Free XLS to CSV converter

Why convert XLS to CSV?

People convert XLS to CSV because XLS is Excel’s pre-2007 format, and current tools treat it as legacy baggage, while CSV imports into every spreadsheet, database and analytics tool ever written.

How to convert XLS to CSV

1. Choose your XLS file. Drop it on the box above, or tap to browse. You can pick several files at once.
2. Confirm the target is .csv. It is preselected when your browser can encode it; otherwise the closest available target is chosen. Adjust quality, size or the other options if you want to.
3. Convert and download. Press Convert, then Download. Your file stays on your device the whole time.

What is a .xls file?

XLS is the old binary Excel format, used from 1997 to 2003 and still produced by plenty of legacy systems and bank exports. Excel still opens one, but it caps out at 65,536 rows, which modern data regularly exceeds.

What is a .csv file?

CSV is a table written as plain text: one row per line, values separated by commas. Every spreadsheet, database and programming language on earth can read and write it, which is why it remains the default way to move data between systems — at the cost of storing no formatting, no formulas and no idea what a date is.

What to expect from this conversion

Cell values are carried across exactly as they appear. Formulas become their calculated results, and formats that hold only one table — CSV and TSV — take the first sheet of a multi-sheet workbook. Only cell values cross over, not formulas or macros. A CSV holds one sheet of values, so formulas, formatting and extra sheets do not come across.

Is it private?

Yes, by design. Every conversion happens inside your own browser using your device’s processor — there is no server that receives your XLS file, so there is nothing for anyone to store, scan or leak. You can confirm it yourself: open your browser’s developer tools, watch the Network tab while you convert, and you will see no upload.

Questions about XLS to CSV

Is this XLS to CSV converter free?

Yes, completely. There is no account, no daily limit, no watermark and no premium tier.

Is my XLS file uploaded to a server?

No. The conversion runs inside your own browser using your device's processor. The file is read from your disk, converted in memory and saved back to your disk — nothing is transmitted, so there is nothing for anyone to store.

Can I convert XLS to CSV online without downloading software?

Yes. This is an online XLS to CSV converter that runs in your browser, so there is nothing to install and no app to trust with your files. It works the same on a phone.

What happens to the quality?

Cell values are carried across exactly as they appear. Formulas become their calculated results, and formats that hold only one table — CSV and TSV — take the first sheet of a multi-sheet workbook. Only cell values cross over, not formulas or macros. A CSV holds one sheet of values, so formulas, formatting and extra sheets do not come across.

Can I convert several XLS files at once?

Yes. Select as many files as you like and they are converted one after another in a single tap, with a download for each and a zip of all of them.

Can I convert XLS to CSV without Python or a script?

Yes — that is what this page is for. Python does the same job well if you already have it set up and thousands of files to process; for one file, or a handful, the browser is faster than installing anything.

Should I keep the original XLS file?

Yes — keep it, converting never touches it. The reason to make a copy in another format is that XLS is Excel’s pre-2007 format, and current tools treat it as legacy baggage.

Related conversions

See all 399 conversions · Read the guides