# XLS Viewer

Free online XLS viewer for legacy Excel files. Open .xls spreadsheets directly in your browser without uploading them.

> Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/viewers/xls

- **Category:** Spreadsheets

- **Supported formats:** .xls

## Overview

This XLS viewer renders older binary Excel spreadsheets locally in your browser. Pick a sample or choose your own .xls file to read its worksheets, values, and formatting without installing Microsoft Excel or converting the file first.

## When to use

- You received an older .xls file and only need to read it.
- You are on a device without Excel or a compatible converter.
- You want to preview a legacy spreadsheet privately before opening it elsewhere.

## How it works

- Select a built-in sample or choose your own .xls file.
- The viewer parses the binary Excel format (BIFF) and renders it in the browser with no upload.
- Read the data, then switch to another sample or load a different file any time.

## Use cases

- Reading legacy .xls workbooks shared by older systems or colleagues.
- Quickly opening an .xls attachment on a machine without Microsoft Office.
- Inspecting binary spreadsheet data before converting to a modern format.

## Samples

- **Simple XLS Spreadsheet**: A compact legacy Excel file for basic binary parsing and import checks

## Frequently asked questions

### Is this XLS viewer free?

Yes. It runs in your browser for free and needs no registration or installation.

### Are my .xls files uploaded?

No. Files you open from your device stay on your device. Only public sample files come from the server.

### What is the difference between XLS and XLSX?

.xls is the legacy binary Excel format used before 2007. .xlsx is the modern XML-based format. For modern files, use the XLSX viewer.

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