What happens when you convert XPS to PDF
- The XPS is converted by MuPDF, the open-source PDF and XPS renderer, on our conversion server, page for page.
- Text stays text where the XPS stores it as text, vector shapes stay vectors, and the fonts embedded in the XPS are carried into the PDF, so the pages look the same and open in every browser.
- 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 XPS to PDF online
- Press "Choose XPS 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 XPS and the PDF by then.
Why convert XPS to PDF?
XPS files usually come from documents printed with the Microsoft XPS Document Writer. 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, XPS 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. XPS does not open in browsers; the XPS Viewer, an optional Windows feature, opens it, while PDF opens in every browser's built-in viewer.
How to convert XPS to PDF on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your XPS 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 XPS 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 XPS 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 XPS 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 XPS to PDF
There are no settings: every page is converted at its own size.
The PDF opens in every browser and on every phone, which is usually why people convert XPS files at all.
XPS vs PDF: the differences
| XPS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | XML Paper Specification | Portable Document Format |
| Type | document | document |
| Created by | Microsoft | Adobe |
| First released | 2006 | 1993 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | No | No |
| Animation | No | No |
| Vector or raster | Vector | Vector |
| Colour | any colour, pages of text, vector shapes and images | any colour, pages can mix text, vectors and images |
| In a browser | does not open in browsers; the XPS Viewer, an optional Windows feature, opens it | opens in every browser's built-in viewer |
| Common uses | documents printed with the Microsoft XPS Document Writer | documents, forms, invoices and print-ready files |
| MIME type | application/vnd.ms-xpsdocument | application/pdf |
About XPS and PDF files
What is an XPS file?
XPS is Microsoft's fixed-layout page format, a ZIP of XML pages, fonts and images, meant as an alternative to PDF. Windows printed to it through the Microsoft XPS Document Writer, but it never caught on, and since 2018 Windows no longer installs its viewer by default.
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.
XPS to PDF not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Compress the images inside the file, or split it, and try again.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- "This file is not really in XPS format." The converter checks every file before it runs anything, so a file of another format renamed to .xps is refused. Choose the page for its real format.
Convert XPS to PDF from the command line
MuPDF's mutool command does the same on your own computer:
mutool convert -F pdf -o output.pdf input.xpsConverting 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.
XPS to PDF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting XPS to PDF?
No. The pages are copied as text, vectors and images, not re-drawn as pictures, so they are as sharp as the XPS at any zoom.
Why is the PDF a different size from the XPS?
Similar to the XPS: both store the same text, fonts and images, and PDF usually compresses them a little better.
Are my XPS files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful XPS to PDF conversion needs MuPDF, the open-source PDF and XPS renderer, 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 XPS 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 XPS 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 XPS 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.