How to open a .xls file: without installing anything

How to open a .xls file

A .xls is a XLS file: The old binary Excel format. Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers, LibreOffice Calc, any text editor open it. Or drop it below: it opens and converts in your browser, nothing to install.

Drop files here or click to chooseSeveral files at once are fine.

🔒 Nothing is uploaded. Check the Network tab of your browser: it stays empty.

Three ways to open it

Drop the .xls file above: it opens and converts right here, nothing to install.
For a desktop app: Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers, LibreOffice Calc, any text editor.
If it still will not open, convert it to CSV, that is what most people are really after.

Convert a .xls

XLS → CSV XLS → TSV XLS → XLSX XLS → ODS XLS → JSON XLS → NDJSON XLS → YAML XLS → XML

Questions

What program opens a .xls file?

Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers, LibreOffice Calc, any text editor. Or drop it here, without installing anything.

Why won't my .xls open?

Either the viewer does not know XLS (the old binary excel format.), or the file is damaged or misnamed. Converting to CSV fixes the first case.

Is it safe to open a .xls here?

Yes: the file is read in your browser and never leaves your device.