
How do I convert XLS to PDF for free?
What's the difference between XLS and XLSX?
Will my charts and formulas survive the conversion?
Do I need Microsoft Excel installed to convert XLS to PDF?
Is it safe to convert sensitive financial XLS files?
Can I convert multiple XLS files to PDF at once?
How big can the XLS file be?
Can I convert .xls to PDF on my phone?
Convert Your XLS to PDF Now
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