What happens when you convert XLSX to XLS
- Every sheet is carried over with its cell values and formulas. The converter rebuilds the workbook from its cells, so charts, images, pivot tables and cell styling such as colours and fonts are not kept.
- XLS allows at most 65,536 rows and 256 columns per sheet. Larger sheets do not fit the format; use XLSX for them.
- The file is read by SheetJS running in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
How to convert XLSX to XLS online
- Press "Choose XLSX 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.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to XLS". The spreadsheet library, about 900 KB, loads the first time and then workbooks convert in a moment.
- Save each XLS with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.
Why convert XLSX to XLS?
XLSX files usually come from business spreadsheets, reports and anything shared with Excel users. People convert them to XLS because some older accounting systems, government portals and legacy software still only accept the older XLS format from Excel 97 to 2003.
In short, XLSX is good at what it was made for, and XLS is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. XLSX opens in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers and LibreOffice Calc, while XLS opens in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers and LibreOffice Calc.
How to convert XLSX to XLS on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your XLSX files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each XLS is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the XLSX files from Finder onto the drop zone and the XLS files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose XLSX files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted XLS appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose XLSX files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The XLS is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for XLSX to XLS
There are no settings to choose: the XLSX is read cell by cell and written as a legacy Excel 97 to 2003 workbook.
Check the result in your spreadsheet program before deleting the original: formulas are carried over, but charts, images and styling are not, so a heavily formatted report will look plainer.
XLSX vs XLS: the differences
| XLSX | XLS | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Excel workbook | Excel 97 to 2003 workbook |
| Type | spreadsheet | spreadsheet |
| Created by | Microsoft | Microsoft |
| First released | 2007 | 1997 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| What it holds | several sheets with values, formulas, formatting and charts | several sheets with values, formulas and formatting in a binary file |
| In a browser | opens in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers and LibreOffice Calc | opens in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers and LibreOffice Calc |
| Common uses | business spreadsheets, reports and anything shared with Excel users | older Excel files and systems that still export the legacy format |
| MIME type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet | application/vnd.ms-excel |
About XLSX and XLS files
What is an XLSX file?
XLSX has been the default Excel format since Office 2007. Inside it is a ZIP archive of XML files, one per sheet, plus styles and shared text.
What is an XLS file?
XLS is the binary Excel format used before 2007. It is limited to 65,536 rows and 256 columns per sheet, far fewer than XLSX allows.
XLSX to XLS 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 XLSX to XLS from the command line
LibreOffice converts spreadsheets from the command line without opening a window:
soffice --headless --convert-to xls input.xlsxThe converter on this page does the same job in your browser, without installing anything.
XLSX to XLS converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting XLSX to XLS?
Cell values and formulas are kept exactly. Charts, images and cell styling are not.
Why is the XLS a different size from the XLSX?
Workbook formats differ in how they compress, so the XLS may be a little larger or smaller than the XLSX.
Are my XLSX files uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs inside this browser tab using the open-source SheetJS library, so your files stay on your device. You can disconnect from the internet after the page and converter engine have loaded and it still works.
Can I convert several XLSX files to XLS 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 an XLS file?
XLS opens in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers and LibreOffice Calc. XLS is common for older Excel files and systems that still export the legacy format.
Is this XLSX to XLS converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many files you convert. The site is paid for by advertising, and because conversions run on your device there is no server cost per file.
Can I convert XLSX to XLS on my phone?
Yes. The converter works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. Converted files are saved to the Downloads folder.