Why upgrade an old .xls file to .xlsx?

XLSX is the modern Excel format with better compression, native support in Google Sheets and LibreOffice Calc, and it clears the Compatibility Mode banner Excel shows for a legacy .xls — the current standard for sharing spreadsheets.

Will my formulas and formatting be preserved?

Yes. Formulas, cell formatting, conditional formatting, multiple sheets and charts all carry over from the legacy .xls to .xlsx, so the upgraded workbook behaves exactly like the original but in the newer format.

Does .xlsx really support more rows than .xls?

Yes, and it is a big reason to upgrade. The old .xls format caps out at 65,536 rows and 256 columns per sheet, while .xlsx allows over a million rows and 16,384 columns — essential for large data exports.

What happens to macros in the old file?

A standard .xlsx cannot store macros. If your workbook contains VBA macros, save it as a macro-enabled .xlsm in Excel instead; a plain conversion keeps the data, sheets and formulas but intentionally leaves the macro code out.

Will the file get smaller after converting?

Usually yes. XLSX is a zipped XML format, so a workbook full of text and numbers is often noticeably smaller than the equivalent binary .xls, which makes it faster to email or store.

Do charts and pivot-ready data survive?

Yes. Existing charts are preserved, and because data types and formulas are retained, the .xlsx is ready for you to build pivot tables and modern Excel features that the old .xls could not use.

Do I need Excel installed to convert?

No. The conversion runs on the server, so you only need a browser to upload the .xls and download the .xlsx — nothing to install, and it works the same on Windows, Mac, Linux or a phone.

Convert Excel XLS to Excel XLSX Online

Upgrade an old Excel 97–2003 .xls file to the modern .xlsx format for full compatibility.

or drag & drop them here · images, video, audio and documents · up to 2 GB

How to convert Excel XLS to Excel XLSX

Click "Choose Files" and select your Excel XLS file, or drag & drop it onto the page.
Make sure Excel XLSX is selected as the target format.
Click "Convert" and wait a few seconds.
Download your new Excel XLSX file.

Why Converters.live?

Free and unlimited — convert as many Excel XLS documents to Excel XLSX as you need.
Files up to 2 GB, with layout, fonts and formatting preserved when converting Excel XLS to Excel XLSX.
Your documents are deleted from the server immediately after conversion — nothing is stored.

Frequently asked questions

Why upgrade an old .xls file to .xlsx?: XLSX is the modern Excel format with better compression, native support in Google Sheets and LibreOffice Calc, and it clears the Compatibility Mode banner Excel shows for a legacy .xls — the current standard for sharing spreadsheets.
Will my formulas and formatting be preserved?: Yes. Formulas, cell formatting, conditional formatting, multiple sheets and charts all carry over from the legacy .xls to .xlsx, so the upgraded workbook behaves exactly like the original but in the newer format.
Does .xlsx really support more rows than .xls?: Yes, and it is a big reason to upgrade. The old .xls format caps out at 65,536 rows and 256 columns per sheet, while .xlsx allows over a million rows and 16,384 columns — essential for large data exports.
What happens to macros in the old file?: A standard .xlsx cannot store macros. If your workbook contains VBA macros, save it as a macro-enabled .xlsm in Excel instead; a plain conversion keeps the data, sheets and formulas but intentionally leaves the macro code out.
Will the file get smaller after converting?: Usually yes. XLSX is a zipped XML format, so a workbook full of text and numbers is often noticeably smaller than the equivalent binary .xls, which makes it faster to email or store.
Do charts and pivot-ready data survive?: Yes. Existing charts are preserved, and because data types and formulas are retained, the .xlsx is ready for you to build pivot tables and modern Excel features that the old .xls could not use.
Do I need Excel installed to convert?: No. The conversion runs on the server, so you only need a browser to upload the .xls and download the .xlsx — nothing to install, and it works the same on Windows, Mac, Linux or a phone.

About Excel XLS and Excel XLSX

Key things to know before you convert Excel XLS to Excel XLSX:

XLS

XLS is the legacy Excel format from pre-2007 Office versions. All modern spreadsheet apps still open it, but XLSX is smaller and more reliable for new work.

XLSX

XLSX is the standard Excel spreadsheet format since Office 2007. Supports large datasets, formulas, charts and pivot tables. The universal choice for data exchange between spreadsheet apps.

Related conversions

CSV→XLSX XLS→CSV XLS→PDF ODS→XLSX DOCX→PDF PDF→DOCX PDF→TXT XLSX→CSV