PDF Tools vs Excel File Creator

PDF Tools

By Anthropic

Read, merge, split, edit, and create PDF files without opening any software.

Excel File Creator

By Anthropic

Open, edit, and create real Excel spreadsheet files with formulas and formatting.

PDF Tools

• Extracts text and tables from any PDF, including scanned documents
• Merges multiple PDFs into one file or splits a PDF into separate pages
• Creates new PDFs with custom text, layouts, and multiple pages
• Rotates pages, adds watermarks, and fills out PDF forms
• Encrypts PDFs with passwords or removes existing passwords

Excel File Creator

• Creates new Excel files with formulas, formatting, and multiple sheets
• Edits existing spreadsheets — adds columns, updates data, fixes formatting
• Cleans messy CSV or TSV files into properly structured spreadsheets
• Builds financial models with color-coded cells and industry-standard formatting
• Converts between spreadsheet formats (Excel, CSV, TSV)

Reach for PDF Tools when…

• You need to pull data from a PDF invoice or report into a spreadsheet
• You're combining multiple documents into one file for a client or team
• You want to create a simple PDF report without opening design software
• You have a scanned PDF and need the text to be searchable or editable

Reach for Excel File Creator when…

• You need a financial model, budget tracker, or data table built from scratch
• You have a messy CSV or spreadsheet that needs cleaning and formatting
• You want to add calculations, charts, or new columns to an existing Excel file
• You're building a report or dashboard and need the output as a real .xlsx file