ODS to CSV Converter

What happens when you convert ODS to CSV

• CSV holds a single table of plain text, so the first sheet of the ODS is saved. Formulas become their last calculated values, and other sheets, formatting and charts are left out.
• The file is read by SheetJS running in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

How to convert ODS to CSV online

1. Press "Choose ODS files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. You can add files of any size your device can hold in memory.
2. There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
3. Press "Convert to CSV". The spreadsheet library, about 900 KB, loads the first time and then workbooks convert in a moment.
4. Save each CSV with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.

Why convert ODS to CSV?

ODS files usually come from LibreOffice and OpenOffice users and public-sector documents. People convert them to CSV because CSV imports into every database, CRM, email tool and spreadsheet without fuss.

In short, ODS is good at what it was made for, and CSV 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 CSV opens in every spreadsheet program and any text editor.

How to convert ODS to CSV 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 CSV 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 CSV 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 CSV 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 CSV is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.

Best settings for ODS to CSV

There are no settings to choose: the ODS is read cell by cell and written as comma-separated values in UTF-8, one line per row.

If your workbook has several sheets, move the one you need to the first position before converting, or convert to XLSX instead to keep them all. CSV files are written in UTF-8, which Excel, Google Sheets and databases all read correctly.

ODS vs CSV: the differences

About ODS and CSV 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 CSV file?

A CSV file holds a single table as plain text, with commas between values. It has no formatting, formulas or multiple sheets, which is exactly why every program can read it.

ODS to CSV not working? Common problems

• The file will not open. Password-protected workbooks are encrypted, so they cannot be read without the password; remove the password in Excel first.
• Dates look like numbers. Spreadsheets store dates as numbers underneath; apply a date format to the column in your spreadsheet program.
• Special characters look wrong in Excel. The CSV is UTF-8; in older Excel, use Data, From Text/CSV and choose UTF-8 instead of double-clicking the file.

Convert ODS to CSV from the command line

LibreOffice converts spreadsheets from the command line without opening a window:

soffice --headless --convert-to csv input.ods

The converter on this page does the same job in your browser, without installing anything.