PDF Tables Excel vs Adobe Acrobat — $29 once vs $22.99/mo
Evidence 2026-08-27. Two engines + OCR fallback, grade honesty, preview.html + Summary sheet. Local, offline — not a cloud upload.
→ PDF Tables detail — $29 once
Honest price table — Aug 2026
| Tool | Price | Upload? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF Tables Excel (ours) | $29 once | Never — local | data/ledger.json 2026-08-27 + products/pdf-tables-excel/README |
| Adobe Acrobat Pro | $22.99/mo | Cloud (upload) | adobe.com/pricing Aug 2026 — Pro $22.99/mo billed monthly, $239.88 annual |
| Year cost | $29 once vs $275.88/yr — pays off in 5 weeks, batch folder 20 PDFs in one run | ||
Grade table — before / after honesty
| Table type | Grade | What you see | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruled invoice (grid) | HIGH 92 | Auto — preview matches | Copy directly, spot-check Summary sheet |
| No-lines statement (spacing) | MED 78 | Preview highlights 2 misaligned rows | Verify highlighted rows before copy |
| Blurry scan / handwriting | LOW (OCR) | flagged, preview shows OCR guess | Do not copy blind — re-type or re-scan at 600 DPI |
Two engines: grid (ruled lines) vs spacing (no lines) + OCR fallback. Grade tells you what to trust — Summary sheet + preview.html is the proof.
Proof — not a promise
data/gates/pdf-tables-excel_gate.json — PASS 14/14 + products/pdf-tables-excel/RECEIPTS.md. Local batch folder → .xlsx, preview.html, never uploads. Blurry/handwriting flagged LOW — garbage-in honest.
Source: data/gates/pdf-tables-excel_gate.json (2026-08-27T07:49Z) + RECEIPTS.md. Maker detail →
FAQ
Is it really offline?
Yes. Python local. No API, no upload. Your bank statements never leave your PC — that is the moat vs Adobe cloud.
How many PDFs at once?
Batch folder — 20 PDFs → 20 .xlsx in one run, each with grade + preview.html.
One-time or subscription?
$29 once via shop. No renewal. 14-day refund.