PDFTables vs ProperConvert: PDF table extraction and statement conversion compared

PDFTables and ProperConvert

PDFTables and ProperConvert both get tables out of PDFs. PDFTables is an online service and API that turns any PDF table into Excel, CSV, XML or HTML, sold as credit packs, and used by funds, fintechs and developers for volume. ProperConvert is a desktop converter for bank statements that writes accounting files. This page lists what each one is and what it costs.

The facts below were checked on the two official websites on September 24, 2026. Prices and plans change; the links go to the current pages.

What PDFTables is

PDFTables is a web service and API for converting PDF tables to Excel, CSV, XML and HTML. You upload a PDF in the browser or call the API from Python, PHP, C#, Java, Go, Node.js and other languages, and get back one sheet per page or one sheet for the whole file. The standard extractor works on text PDFs; an Intelligent extractor handles poor scans, confusing layouts and handwriting at a higher credit cost. Files run on Amazon Web Services and uploads are deleted after 72 hours.

It is a table tool, not a statement tool: it does not know which column is the date or which amounts are debits, and it offers no accounting formats or integrations.

PDFTables pricing

PDFTables sells credit packs that last one year: $50 for 1,000 credits, $150 for 5,000, $250 for 10,000, and $400 for 20,000, with larger volumes by contact. One credit is one page with the standard extractor and up to two with the Intelligent extractor. A free account is offered; the number of free pages is not stated on the site.

What ProperConvert is

ProperConvert is one desktop application for Windows and macOS. It opens PDF statements, scanned PDF statements, CSV and Excel files, and QBO, QFX, OFX, QIF and QMTF files, shows the transactions in a table where you can review, edit, exclude and rename payees, and saves QBO, IIF, QFX, QIF, OFX, CSV and Excel files for QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, Quicken, Xero, Sage and other accounting software. The conversion runs on your computer. Statements are never uploaded to a server.

ProperConvert pricing is one subscription for everything: $19.99 per month or $179.99 per year for one user, and a Team plan of three users at $49.98 per month or $449.97 per year. There are no page, statement or transaction limits, all formats are included, updates are free, and there is a 14-day money-back guarantee. A free trial is on the download page.

PDFTables and ProperConvert side by side

Which one fits

PDFTables fits a developer or analyst who converts thousands of PDF pages of any kind and wants an API and a spreadsheet at the other end. Credit packs at five cents a page and under are hard to beat for that volume.

ProperConvert fits a bookkeeper who has bank statements, not tables, and needs them in QuickBooks, Quicken, Xero or Sage. It knows the statement layouts, keeps the sign of each amount right, shows the transactions for review, and saves the bank file, on your computer, for a flat monthly price.

Questions people ask

Can PDFTables convert a bank statement?

It can convert the tables on a statement to Excel or CSV, page by page. Turning that into dated, signed transactions and an accounting file is left to the user. ProperConvert does that part.

Does PDFTables handle scanned PDFs?

The standard extractor does not work on image-only PDFs; the Intelligent extractor does, at one to two credits per page. ProperConvert has OCR built in with no extra charge.

How much is PDFTables?

Credit packs from $50 for 1,000 pages to $400 for 20,000, valid for a year. ProperConvert is $19.99 per month for unlimited pages.

Is there a desktop version of PDFTables?

No; it is web and API only. ProperConvert runs on Windows and macOS and never uploads the statement.