# Convert PDF to XLS or XLSX: Which Format to Pick

- Author: FastBankConvert (https://fastbankconvert.com)
- Published: 2026-10-16
- Category: PDF to Excel basics
- Canonical: https://fastbankconvert.com/blog/convert-pdf-to-xls-or-xlsx

> Should you convert PDF to XLS or XLSX? Row limits, which programs still need the old XLS format, and when plain CSV is the better choice.
When you convert a PDF to XLS, you get the old Excel 97-2003 format; XLSX is the modern one, and for nearly every file it is the better choice. XLS caps a sheet at 65,536 rows and 256 columns. Pick XLS only when a specific old program demands it, and consider CSV for imports.

## XLS vs XLSX: what changed in the file format?

XLS is the binary workbook format used by Excel 97 to 2003, and XLSX is the format Excel has used since Excel 2007. The difference that matters when you convert a PDF is size and safety. XLSX holds far more rows and columns, and it cannot carry macros.

### What each format is

An XLS file is a single binary file in an older Microsoft layout. An XLSX file is a zipped package of XML files, an open and documented structure, which is why other programs read it easily. You can tell them apart by the extension, but also by behavior: Excel opens an old XLS in compatibility mode and labels the title bar accordingly.

### What changed that you will notice

For someone converting a PDF, four changes show up in practice:

- **Size limits.** XLSX has many more rows and columns, covered in the next section.
- **File size.** XLSX files are compressed, so the same data usually takes less disk space.
- **Macros.** An XLSX file cannot hold macros. Macro-enabled workbooks use a separate type, XLSM. XLS can hold macros, which is the root of the warnings described later.
- **Features.** Newer features are not saved in XLS. Microsoft's page on [using Excel with earlier versions](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/use-excel-with-earlier-versions-of-excel) lists things that do not survive a save to the old format, such as sparklines and slicers, and a cap of around 4,000 unique cell formats.

A converted PDF is mostly plain values, so you rarely miss those features. The row limit is the one that bites.

## Row and column limits of the old XLS format

The old XLS format fits 65,536 rows and 256 columns on a sheet. XLSX fits 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns, per Microsoft's [Excel specifications and limits](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/excel-specifications-and-limits) for current Excel. A PDF with more than 65,536 data rows will not fit in one XLS sheet.

### What happens to data past the limit

Microsoft's page on earlier versions says data beyond 65,536 rows by 256 columns will not be saved in the old format. Formulas that point into that region return #REF! errors. This is the dangerous failure: a tool that writes XLS from a very long PDF may cut the end of the table without an obvious warning, and your totals will be short by exactly the missing rows.

### Will your PDF reach that limit?

Most PDFs do not come close. A dense statement page holds a few dozen lines of transactions, so reaching 65,536 rows would take well over a thousand pages. Large exports, such as a year of card activity from a busy business or a data dump saved as PDF, can reach it. The practical check is simple: after conversion, scroll to the last row and compare it with the last line in the PDF, then compare the total with the printed one. The row count is also worth a look in the status bar.

### Splitting a long file

If a long PDF must go to XLS, convert it in parts, for example one calendar quarter per file. Keep the same columns in each. XLSX avoids the problem and is simpler to manage. If the long file is a statement, the guide to [converting a large PDF to Excel](/blog/convert-large-pdf-to-excel) covers the practical side of long runs.

## Which programs still need an XLS file?

Few current programs need XLS, but a handful of older systems still expect it. If your destination does not say which format it wants, try XLSX first. Switch to XLS only when the program rejects the file or its documentation lists XLS.

### How to find out which format a program wants

Do not guess from the extension alone. Check these in order:

1. **The import screen.** Most programs list accepted file types in the file picker or on the upload page.
2. **The program's help.** Search for "import" and the file extensions.
3. **A test file.** Convert a short sample and try it. A rejected import usually says so at once.
4. **The person who owns the system.** For legacy tools inside a company, a short question saves guessing.

Reasons people give for needing XLS are usually one of three. An old desktop tool that predates XLSX. An automated import written years ago that was never updated. Or a colleague on Excel 2003 who has not installed the compatibility pack. In the first two cases, ask whether the program can take CSV, since that is usually accepted wherever XLS is.

### A quick decision rule

If you are unsure, follow this order. Save as XLSX when a person will open the file in a current version of Excel or Google Sheets. Save as CSV when another program will import it. Save as XLS only when a named older program or colleague needs it, and only after checking that the data fits in 65,536 rows. When the destination is unknown, XLSX is the default that causes the fewest surprises, and you can always export a CSV from it later.

### Opening XLS and XLSX in other tools

Google Sheets opens both XLS and XLSX, along with CSV. So does Excel, current and recent versions. For sharing with people on unknown software, XLSX is the safer default because it is the format most programs support today.

### Converting between the two later

You do not need to decide forever. Excel can open an XLS file and save it as XLSX, or the reverse, in a few clicks. The trap is the reverse trip: saving a large sheet back to XLS drops anything beyond the old limits. Always keep the XLSX as the master copy.

## CSV as a third option beside XLS and XLSX

CSV, short for comma-separated values, is plain text with one row per line and fields separated by commas. It is better than a workbook when you are importing data into another program, since nearly every system reads it. It is worse when you need several sheets, formatting or formulas.

### Comparing the three

The table below compares the formats on the points that matter for a converted PDF. The row limits for XLS and XLSX come from Microsoft's pages linked above. The other cells describe how the formats generally behave.

| Format | Maximum rows | Maximum columns | Keeps formatting | Can hold macros | Opens in Google Sheets |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| XLS | 65,536 | 256 | Yes, with limits | Yes | Yes |
| XLSX | 1,048,576 | 16,384 | Yes | No (XLSM does) | Yes |
| CSV | No fixed limit in the file itself; plain text | No fixed limit in the file itself | No | No | Yes |

### When CSV wins

Choose CSV when the next step is an import: an accounting package, a budgeting app, a database or a script. CSV has no formatting to get in the way, and no macros to warn about. Choose a workbook when a person will read, sort and annotate the file, or when you need more than one sheet.

CSV has its own traps. Excel guesses types when it opens a CSV, so a leading zero in a reference number can vanish and a date can flip between day-first and month-first. If you are converting bank statements, the post on [CSV columns for bank statement transactions](/blog/bank-statement-to-csv#csv-columns-for-bank-statement-transactions) covers which columns an import expects.

### A note on the product

FastBankConvert offers Excel, CSV and JSON downloads for converted bank statements, according to its homepage. It is getting ready to open, so [get started](/get-started) if you want to be told when trial conversions are available.

## Macro warnings on XLS files from unknown sources

An XLS file can contain macros, which are small programs that run inside the workbook. Because of that, an XLS download from a site you do not know carries more risk than an XLSX file, which cannot hold macros. Excel shows a security warning before it runs macros, and you should leave them off.

### What to do with a file you did not expect

A PDF to Excel converter has no need to put macros in the result. If you convert a PDF and the output opens with a warning that macros are disabled, or a bar asking you to enable content, stop. Do not click Enable. Close the file and check where it came from. A genuine conversion is plain data.

### Safe habits

- **Ask for XLSX or CSV** from sites that offer a choice. Both formats are free of macros by design.
- **Do not enable content** in a workbook you did not make, however politely it asks.
- **Convert the file you trust.** Download the PDF from your bank's own site, not from an email.
- **Check the extension.** A file named statement.xlsx.xls is an XLS wearing a costume.

### Where to go next

Once you have the format, you still need a way in. The post on [Excel's own PDF import with Power Query](/blog/import-pdf-to-excel-with-power-query) works without any download, and [what happens when you open a PDF directly in Excel](/blog/open-pdf-in-excel) explains why File, Open is not enough. For bank statements, [FastBankConvert](/) is being built to write Excel or CSV for you.