Camelot
Camelot: A focused, open-source toolkit for extracting PDF tables into data-ready formats. Ranked #42 of 60 in PDF Data Extraction Software by our editors (5.2/10); pricing: Free plan; best for developers extracting tables from PDFs.
At a glance
- Editor score5.2 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forDevelopers extracting tables from PDFs
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Scanned-PDF OCRYes
- Facts checked23 Oct 2026
Where it wins
- Offers multiple parsers for ruled, whitespace-separated, and text-aligned tables
- Exports tables as pandas DataFrames, or to CSV, JSON, Excel, and more
- Reports parsing metrics and can stitch contiguous tables across pages
Where it doesn't
- Standard parsers require text-based PDFs
- OCR is optional and requires the relevant extras
- Focused on table extraction rather than broader document data
Our verdict on Camelot
Camelot is an open-source Python library for developers who need to extract tabular data from PDF files. It returns tables as pandas DataFrames and includes a command-line interface for running extraction tasks. With self-hosted deployment and no-cost availability, it suits solo developers and teams that want table extraction in a Python workflow rather than a hosted subscription service.
Its parsing options cover ruled tables, whitespace-separated layouts, and text-aligned tables, with machine-learning-assisted parsing available for table structure. Standard parsers work with text-based PDFs; optional OCR components can handle text in scanned or image-only PDFs, but require the relevant extras. Camelot also provides parsing metrics, including accuracy and whitespace, and can stitch contiguous tables across multiple pages. These features make it a focused option when table layout and extraction quality need inspection, but it is not a general-purpose document extraction platform.
Extracted tables can be exported to CSV, JSON, Excel, HTML, Markdown, and SQLite, or kept as DataFrames for further processing. The command-line interface supports running extraction tasks outside an interactive Python session. Developers should choose Camelot when they can work with a self-hosted library and primarily need PDF table extraction; teams seeking a hosted subscription product or broader document extraction should consider alternatives.
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Camelot pricing
Camelot fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Scanned-PDF OCR | Yes |
| Table extraction | Yes |
| Form and field extraction | Not verified |
| API access | Yes |
| Max pages per file | Not verified |
| Deployment | Self_hosted |
| Batch processing | Not verified |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | camelot-py.readthedocs.io |
| Facts checked | 23 Oct 2026 |
Alternatives to Camelot
- ABBYY VantageAn enterprise document-processing platform with AI extraction, review, routing, and workflow integrations.9.4
- UiPath Document UnderstandingA workflow-oriented option for teams that need document extraction with human review and routing.9.3
- Adobe PDF Services APIA broad cloud API for extracting PDF content and automating document workflows.9.2
See all Camelot alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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