Files with xls extension are best known as spreadsheets from Microsoft Excel. A spreadsheet is basically a grid of cells sorted in rows and columns. Each cell can contain text, numeric or formula data. Excel XLS spreadsheets can be opened in most other similar programs, such as OpenOffice.org Calc.

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Software that open xls file

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XLS file extension - Microsoft Excel 97 to 2003 workbook

What is xls file? How to open xls files?

File type specification:

Microsoft Office file type icon Microsoft Office file type

Spreadsheet and workbook file type icon Spreadsheet and workbook file type

xls file icon: xls filetype icon

File extension xls is associated with Microsoft Excel, one of the most popular and powerful tool you can use to create format spreadsheets, graphs and much more.

The xls files are used in Microsoft Excel 97 to 2003 for Workbooks, spreadsheet document files. The XLS is Microsoft Excel's proprietary file format for storing its documents.

Microsoft Excel up until 2007 version used a proprietary binary file format called Binary Interchange File Format (BIFF) as its primary format. There are several versions of the format that have been released as it was revised over time.

The latest versions of Microsoft Office use the Open XML file format and the Excel Workbooks are stored in the Microsoft Excel Open XML Workbook files (.xlsx file suffix).

XLS format was also adopted by other programs, such as Microsoft Works. Excel spreadsheets are also generated and exported by various programs. For example SolidWorks uses XLS format to export Bill of Materials templates.

MIME types:
application/excel
application/vnd.ms-excel
application/msexcell
application/x-msexcel
application/x-excel
application/x-msexcel
application/x-dos_ms_excel
application/xls

Updated: November 9, 2023

The default software associated to open xls file:

Microsoft Excel icon

Microsoft Corporation logoMicrosoft Excel  Microsoft Windows software

Company or developer:
Microsoft Corporation

A popular spreadsheet application distributed with Microsoft Office suite, Excel is offers calculating, contains graphing tools, pivot tables and own programming language based on Visual Basic.

Excel supports charts, graphs or histograms generated from specified groups of cells. Excel also can change data between other Microsoft Office applications. It is available for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X (macOS) and various mobile platforms.

Microsoft Excel for Mac icon

Microsoft Corporation logoMicrosoft Excel for Mac  Apple macOS / Mac OS X software

Company or developer:
Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Excel for Mac is popular spreadsheet application used to analyze, organize and manage data and lists. It is able to create visually rich datasheets and tables with icons, data bars and color scales. Microsoft Excel for Mac is fully compatible with Microsoft Excel for Windows.

Office 365 icon

Microsoft Corporation logoOffice 365  Multiplatform software

Company or developer:
Microsoft Corporation

Office 365 is a subscription-based service that gives users access to several services and apps from Microsoft Office. It is available some types of subscription editions (for Home, Education, Business and Enterprise users) available for Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS and all major mobile platforms.

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Help how to open:

You can open the *.xls in Microsoft Excel or any other application, which can handle the format, such as OpenOffice.org, StarOffice or Ashampoo Office.

If you want only view the *.xls files, you can use Microsoft Excel Viewer, which is free to download from Microsoft's servers.

How to convert:

Microsoft Office Excel also supports other spreadsheet formats. You can save the *.xls file into another format with the save as function.

You can probably convert the *.xls in other suitable applications, which can handle the files, as well.

Find conversions from xls file:

xls to arff

xls to ascii

xls to iif

xls to mdb

xls to numbers

xls to sdf

xls to tns

Find converter to xls file type:

dat to xls

db to xls

numbers to xls

qrp to xls

rpt to xls

spb to xls

wk4 to xls

List of software applications associated to the .xls file extension

Recommended software programs are sorted by OS platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android etc.)
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open xls file, edit xls file, convert xls file, view xls file, play xls file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).

Hint:
Click on the tab below to simply browse between the application actions, to quickly get a list of recommended software, which is able to perform the specified software action, such as opening, editing or converting xls files.

Software that open xls file - Microsoft Excel 97 to 2003 workbook

Programs supporting the exension xls on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about listed programs for open xls file action.

Microsoft Windows:

Main software associated with xls file by default:
Microsoft Excel small icon Microsoft Excel
Other suggested software:
Corel Quattro Pro small icon Corel Quattro Pro

Apple macOS / Mac OS X:

Main software associated with xls file by default:
Microsoft Excel for Mac small icon Microsoft Excel for Mac
Other suggested software:
Numbers for Mac small icon Numbers for Mac

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