What happens when you convert ODS to PDF
- The ODS is opened by LibreOffice, the open-source office suite, on our conversion server and exported to PDF with its layout: each sheet is printed across as many pages as it needs, following its print area and page setup.
- Where the document uses a font our server does not have, a metric-compatible one is used instead: Carlito for Calibri, Caladea for Cambria and Liberation fonts for Arial, Times New Roman and Courier New, so line breaks stay where they were. Unusual or decorative fonts may look different.
- Password-protected documents cannot be converted, because they cannot be opened without the password.
- This conversion runs on our server: the file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert ODS to PDF online
- Press "Choose ODS files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to PDF". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each PDF with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your ODS and the PDF by then.
Why convert ODS to PDF?
ODS files usually come from LibreOffice and OpenOffice users and public-sector documents. People convert them to PDF because a PDF looks the same on every device and is what forms, portals and printers ask for.
In short, ODS is good at what it was made for, and PDF is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. ODS opens in LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets and Excel, while PDF opens in every browser's built-in viewer.
How to convert ODS to PDF on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your ODS files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each PDF is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the ODS files from Finder onto the drop zone and the PDF files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose ODS files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted PDF appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose ODS files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The PDF is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for ODS to PDF
There are no settings here; the ODS's own page setup decides the result. Every sheet is printed, using its print area if one is set, its paper size and orientation, and its scaling.
If a wide sheet splits across several pages, set it to landscape and Fit to page width in your spreadsheet program before converting.
ODS vs PDF: the differences
| ODS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | OpenDocument spreadsheet | Portable Document Format |
| Type | spreadsheet | document |
| Created by | OASIS | Adobe |
| First released | 2005 | 1993 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | n/a | No |
| Animation | n/a | No |
| Vector or raster | n/a | Vector |
| Colour | n/a | any colour, pages can mix text, vectors and images |
| What it holds | several sheets with values, formulas and formatting | any colour, pages can mix text, vectors and images |
| In a browser | opens in LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets and Excel | opens in every browser's built-in viewer |
| Common uses | LibreOffice and OpenOffice users and public-sector documents | documents, forms, invoices and print-ready files |
| MIME type | application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.spreadsheet | application/pdf |
About ODS and PDF files
What is an ODS file?
ODS is the open standard spreadsheet format and the default in LibreOffice Calc. Several governments require it for published documents.
What is a PDF file?
A PDF fixes the layout of every page so it looks the same on any device. Converting a PDF to an image renders each page to pixels; converting an image to PDF wraps it as a page.
ODS to PDF not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Compress the images in the document, or split it, and try again.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex documents can exceed the time limit. Split the document and convert the parts.
- The document will not convert. It may be password protected, damaged, or saved in a newer or unusual version of the format.
Convert ODS to PDF from the command line
This page uses LibreOffice. Installed on your computer, it converts from the command line without opening a window:
soffice --headless --convert-to pdf input.odsConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
ODS to PDF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting ODS to PDF?
The PDF looks like the ODS printed: text stays sharp and selectable, and images keep their resolution. Fonts our server lacks are replaced with close equivalents, which can change the look of unusual fonts.
Why is the PDF a different size from the ODS?
A PDF embeds the fonts and images it uses, so it may be larger or smaller than the ODS depending on its pictures. Text-only documents usually make small PDFs.
Are my ODS files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful ODS to PDF conversion needs LibreOffice, the open-source office suite, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the PDF as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several ODS files to PDF at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open a PDF file?
PDF opens in every browser's built-in viewer. PDF is common for documents, forms, invoices and print-ready files.
Is this ODS to PDF converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert ODS to PDF on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the PDF is saved to your Downloads folder.