The short answer
- ODS is an editable spreadsheet format that stores sheets, cells, values, formulas, and styles in a ZIP-based OpenDocument package, with some features potentially changing when exchanged with XLSX.
- Open an ODS file with LibreOffice or Apache OpenOffice. Microsoft Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, and Excel 2021 can also open and save it. On Windows, double-click the file after installing a supporting application or use File > Open. On a Mac or phone, choose an installed spreadsheet application that explicitly supports ODS. If the file comes from an untrusted source, disable macros and external content before opening it.
- An ODS file is not automatically safe merely because it looks like a spreadsheet. It may contain macros, external data links, embedded media, or OLE objects. Encryption and digital signatures are optional and do not eliminate these risks. Use updated, isolated software, keep macros disabled, and block external content for untrusted files.
ODS File (OpenDocument Spreadsheet)
OpenDocument Spreadsheet belongs to the ODF family maintained by OASIS; ODF 1.2 is also ISO/IEC 26300:2015. A typical .ods package contains mimetype, META-INF/manifest.xml, content.xml, and styles.xml. Worksheets use table:table elements inside office:spreadsheet, while cells can keep display text, value type, and actual value separately.
ODS can be converted to XLSX by opening it in a supporting spreadsheet application and choosing Save As. This path may lose or alter formatting, named formulas, data validation, pivot tables, charts, and table styles. In the reverse direction, saving an Excel workbook as ODS can additionally affect threaded comments, dates before 1900, and some WordArt effects. Reopen the converted file and visually compare formulas, values, charts, and layout with the original.
How to open it
Open an ODS file with LibreOffice or Apache OpenOffice. Microsoft Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, and Excel 2021 can also open and save it. On Windows, double-click the file after installing a supporting application or use File > Open. On a Mac or phone, choose an installed spreadsheet application that explicitly supports ODS. If the file comes from an untrusted source, disable macros and external content before opening it.
Open an ODS file with LibreOffice or Apache OpenOffice. Microsoft Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, and Excel 2021 can also open and save it. On Windows, double-click the file after installing a supporting application or use File > Open. On a Mac or phone, choose an installed spreadsheet application that explicitly supports ODS. If the file comes from an untrusted source, disable macros and external content before opening it.
ODS can be converted to XLSX by opening it in a supporting spreadsheet application and choosing Save As. This path may lose or alter formatting, named formulas, data validation, pivot tables, charts, and table styles. In the reverse direction, saving an Excel workbook as ODS can additionally affect threaded comments, dates before 1900, and some WordArt effects. Reopen the converted file and visually compare formulas, values, charts, and layout with the original.
File safety
An ODS file is not automatically safe merely because it looks like a spreadsheet. It may contain macros, external data links, embedded media, or OLE objects. Encryption and digital signatures are optional and do not eliminate these risks. Use updated, isolated software, keep macros disabled, and block external content for untrusted files.
An unknown sender, a name ending in two extensions, or contents that do not match the extension — check before you open it.
Converting it
ODS can be converted to XLSX by opening it in a supporting spreadsheet application and choosing Save As. This path may lose or alter formatting, named formulas, data validation, pivot tables, charts, and table styles. In the reverse direction, saving an Excel workbook as ODS can additionally affect threaded comments, dates before 1900, and some WordArt effects. Reopen the converted file and visually compare formulas, values, charts, and layout with the original.
Convert a copy, never the original, then compare quality, metadata, and layout against what you started with.
Common questions
What is an ODS file used for?
An ODS file is an editable OpenDocument spreadsheet used to store worksheets, cells, values, formulas, and styles. It is maintained as part of ODF by OASIS.
How do I open an ODS spreadsheet?
Use LibreOffice, Apache OpenOffice, or a supported Excel release. In the application, choose File > Open and select the .ods file.
How do I open an ODS file on Windows?
Install a supporting application such as LibreOffice or use Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, or Excel 2021, then double-click the file or select it through File > Open.
How do I open an ODS file on a Mac?
Choose a spreadsheet application installed on the Mac that explicitly supports ODS, then use its File > Open command. Check formulas and formatting after opening because application support can differ.
Why will my ODS file not open or appear corrupted?
Confirm that the extension is .ods and that the package matches the registered ODS MIME type. Try another supporting application; failure may indicate a damaged ZIP/XML package, encryption, or an incorrectly named file.
Should I use ODS or XLSX for an Excel-compatible spreadsheet?
Use ODS for the OASIS OpenDocument format and XLSX when preserving Excel-specific features is essential. Moving between them can change unsupported formulas, validation, pivot tables, charts, styles, comments, or formatting.
How do I convert ODS to XLSX, and what can be lost?
Open the ODS file in a supporting spreadsheet application and save it as XLSX. Recheck formulas, validation, charts, pivot tables, styles, formatting, and layout because this conversion is not fully lossless. In the reverse direction, saving an Excel workbook as ODS can additionally affect threaded comments, dates before 1900, and some WordArt effects.
Is an ODS file from an email safe to open?
Do not assume it is safe. ODS can contain macros, external links, embedded media, and OLE objects. Disable macros and external content, and open untrusted files only with updated, isolated software.
What is the MIME type and file signature of an ODS file?
The registered MIME type is application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.spreadsheet. A typical package begins with ZIP bytes 50 4B 03 04 and places the uncompressed mimetype entry and media-type text at fixed offsets.
Does a valid ODS signature prove that the spreadsheet is trustworthy?
No. The signature or MIME structure helps identify the format, not the truth of its data or the absence of macros, external resources, embedded objects, or parser risks.
Related formats
Sources
OpenDocument Version 1.3, Part 2: Packages · OASIS official specification
IANA Media Types Registry · IANA
OpenDocument Spreadsheet Document Format (ODS), Version 1.2 · Library of Congress Digital Formats Registry
Use Excel to open or save a worksheet in the OpenDocument Spreadsheet (.ods) format · Microsoft Support
Differences between the OpenDocument Spreadsheet (.ods) and Excel (.xlsx) formats · Microsoft Support