Compare · 18 comparisons

Compare

Every other way to turn a spreadsheet into a PDF renders the page setup you already have. CrazySmartPDF re-lays-out the sheet first. These pages show what that difference does to the same file, tool by tool.

What actually differs

Page 1 of two PDFs made from the same 23-column spreadsheet. Excel's own Save as PDF put 6 of the 23 columns on page 1 in portrait and needed 24 pages. CrazySmartPDF put all 23 columns on page 1 in landscape and needed 10 pages.
Round-up The best free Excel-to-PDF tools, compared A fair round-up of ways to turn Excel into PDF — the built-in export, free online converters, paid PDF suites, and CrazySmartPDF — what each is best for and where each falls short. Round-up The best ways to batch-convert Excel files to PDF, compared Four routes batch a folder of workbooks to PDF: a VBA loop, a paid add-in, a command-line converter, or a desktop app with a layout pass. Here is what each does to your layout.

You are using Excel, LibreOffice or your own script

The local routes. They all render your page setup as it stands, so whatever the page setup does to a wide table is what you get.

CrazySmartPDF vs Excel's built-in Save as PDF How CrazySmartPDF's automatic re-layout and self-check compare with Excel's built-in Save as PDF export — and when the free built-in is all you need. CrazySmartPDF vs LibreOffice Calc's PDF export LibreOffice exports Excel to PDF free and offline, but its single-page option shrinks wide sheets with no readability floor. CrazySmartPDF slices wide tables at readable size. An honest comparison. CrazySmartPDF vs writing your own VBA export macro A VBA macro can loop a folder and export each workbook for free, but it prints Excel's own pagination and you maintain the script. CrazySmartPDF is the no-code path with a layout pass and a self-check.

You are uploading to an online converter

Fast, free, and they work from any machine. What they do with a spreadsheet that is wider than the paper is the thing to read about.

CrazySmartPDF vs free online Excel-to-PDF converters Smallpdf, iLovePDF and similar online converters are fast, free and cross-platform. The honest trade-off vs CrazySmartPDF, and when each one wins. CrazySmartPDF vs Smallpdf for Excel to PDF Smallpdf converts Excel in the cloud one file at a time and renders your page setup as-is. CrazySmartPDF re-lays-out each sheet and batches a folder on Windows. The honest head-to-head. CrazySmartPDF vs iLovePDF for Excel to PDF iLovePDF uploads your workbook and renders the page setup as-is, then deletes it on a timer. CrazySmartPDF re-lays-out each sheet and batches a folder on Windows. A direct comparison. CrazySmartPDF vs Adobe's free online Excel-to-PDF converter Adobe's free online converter is a one-file upload that renders your workbook as-is with Acrobat's engine. CrazySmartPDF adds a layout pass and folder batch. The honest comparison. Smallpdf alternatives for Excel to PDF (when layout matters) If Smallpdf hands back PDFs with clipped columns or split rows, the fix is a converter that re-lays-out the sheet. Here are the honest options, including free ones.

You are paying for a suite, an add-in or a flow

Acrobat, Able2Extract, Kutools and Power Automate all convert Excel to PDF as part of a bigger job. Here is how the narrow job compares.

CrazySmartPDF vs Adobe Acrobat for Excel-to-PDF Adobe Acrobat is the do-everything PDF suite. For the narrow job of Excel-to-PDF, how CrazySmartPDF's automatic layout and self-check differ — light and free vs a paid suite. CrazySmartPDF vs Able2Extract Able2Extract batches and gives you manual layout control for a price. CrazySmartPDF's edge is automatic re-layout plus a self-check, free. An honest, grounded comparison. CrazySmartPDF vs Kutools' batch Excel-to-PDF converter Kutools batch-converts workbooks to PDF from inside Excel as a paid add-in, converting each file as-is. CrazySmartPDF adds a layout pass and self-check. The honest comparison. CrazySmartPDF vs Power Automate for Excel-to-PDF Power Automate's 'Convert file' action renders an Excel file to PDF as-is inside a flow. CrazySmartPDF fixes the layout and batches locally. Which one fits your recurring run.

More comparisons

CrazySmartPDF vs OfficeToPDF (the open-source CLI) OfficeToPDF is a free command-line wrapper around Office's own PDF export, so it produces exactly what Save as PDF produces. CrazySmartPDF uses your Excel too, then re-lays-out the sheet. The real comparison. CrazySmartPDF vs Total Excel Converter (CoolUtils) Total Excel Converter batches workbooks by GUI or command line using its own parser, so it needs no Excel. CrazySmartPDF drives your installed Excel and re-lays-out each sheet. Where each one wins. Excel to PDF without uploading: offline converters compared If the workbook cannot leave your machine, the real options are Excel's own export, Microsoft Print to PDF, LibreOffice Calc, and a native desktop converter. What each one does to your layout, compared honestly. Microsoft Print to PDF vs Save as PDF in Excel (and the third option) Print to PDF and Save as PDF are two doors into the same pagination, so both inherit your split rows and clipped columns. They differ in paper size, links and file size. Here is which to use when.

Run your own file through it before you decide

The browser converter takes one workbook and hands back the PDF. It is free, there is no signup, and your file is deleted after the conversion. Compare that PDF with the one your current tool produced. The Windows desktop app adds whole-folder batch and needs Excel 2016 or newer.

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