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XLSX to XLS Converter

Turn XLSX files into XLS in a couple of clicks. The modern Microsoft Excel workbook format. Excel's pre-2007 binary workbook. Content is preserved and the layout is rebuilt for the target format.

On your deviceNever uploadedGone when you close the tabHow this works

Drop your files here

XLSX files (.xlsx, .xlsm) · up to 100 MB each

or paste files from your clipboard

Ready when you are

Drop a XLSX file above and FileTools360 will turn it into XLS — right here on your device, without uploading anything.

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How to use it

  1. 1

    Add your XLSX files

    Drag them onto the upload area, choose them from your device, or paste them from your clipboard. You can queue several at once.

  2. 2

    Adjust the settings if you want to

    The defaults suit most people. Open Advanced to control delimiter and header handling.

  3. 3

    Convert and download

    Press Convert. Everything happens on your own device — nothing is uploaded. Download files one by one, or grab them all as a ZIP.

XLSX and XLS explained

XLSX is Excel's modern format — a ZIP of XML holding cells, formulas, formatting, multiple sheets, charts and pivot tables.

The pre-2007 Excel format is a binary structure limited to 65,536 rows and 256 columns — limits modern datasets routinely exceed.

Where XLSX files come from
Excel, Google Sheets exports and business reporting systems.
Where XLS is used
Spreadsheets from Excel 2003 or earlier, and some legacy export systems.

XLSX vs XLS

The two formats solve different problems, which is why converting between them involves trade-offs rather than a straight upgrade.

XLSX compared with XLS
PropertySourceTarget
CompressionLosslessNone
Introduced20071987
Browser supportExcel, Google Sheets, Numbers, LibreOffice.Still opens in Excel and LibreOffice.
XLSX is stronger at
Formulas, formatting, charts and multiple sheets in one file. Compact relative to the old .xls. Supported by Excel, Sheets, Numbers and LibreOffice.
XLS is stronger at
Still opens in Excel and LibreOffice.

Why convert XLSX to XLS?

People make this switch when they run into the limits of XLSX: feeding data into a script, database or another system. XLS is the better fit when a legacy system demands it specifically.

XLSX limitations that prompt the switch
Harder to parse programmatically than CSV. Formula compatibility varies between applications. Can carry macros in the .xlsm variant.
What you give up
Hard row and column limits. Larger files than XLSX.

What is preserved when converting XLSX to XLS?

Both formats store the content without discarding data, so this conversion preserves it exactly. The file size may change because the two formats compress differently, but the content itself is unaffected.

About these formats

Source

Excel Open XML Workbook

The modern Microsoft Excel workbook format.

Extensions
.xlsx, .xlsm
MIME type
application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
Best for
Multi-sheet data · Formulas · Business reporting
Compatibility
Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers, LibreOffice.

Target

Legacy Excel Workbook

Excel's pre-2007 binary workbook.

Extensions
.xls
MIME type
application/vnd.ms-excel
Best for
Legacy systems that reject XLSX
Compatibility
Still opens in Excel and LibreOffice.

Good to know

XLSX to XLS Converter — questions

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FileTools360 by the numbers

521 converters and tools65 file formatsnothing ever uploaded.