How to open an XLSX file without Excel
XLSX is the Excel workbook format used since Excel 2007. Someone sent you one, but Excel is not installed, asks for a licence, or the file is too sensitive to upload to a cloud spreadsheet. You can open the workbook right in your browser.
Free for personal use, no sign-up. The file is never uploaded to a server. Windows version — 3.5 MB, no installation: details. Organizations: license.
Your options
| Tool | Worth knowing |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel | opens everything, but it is paid software |
| LibreOffice Calc | free, but you have to install a whole office suite |
| Google Sheets, Excel for the web | the file has to be uploaded to someone else's cloud first — not an option for personal or confidential data |
| This app | the workbook is parsed in your browser, on your computer; filters, search, pivot table and export; free for personal use |
What you see in the workbook
- Every sheet — pick one in the file parsing panel; hidden sheets are marked as hidden.
- Dates as dates, not serial numbers like 45292; the 1904 date system is taken into account.
- Formulas show the value Excel calculated when the file was saved; the formula text itself is available in the record inspector.
- Merged cells — the value is repeated across the merged area, the way it looks on screen in Excel.
- A report title above the header row is skipped automatically, so the real column headers are found.
Can I edit it?
Yes: turn editing on, change cells and save. The workbook is rebuilt on save — your data is kept, but formatting (colours, column widths) and formulas are not. If the formatting matters, edit the file in Excel instead.
Other Excel files
The same approach works for the old .xls format, binary .xlsb workbooks, macro-enabled .xlsm files and LibreOffice .ods spreadsheets. If a workbook exported by some other program opens in Excel but nowhere else, see XLSX won't open.
FAQ
Is it free?
For personal use, yes, and no registration is needed. Organizations need a licence: send a request.
Will a damaged XLSX open?
If the archive is intact and only one sheet is broken, the other sheets will still open. If the file cannot be unzipped at all, it is no longer a workbook: try Excel's Open and Repair option.
Does a password-protected workbook open?
No. Such a workbook is encrypted as a whole and can only be opened in Excel with the password.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. Parsing happens in a browser tab, and the page's security policy does not allow it to send the contents anywhere else.
Free for personal use. Your file is not uploaded to a server. Windows version — 3.5 MB, no installation: details. Organizations: license.