TableLift – table extraction API

Self-hostable, pay-per-page table extraction from PDFs and images

Problem

Small teams constantly need to turn tables inside PDFs, scans, and screenshots into CSV/Excel, but existing tools either export whole pages or upload files to an opaque cloud. Someone already shipped a free table-extraction tool on HN, which shows steady demand while general SaaS options stay expensive and rigid.

Solution

Offer a web app plus an API that accepts a PDF or image, detects table boundaries, and returns clean CSV/JSON with merged-cell handling and batch mode. Local OCR plus rule-based post-processing lets users review and fix column structure before exporting.

Users

Small teams automating reports, finance/ops staff, developers processing supplier PDFs

MVP

Single PDF/image upload with preview; visual column-structure review and manual cell merging; CSV/JSON export and one-click copy; simple API keys and usage counters; clear failure messages for hard layouts

Revenue

Charge per page or per API call with a free tier; sell a one-time self-hosted license to SMBs

Why now

OCR and table-structure models are mature enough that one developer can combine them with rules; big vendors stay generic and pricey, leaving vertical gaps.