DocTable
PDF24 alternative — for turning documents into Excel or Word data
Updated October 2026
DocTable turns a photo, scan or PDF into a real Excel, Word or CSV file — the extraction job a general PDF toolbox such as PDF24 does not specialise in. Your first 3 pages are free, download included, and the first page needs no account; after that $3 buys 20 pages, one-time with no subscription. It reads photos and scans with no text layer, rebuilds real rows and columns, and handles Arabic, Persian and mixed-script documents.
| Item | Description | Qty | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Consulting, May | 10 | 1,200.00 |
| 2 | Design review | 4 | 480.00 |
| 3 | Hosting, annual | 1 | 240.00 |
How DocTable compares
| Task | PDF24 | DocTable |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | a free, general-purpose desktop tool for everyday PDF tasks | Turning a document into structured Excel/Word data |
| PDF file operations (merge, split, compress, sign) | Yes — core of the product | No |
| Table & field extraction from scans and photos | Not the main focus | Yes — rows, columns and label/value fields |
| What you get back | A PDF, or a converted copy of the file | Excel, Word or CSV with real cells |
| Pricing | See their site | 3 free pages (download included), then $3 for 20 pages |
Why DocTable
- Vision OCR reads tables and fields, not just characters
- Exports to Excel, Word or CSV
- 3 free pages, download included; then $3 for 20 pages
- Same OCR model across all 10 UI languages
Why people look for a PDF24 alternative
PDF24 is a free, general-purpose toolbox, strongest as a Windows desktop install for routine PDF jobs. Two things send people looking: wanting to work from a browser on any machine without installing anything, and needing structured data out rather than another PDF in.
DocTable is browser-only and does exactly one job — turning a document image into Excel, Word or CSV with real cells. It does not merge, compress or split PDFs at all. If those are your daily tasks, PDF24 covers them for free and DocTable does not replace it.
Be honest about the fit
PDF24 covers a broad set of free PDF utilities, including a desktop app. DocTable is browser-only and does not offer merging, splitting, or general PDF editing — it is narrowly focused on vision OCR into Excel or Word.
If your actual task is "I have a photo or PDF of a table, invoice, receipt or form and I need the data in a spreadsheet or a document I can edit" — that is the one job DocTable is built around, using a vision-language model rather than character-level OCR. If your task is something PDF24 does and DocTable does not (see the table above), PDF24 is the right tool.
What DocTable does not claim
No SOC 2 report, no guaranteed uptime SLA, no custom-trained models, no workflow builder. Full detail on what DocTable does and does not do with your data is on the security page — including the parts we don't do.
Try it before switching anything
Run your first 3 pages free before deciding — the first page needs no account. If DocTable's extraction isn't accurate enough for your documents, you've lost nothing by checking.
Frequently asked questions
Is DocTable a replacement for PDF24?
Not entirely. PDF24 is a free desktop and online PDF toolkit — merge, convert, edit and OCR, from a German developer. DocTable does one narrower thing: it reads a document with AI vision OCR and outputs structured Excel or Word data. PDF24 covers a broad set of free PDF utilities, including a desktop app. DocTable is browser-only and does not offer merging, splitting, or general PDF editing — it is narrowly focused on vision OCR into Excel or Word.
What does DocTable actually do differently?
DocTable focuses on one step: turning a photo, scan or PDF into real spreadsheet rows or an editable Word document, using a vision-language model that reads tables and fields rather than just characters.
Is DocTable free?
Your first 3 pages are free — scan and download, no card needed. Your first page needs no account; sign in only to download it. After that, $3 buys 20 pages (one-time, no subscription).
Does DocTable have a mobile app or API?
DocTable is browser-based with no mobile app. DocTable also offers a REST API and an MCP server for automation (see the developers page).
Related pages
Temporary processing — files are not archived. Always verify OCR output before financial or legal use. See Privacy in the app.