---
title: ".ods file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .ods file is an OpenDocument Spreadsheet. The open-standard spreadsheet format used by LibreOffice Calc. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/ods/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .ods files

**.ods file: OpenDocument Spreadsheet**

The open-standard spreadsheet format used by LibreOffice Calc.

## What opens a .ods file

- **Windows:** LibreOffice Calc, Microsoft Excel, OnlyOffice
- **macOS:** LibreOffice Calc, Microsoft Excel, Numbers (built in)
- **Linux:** LibreOffice Calc (built in on most distros), OnlyOffice, Gnumeric
- **In a browser:** Google Sheets

## What a .ods file is

ODS is the OpenDocument spreadsheet, the free-software counterpart to XLSX and part of ISO/IEC 26300. Excel opens and saves it, though it warns about features that do not survive the round trip, and Google Sheets imports it cleanly. It has no practical row limit of the kind that constrains the old .xls format.

## Converting it

A .ods file is commonly converted to .xlsx, .csv, .pdf or .xls. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

## Details

- **Extension:** .ods
- **Full name:** OpenDocument Spreadsheet
- **Category:** Documents
- **MIME type:** application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.spreadsheet
- **Created by:** OASIS / The Document Foundation
- **Format:** Binary

## Common questions

### How do I open a .ods file?

On Windows use LibreOffice Calc; on macOS use LibreOffice Calc; on Linux use LibreOffice Calc (built in on most distros). The open-standard spreadsheet format used by LibreOffice Calc.

### What is a .ods file?

OpenDocument Spreadsheet. ODS is the OpenDocument spreadsheet, the free-software counterpart to XLSX and part of ISO/IEC 26300. Excel opens and saves it, though it warns about features that do not survive the round trip, and Google Sheets imports it cleanly.

### Can I convert a .ods file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .xlsx, .csv, .pdf or .xls, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.pdf — Portable Document Format](https://atoneplace.net/file/pdf/)
- [.docx — Word Document (Open XML)](https://atoneplace.net/file/docx/)
- [.xlsx — Excel Workbook (Open XML)](https://atoneplace.net/file/xlsx/)
- [.pptx — PowerPoint Presentation (Open XML)](https://atoneplace.net/file/pptx/)
- [.txt — Plain Text File](https://atoneplace.net/file/txt/)
- [.doc — Word Document (legacy binary)](https://atoneplace.net/file/doc/)
- [.xls — Excel Workbook (legacy binary)](https://atoneplace.net/file/xls/)
- [.ppt — PowerPoint Presentation (legacy binary)](https://atoneplace.net/file/ppt/)
- [.md — Markdown Document](https://atoneplace.net/file/md/)
- [.rtf — Rich Text Format](https://atoneplace.net/file/rtf/)
- [.pages — Apple Pages Document](https://atoneplace.net/file/pages/)
- [.odt — OpenDocument Text](https://atoneplace.net/file/odt/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)