Free online ODS to XLSX converter

A recipient, business system, or Microsoft 365 workflow may require an editable Excel workbook instead of an OpenDocument file. Converting the workbook to XLSX preserves usable spreadsheet data for Excel users, but the result should be checked when the source contains advanced features.

What the ODS format is

ODS means OpenDocument Spreadsheet, an XML-based workbook format defined by the OpenDocument standard. LibreOffice Calc, Apache OpenOffice Calc, and other OpenDocument-compatible programs use it; it is also common on Linux and in organizations using open-source office software.

An ODS workbook can contain multiple sheets, formulas, formatting, charts, named ranges, filters, data validation, and other spreadsheet features. The file is a ZIP container holding XML data, styles, settings, and related resources. ODS and XLSX both use ZIP-based packages, but their internal schemas and feature implementations are different.

What the XLSX format is

XLSX is the standard non-macro workbook format for Microsoft Excel and is based on Office Open XML. Excel desktop, Excel for the web, Microsoft 365, and many accounting, reporting, and document-management systems support it directly.

XLSX is usually the appropriate target when recipients work in Excel or an import system accepts Office Open XML. It supports worksheets, formulas, tables, styles, charts, pivot tables, data validation, conditional formatting, and workbook metadata. It is not inherently more accurate or smaller than ODS; the main advantage is compatibility with Microsoft software and systems designed for Excel workbooks.

How to convert an ODS file

With LibreOffice Calc

1. Open the .ods file in LibreOffice Calc.
2. Choose File → Save As.
3. Select Excel 2007–365 (*.xlsx) or the equivalent Excel XLSX option in the file-type list.
4. Choose an output folder, enter a filename ending in .xlsx, and select Save.
5. When Calc warns that the workbook may contain formatting or content unsupported by Excel, choose Use Excel 2007–365 Format.

For unattended or batch conversion, use LibreOffice from a terminal:

libreoffice --headless --convert-to xlsx --outdir output input.ods

On some installations the executable is named soffice:

soffice --headless --convert-to xlsx --outdir output input.ods

Create output first if it does not exist. Quote paths containing spaces, and do not overwrite the ODS source until the converted workbook has been verified. The command normally creates an XLSX file using the source filename.

With Microsoft Excel

1. Open Excel and choose File → Open, then select the .ods workbook.
2. Review any compatibility warning shown during opening.
3. Choose File → Save As, select Excel Workbook (*.xlsx), and save a new copy.

Excel can open many ODS workbooks, but its ODS support does not cover every OpenDocument feature. LibreOffice is generally the more direct choice when the source was created in Calc or Apache OpenOffice.

Without installing software

You can convert the file for free on 101convert.com: upload the ODS file, select XLSX, start the conversion, and download the resulting workbook. Do not upload confidential, regulated, or sensitive spreadsheets unless the service's security, retention, and deletion terms meet your requirements.

Quality and compatibility checks

Open the XLSX result in the application that will receive it and inspect formulas, calculated totals, cell references, merged cells, row heights, column widths, number formats, conditional formatting, charts, print areas, data validation, filters, named ranges, hidden sheets, and external links. Compare important results with the original ODS file after recalculating the workbook.

Basic values, worksheets, common formulas, and ordinary formatting usually transfer well. Differences can occur with LibreOffice-specific functions, unsupported Excel functions, formula separators or names, external links, pivot-table settings, charts, advanced conditional formatting, and print layout. A formula may be translated, replaced with an unsupported expression, or preserved as text if the target application cannot interpret it.

ODS macros are not automatically converted into working VBA macros. An .xlsx file cannot store VBA; a workbook that must retain VBA requires the macro-enabled .xlsm format, and the macro code may still need manual porting. Protect the original ODS file and retain it as the reference copy for any conversion involving formulas, automation, or regulated records.