Excel to CSV Converter
One converter for every Excel format. Get a clean CSV from any workbook, set up exactly how the program receiving it expects.
- XLSX, XLSM, XLS, XLSB, ODS
- All sheets in one go
- Settings for any destination
- Files never uploaded
CSV options
Your files are converted on your own device. Nothing is uploaded, stored or seen by us.
Recipes
The right CSV settings for where it's going
A CSV isn't one fixed format. Different programs expect different separators, encodings and date styles. Here's what to pick in the options panel for common destinations.
| The CSV is going to… | Separator | Encoding | Numbers and dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel, opened by double-clicking (US, UK) | Comma | UTF-8 with BOM | As shown |
| Excel in most of Europe | Semicolon | UTF-8 with BOM | As shown |
| Google Sheets | Comma | UTF-8 | As shown |
| A database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server) | Comma | UTF-8 | Raw values, ISO dates |
| Python, R or other code | Comma | UTF-8 | Raw values, ISO dates |
| Email platforms and CRMs | Comma | UTF-8 | As shown |
| An old Windows program that garbles UTF-8 | Comma | Windows-1252 | As shown |
When in doubt, check the import instructions of the program you're using. Most of them say what they want in a line or two.
Which Excel formats can it read?
- .xlsx and .xlsm: Excel 2007 and later. Macros in .xlsm files are ignored, never run.
- .xls: Excel 95 to 2003, including protected and oddly saved .xls files.
- .xlsb: Excel binary workbooks, which many tools can't open.
- .ods and .fods: OpenDocument spreadsheets from LibreOffice and OpenOffice.
- .xltx and .xltm: Excel templates, read like workbooks.
- Excel 2003 XML and web-page tables saved as .xls by other systems.
Going the other way? Use the CSV to Excel converter.
FAQ
Questions
What is the easiest way to convert Excel to CSV?
Drop the file on the converter above and click Download CSV. If you're already in Excel and need one sheet, File › Save As › CSV UTF-8 works too.
Can I convert several Excel files to CSV at once?
Yes. Add as many files as you like, then click Download all files. You get a zip with a folder for each workbook and a CSV for each sheet.
Will my formulas be kept?
A CSV can only hold values, so each formula becomes the result Excel last saved, exactly as Excel's own Save As CSV does.
Should I use a comma or a semicolon?
Use a comma unless the receiving program or your regional Excel expects semicolons. Excel in much of Europe uses semicolons because the comma is the decimal mark there.