Tabula for Mac

Quick PDF table extraction for macOS

Tabula is a free macOS utility built to pull tabular data out of PDF files. It helps free information that often remains locked inside documents so you can clean, analyze, or reuse it in spreadsheets and other tools. The app focuses on making the conversion from PDF to usable data straightforward and reliable.

How it works

You open a PDF in the app, mark the area containing the table, and inspect a live preview of the parsed output. After verifying the results, you export the table in a format that fits your workflow. The visual selection and instant preview make it easy to confirm extraction accuracy before saving.

Main advantages

• Live previews let you confirm the extraction results before exporting.
• Exports support several common data formats for flexible downstream use.
• A simple, visual selection workflow keeps the process intuitive for casual and technical users alike.
• Free to download and optimized for macOS, making it accessible to a wide audience.
• Speeds up repetitive data-entry tasks by converting embedded tables directly into editable files.

Supported export formats

• CSV (comma-separated values)
• TSV (tab-separated values) and Excel-compatible files
• JSON for structured data use
• Other plain-text formats suitable for data-processing tools

Who should consider using it

• Researchers and analysts who need to pull datasets out of report PDFs.
• Journalists and students extracting tables for citation or analysis.
• Small teams and freelancers who want a low-cost way to convert PDF tables without manual retyping.