Convert XLS to PDF
Ethical Tube's free XLS to PDF converter turns XLS spreadsheets into PDFs, the universal format for sharing documents, using LibreOffice, the open-source office suite. It runs entirely in your browser, so your spreadsheets are never uploaded, and it's free with no sign-up or watermark. The first conversion downloads the LibreOffice engine (77 MB) once, and it's cached after that.
Files are converted on your device and never uploaded.
- Price
- Free
- Uploads
- None, it runs on your device
- Sign-up
- Not needed
- Batch
- Unlimited files
- Output
- First use
- 77 MB download, once
How it works
How to convert XLS to PDF
Add your XLS files
Drop XLS files onto the converter, click to choose them, or paste from the clipboard. Add as many as you like.
Check the settings
PDF is already selected. The first time, confirm the one-time download of the document engine.
Download your PDFs
Each file gets its own download button as soon as it's ready. Download all saves everything in one ZIP file.
The formats
XLS and PDF at a glance
What is an XLS file?
XLS is the binary spreadsheet format Excel used before 2007. It's limited to 65,536 rows and 256 columns per sheet and opens in compatibility mode in current Excel, but many older systems and bank exports still produce it. It opens in Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers, and WPS Office.
What is a PDF file?
PDF is the standard format for sharing documents that should look the same everywhere. It fixes the layout, fonts, and images of every page, which is great for reading and printing but makes editing hard. A PDF can contain real text or only scanned pictures of pages. It opens in every browser, Adobe Acrobat Reader, macOS Preview, Microsoft Edge on Windows, phones, and Google Drive.
Good to know
What changes when you convert XLS to PDF
- LibreOffice lays out the pages, so text, images, tables, headers, and footers look like they do in the original.
- Each sheet is printed on as many pages as it needs, using the print areas and page setup saved in the workbook.
- Fonts that aren't built in are replaced with similar ones, which can shift line breaks slightly.
- The first conversion downloads LibreOffice compiled to WebAssembly (77 MB). It's cached, so later visits start quickly.
- Chinese, Japanese, and Korean text may appear in a fallback font.
- Password-protected documents can't be converted.
- It works best on a computer, because LibreOffice needs a lot of memory.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is this XLS to PDF converter free?
Yes. It's completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark, and no limit on how many files you convert. It costs Ethical Tube nothing to run, because the conversion happens on your own device rather than on a server.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs inside your browser with LibreOffice compiled to WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device. Once the page and the engine have loaded, it even works offline.
Will my PDF look like the original XLS file?
In most cases, yes. LibreOffice lays out every page, including fonts, images, tables, headers, and footers. If the document uses fonts that aren't built in, similar fonts are used, which can shift line breaks slightly.
Why is there a download the first time?
The conversion uses LibreOffice, the open-source office suite, compiled to run inside your browser. It's about 77 MB, downloads once from Ethical Tube's own server, and is cached for next time. Your documents are never uploaded.
Can I convert several XLS files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like. They're converted one after another, and you can download each PDF file as soon as it's ready or all of them in one ZIP file.
Does it work on iPhone, Android, Mac, and Windows?
It works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari, but it's built for computers. LibreOffice needs about 1 GB of memory, which many phones can't spare.
What can open a PDF file?
Every browser, Adobe Acrobat Reader, macOS Preview, Microsoft Edge on Windows, phones, and Google Drive.
Is there a file size limit?
There's no upload limit because nothing is uploaded. The practical limit is your device's memory: everyday files are fine, and most computers handle documents with hundreds of pages.
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