.xls · Excel workbook (XLS)
View .XLS spreadsheets in your browser
View a .xls in your browser — no upload, no signup, free. The file stays on your device. Filelathe opens the first Excel sheet as a grid. No Office install.
How it works
- Drop the .xls or use Choose file. Excel 97–2003 workbooks are OLE Compound Files, read in your tab.
- SheetJS parses the BIFF workbook locally.
- The first sheet opens in the spreadsheet grid — the same editor used for CSV.
Excel 97–2003 .xls files are OLE Compound Files. Filelathe parses the BIFF workbook locally with SheetJS and opens the first sheet in the Spreadsheet editor, so classic Excel gets the same grid UX as CSV.
How to open a .xls file without Excel
Drop the workbook or use Choose file. Filelathe reads the OLE container, parses BIFF with SheetJS, and shows the first sheet. No Excel install.
A modern .xlsx uses a different reader — see view .xlsx. Plain exports can also be opened as .csv.
Open XLS on a Chromebook, Mac, or iPad
Use Choose file on a Chromebook, Mac, or iPad, or drop the file on a desktop. The grid runs in the browser you already have.
Does my .xls get uploaded?
SheetJS reads the BIFF workbook in your tab. The file is not sent away to be converted. Choosing the tool window may send the filename, the type, and samples to the API. That is not an upload-to-convert service. See private in-browser viewing.
View vs convert: what stays on your device
The grid is a view of the first sheet plus an optional CSV download of those cells. Filelathe does not produce a new .xls or .xlsx.
Formula cells show stored values. They are not recalculated in the browser.
What you can and can't do
You can
- View the first sheet as a grid, about 100 data rows and 40 columns.
- Edit cells in that grid and download a CSV of what is on screen.
- Use the same grid you get for a CSV, without Excel installed.
You can't
- Open later sheets. Only the first sheet is loaded.
- Recalculate formulas. You see the values SheetJS reads, not a live Excel engine.
- Show charts. Chart caches are read from .xlsx only.
- Save an .xls. Download CSV writes a CSV, not a workbook. Password-protected books are not unlocked.
FAQ
Can I open an Excel 97–2003 .xls file in the browser?
Yes. Filelathe parses the BIFF workbook with SheetJS in your tab and opens the first sheet in the grid.
Which sheet do I see?
The first sheet only, trimmed to about 100 data rows and 40 columns. Other sheets stay in the file.
Can I edit the cells?
You can edit the grid and download a CSV. That does not modify the original .xls.
Are charts or macros included?
No. Classic .xls opens as a value grid. Macros are not run. Charts are only surfaced for .xlsx, and only when chart caches exist.