Free Excel (XLSX) to XLS converter

Why convert XLSX to XLS?

People convert XLSX to XLS because an XLSX needs a spreadsheet program, and plenty of systems accept nothing but plain text, while XLS is what older Excel installations and legacy business systems still require.

How to convert XLSX to XLS

1. Choose your XLSX file. Drop it on the box above, or tap to browse. You can pick several files at once.
2. Confirm the target is .xls. 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 .xlsx file?

XLSX is the modern Excel workbook: multiple sheets, cell formatting, formulas and dates that know they are dates. It is what most people mean by “a spreadsheet”, and like DOCX it is really a ZIP of XML underneath.

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 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 — what you see in the sheet is what you get.

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 XLSX 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 XLSX to XLS

Is this Excel to XLS converter free?

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

Is my XLSX 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 Excel to XLS online without downloading software?

Yes. This is an online Excel to XLS 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 — what you see in the sheet is what you get.

Can I convert several XLSX 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.

Should I keep the original XLSX file?

Yes — keep it, converting never touches it. The reason to make a copy in another format is that an XLSX needs a spreadsheet program, and plenty of systems accept nothing but plain text.

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