ODT to XLS Converter

Convert ODT to XLS online — free spreadsheet conversion

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Document to Spreadsheet

Move tabular data from ODT directly into XLS format — ready for formulas, sorting, and analysis in Excel.

Any Platform

XLS files open on Windows, macOS, and mobile — your converted spreadsheet works everywhere.

Data Privacy

Your uploaded ODT is deleted right after conversion. XLS results are removed from servers within 24 hours.

How to convert ODT to XLS

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose xls or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your xls file right afterwards

About formats

ODT (OpenDocument Text) is the word processing format defined by the OpenDocument Format (ODF) standard, developed by the OASIS technical committee and first published as ODF 1.0 on May 1, 2005, later adopted as international standard ISO/IEC 26300. An ODT file is a ZIP archive containing XML documents that describe text content, formatting styles, metadata, and settings using a vendor-neutral, royalty-free specification. The document body resides in content.xml with styling rules in styles.xml, while embedded images, fonts, and other resources are stored alongside in the package. The format supports rich word processing features including paragraph and character styles, tables, footnotes, tracked changes, table of contents generation, bibliography management, mail merge fields, and embedded vector and raster graphics. ODT serves as the native format for LibreOffice Writer, Apache OpenOffice Writer, and Calligra Words, and can be imported by Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and other commercial tools. One advantage is vendor independence — ODT is governed by an open standard rather than a single company, ensuring long-term document accessibility free from proprietary lock-in. This makes ODT particularly important for government agencies, educational institutions, and organizations with archival mandates. The XML-based architecture provides another strength, enabling programmatic document generation and processing using standard tools in any programming language.
Developer: OASIS
Initial release: May 1, 2005
XLS is the binary spreadsheet format of Microsoft Excel, first introduced with Excel 1.0 for Macintosh in September 1985 and becoming the dominant spreadsheet format worldwide. The format stores workbooks as OLE2 compound document files using the Binary Interchange File Format (BIFF), organizing sheets, cells, formulas, formatting, charts, pivot tables, macros, and metadata across multiple internal streams. Each cell record encodes the cell's value (number, string, boolean, error, or formula), position, and formatting index, while shared string tables and style records reduce redundancy. The format evolved through BIFF versions (BIFF2 through BIFF8), with BIFF8 (Excel 97) establishing the structure used through Excel 2003. XLS supports up to 65,536 rows and 256 columns per sheet, a limit that drove the creation of XLSX. One advantage is universal spreadsheet compatibility — XLS files are recognized by every major spreadsheet application including LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers, and dozens of programming libraries across all platforms. The format's mature feature set is another strength: XLS handles complex formulas, conditional formatting, data validation, named ranges, array formulas, external references, and VBA macros. Although XLSX replaced XLS as the default in Office 2007, the binary format persists in financial institutions, legacy reporting systems, and any environment where Excel 97-2003 compatibility is required.
Developer: Microsoft
Initial release: September 1985

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert ODT to XLS?

XLS format lets you work with tabular data from ODT documents inside Excel or other spreadsheet applications.

What content transfers well?

Tables and structured data in your ODT translate best. Freeform text may appear as single-column entries in XLS.

What programs open XLS files?

Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets, and WPS Spreadsheets all open XLS files without issues.

Is the ODT to XLS conversion free?

Yes — Convertio handles this conversion for free. Premium options exist for high-volume or large-file needs.

How quick is the process?

Most ODT to XLS conversions complete within seconds, thanks to server-side processing on Convertio cloud.

Can I convert more than one file?

Yes — batch conversion is available. Upload several ODT files and get them all as XLS in one run.

ODT to XLS Quality Rating

3.8 (2,236 votes)
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