Excel 97–2003
Older Excel workbooks and legacy templates.
Avoid for: New workbooks when XLSX is accepted.
FORMAT COMPARISON
XLS vs XLSX
Excel 97–2003 is legacy spreadsheet and is best for older Excel workbooks and legacy templates Excel Workbook is editable spreadsheet and is best for formulas, reports, financial models, and multi-sheet data Use this comparison to choose the format that matches the next task, then convert only when the destination needs a different format.
100% Free
No account, no subscription, and no payment required.
Excel 97–2003 vs Excel Workbook at a glance
| Feature | Excel 97–2003 | Excel Workbook |
|---|---|---|
| File type | Legacy spreadsheet | Editable spreadsheet |
| Editing | Yes | Yes |
| Text layer | Selectable | Selectable |
| Transparency | No | No |
| Compression | Binary | ZIP package |
| Browser support | Viewer needed | Viewer needed |
| Printing | Convert to PDF first | Convert to PDF first |
| Best for | Older Excel workbooks and legacy templates. | Formulas, reports, financial models, and multi-sheet data. |
| Avoid for | New workbooks when XLSX is accepted. | Simple machine-to-machine exports where CSV is enough. |
| Typical tools | Excel 97-2003, LibreOffice | Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets |
QUICK VERDICT
Choose XLS for older Excel workbooks and legacy templates Choose XLSX for formulas, reports, financial models, and multi-sheet data For a finished document that must print the same everywhere, use PDF.
Which format should you choose?
Excel Workbook
Formulas, reports, financial models, and multi-sheet data.
Avoid for: Simple machine-to-machine exports where CSV is enough.
Convert between Excel 97–2003 and Excel Workbook
What is Excel 97–2003?
XLS is the older binary Microsoft Excel workbook format used by Excel 97 through Excel 2003.
Use XLS when an older system or template requires the legacy Excel format.
What is Excel Workbook?
XLSX is the current Microsoft Excel workbook format. It stores sheets, formulas, charts, styles, and shared strings in a ZIP-based XML package.
XLSX is the best choice for editable spreadsheets, financial models, and data that will be sorted, filtered, or recalculated.
Frequently asked questions
Is Excel 97–2003 better than Excel Workbook?
Neither format is universally better. Excel 97–2003 is best for Older Excel workbooks and legacy templates. Excel Workbook is best for Formulas, reports, financial models, and multi-sheet data. Choose based on editing, sharing, printing, and the application that will open the file.
Can I convert between Excel 97–2003 and Excel Workbook?
Yes. This server offers Convert XLS to XLSX. Open the conversion page to upload a file.
Is the comparison and conversion free?
Yes. The comparison is free, and every enabled conversion runs locally on this server without an account or a paid conversion API.
Which format should I use for printing?
PDF is the safest print format for finished documents. Excel 97–2003 and Excel Workbook may need conversion first depending on the document and the printer.