How To Convert XLSX to PDF Online—Three Free Options

If you want to convert an Excel XLSX to PDF right away for free, click below and you’ll be done in under a minute:

If you prefer to see your options, in this article we’ll walk you step-by-step through three different methods using:

• Google Drive’s XLSX viewer
• Smallpdf’s XLSX converter
• Microsoft Excel Online

These all work with older Excel file types too. So if you’re still working with the Excel 97-2004 workbook file format (.xls), you’re in the right place (although you should probably consider upgrading, but we’re not judging).

Method 1: Create a PDF With Google Drive’s Free XLSX Viewer

One way to convert an Excel file to PDF online is using Google Drive. Google has its own spreadsheet format (.gsheet), but Drive can also handle many Microsoft Office document types, including .xls and .xlxs.

You can use Google Drive as an online XLSX viewer and reader, and then convert your .xlsx file to PDF using the ‘Save as PDF’ feature.

Here’s how to convert XLSX to PDF with Google Drive:

1. Upload your XLSX file to your Google Drive account.
2. Double-click your file to open it with Google Sheets (this will maintain your .xlsx format).
3. Click the printer icon, or go to File > Print.
4. Select ‘Save as PDF’ as your printer destination.
5. Click ‘Save’ to download your document as a PDF.

For most simple spreadsheets, Google does a decent job at creating a well-formatted PDF from XLSX. For more complex spreadsheets, you may need to experiment with the advanced printing options or other online tools to get the output you’re after.

Another downside is that you need to be logged into your Google Drive account for this to work. So if you're on the go or using a device where you aren’t logged into Google, this might not be your best option.

If by chance you’re not already a Google Drive user, you can sign up and use it for free. If you’re determined to avoid Google Drive, jump down to the next method below, which is also free and requires no account signup to use.

Method 2: Convert to PDF Using the Smallpdf XLSX Converter

If you want a straightforward method that doesn’t require any signups, software downloads, or unexpected costs, look no further than the Smallpdf PDF XLSX Converter.

Its intuitive interface lets you easily convert PDF to XLSX in just a few steps:

1. Go to the Smallpdf Excel to PDF Converter online.
2. Drag and drop your .xlsx or .xls spreadsheet into the box.
3. Wait a second for conversion magic.
4. Download your converted PDF document.

It’s really that simple. You also get options to compress, edit, and protect your PDF if needed.

The Smallpdf Excel to PDF converter works both ways. Not only can you convert to PDF, you can also convert PDF to XLSX. In fact, Smallpdf can convert to and from PDF and a number of Microsoft Office formats like Word and PPT.

The free Smallpdf converter can handle files up to 5 GB, which is enough for most Excel files with large datasets and vector graphics. It works through your browser, so you can convert from any device or operating system—all without signing up or logging into any account.

And the downsides? We’re not aware of any at the moment—fast, free, and effective without needing to sign up is about as good as it gets. But we’re always listening if you’ve got any feedback to share.

Method 3: Convert XLSX to PDF Using Microsoft Excel Online

This final method isn’t completely free—you’ll need a paid subscription of Microsoft 365 Online. We include it here because many people working with Excel files already have a subscription to Microsoft Office. If you’re not one of those people and you don’t want to pay, one of the first two methods above will give you what you need.

How to convert an XLSX and XLS to PDF with Microsoft Excel Online:

1. Upload your Excel file to OneDrive.
2. Click your XLSX file to open it in OneDrive.
3. Click on the File menu.
4. Select ‘Save As’ and then ‘Download as PDF.’

This is a straightforward way to convert and save an Excel file as a PDF.

However, there are a few drawbacks of this method:

• You need a paid Office 365 account
• You need your password on hand to sign in
• You don’t have any advanced formatting, editing, or other PDF functionality.

This is a useful method to know, however, and it’s worth trying if you’re already an Office user.

Why Convert Excel to PDF Online?

Excel files are dynamic spreadsheets. PDFs are static documents. Being able to convert between the two formats lets you easily pick the format that works for the task.

Convert your XLSX files to PDF to share snapshots of your dynamic data in a clean format. Convert PDF to XLSX when you need to extract, update, and manipulate data that’s frozen in a document.

The good news is you can easily go both ways. Whatever you need to convert, you’ve got options.