How to convert Excel to CSV
- Drop your Excel files into the box above, or click it to choose from your device.
- CSV is already selected for you. Press "Convert to CSV".
- Download each new CSV file, or grab them all at once as a ZIP.
Why convert Excel (XLSX) to CSV?
Excel (XLSX) files are best for spreadsheets with formatting, formulas and several sheets. CSV is the better choice for moving table data between apps. It opens in excel, Google Sheets and every database, while Excel (XLSX) opens in excel, Google Sheets, Numbers and LibreOffice.
CSV is lossless, so nothing your Excel file contains is thrown away on the way.
Excel (XLSX) vs CSV at a glance
| Excel (XLSX) | CSV | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Zipped XML | Plain text |
| Opens in | Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers and LibreOffice | Excel, Google Sheets and every database |
| Best for | spreadsheets with formatting, formulas and several sheets | moving table data between apps |
What happens to your file
Your table is read into rows and columns with SheetJS and Papa Parse, two widely used open-source data libraries, then written out in the new format. Numbers stay numbers, the first row becomes the column headers, and nested values that a flat table cannot hold are kept as JSON text inside the cell rather than being dropped.
Tips for a clean conversion
- Drop a whole folder's worth of Excel files at once. They convert one after another and you can download everything as a single ZIP.
- Keep your original Excel files until you have checked the results. Converting back later is rarely lossless.
- CSV keeps everything it receives, so the result is only ever as good as the Excel file you start with.
- Only the first sheet of a workbook is converted. Move the sheet you need to the front first.
About the formats
Excel (XLSX): Microsoft Excel workbook format.
CSV: Comma-separated values. The lowest common denominator for spreadsheets and databases.
Questions
- Is it safe to convert Excel to CSV here?
- Yes. The conversion runs entirely inside your web browser. Your Excel file is never uploaded to a server, so nobody else can see it.
- Will I lose quality?
- CSV is lossless, so nothing your Excel file contains is thrown away on the way.
- Can I convert several Excel files at once?
- Yes. Drop as many files as you like. Each one is converted in turn, and you can download them one by one or all together as a ZIP.
- Is it free?
- Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many files you convert.
- Does it work on a phone?
- Yes. The converter runs in any modern browser, including Safari on iPhone and Chrome on Android, so you can convert Excel files without installing an app.