Free online DB to XLS converter

A recipient may require an Excel workbook to edit, report on, or share data from a database. Exporting the data to .xls also allows review on systems that cannot open the original database application.

What the DB format is

.db is a generic filename extension, not one standardized database format. It is often used for SQLite databases, but applications such as accounting systems, mobile apps, database utilities, and custom software may use it for proprietary data.

The correct conversion method depends on the database engine. A SQLite file can contain tables, indexes, views, and other database objects; an application-specific file may require the software that created it. A .db file might also be encrypted or use a format that a general-purpose converter cannot read. Renaming .db to .xls changes only the filename and does not convert the contents.

What the XLS format is

.xls is Microsoft Excel's legacy binary workbook format for Excel 97–2003. It supports worksheets, formulas, sorting, filtering, charts, and basic formatting, and remains useful when an older Excel version or business system does not accept .xlsx.

A spreadsheet is not a relational database. Exporting normally places a table or query result in a worksheet, but does not preserve relationships, indexes, constraints, triggers, permissions, stored procedures, forms, or database behavior. Multiple source tables may therefore require separate worksheets or separate exports.

How to convert the file

Using the built-in converter on 101convert.com

1. Open the DB-to-XLS converter on 101convert.com.
2. Select the .db file and start the conversion.
3. Download the generated .xls file and open it in Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, or another program that supports Excel 97–2003 workbooks.

This method requires no installation, but it works only when the converter recognizes the particular DB format and can access its contents. Do not upload confidential, regulated, encrypted, or otherwise sensitive data unless the service's handling and retention terms are acceptable. Check the result for missing tables, changed dates, altered character encoding, and formatting differences.

Exporting a SQLite database manually

For a SQLite file, install or use the SQLite command-line utility and open the database:

sqlite3 database.db

List its tables:

.tables

Export a selected table to CSV, replacing customers with the required table name:

.headers on
.mode csv
.output customers.csv
SELECT * FROM customers;
.output stdout
.quit

Open customers.csv in LibreOffice Calc or Excel. In the import dialog, verify the delimiter, text encoding, date interpretation, and quotation settings. In Calc, choose File → Save As, select Excel 97–2003 (.xls), and confirm the legacy-format warning. Repeat the query or export for every table or view that must be included. CSV is an intermediate format and does not retain SQLite indexes, relationships, formulas, or other database objects.

Using the program that created the file

If the DB file belongs to a known application, open it in that application and use its Export, Save As, or Report → Export command. Select Excel if available; otherwise export a table or query result as CSV, open it in Excel or Calc, and save it as .xls. This approach is usually necessary for proprietary formats, application-managed encryption, calculated fields, and records that require the program's own decoding rules.

Quality and compatibility limits

• An XLS worksheet can contain at most 65,536 rows and 256 columns. Larger tables must be split across worksheets or exported to .xlsx or CSV.
• Database types do not map perfectly to spreadsheet cells. Check Boolean values, NULL values, binary fields, timestamps, time zones, currency precision, long text, and decimal separators.
• Exporting a table or query transfers values, not database behavior. Relationships, indexes, constraints, triggers, permissions, stored procedures, forms, and views may be lost or require separate exports.
• Values beginning with =, +, -, or @ may be interpreted as formulas by spreadsheet software. Inspect exported text containing user-supplied data before sharing the workbook.
• Preserve the original DB file and validate row counts, column names, key values, date formats, encodings, and representative records before deleting or replacing it.