Documents conversion
Convert XLSX to ODT
Updated Jul 2026
XLSX is the spreadsheet format used by most spreadsheet programs, built around rows, columns, and formulas. ODT is the OpenDocument format used by many word processors. Converting XLSX to ODT turns your spreadsheet's data into tables inside a text document, which you can do on your own computer without uploading the file anywhere.
- Extension
- .xlsx
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Spreadsheets
- Extension
- .odt
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- LibreOffice / OpenOffice
Convert XLSX to ODT on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert XLSX to ODT
- Open Morphjet and drag in the XLSX spreadsheet you want to convert, or drop in a whole folder at once.
- Choose ODT as the output format.
- Convert. The ODT file is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
XLSX vs ODT: what actually changes
| XLSX | ODT | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of file | Spreadsheet, organized in cells and sheets | Text document with tables |
| Formulas | Live, recalculate when data changes | Fixed values, calculated once at conversion |
| Multiple sheets | Yes, separate tabs | No, each sheet becomes its own table in one continuous document |
| Opens in | Spreadsheet programs | Word processors that support the OpenDocument format |
| Adding narrative text | Awkward, cells aren't built for paragraphs | Easy, you can write around the tables |
| File size | Compact for large data sets | Similar, sometimes a bit larger with formatting |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert XLSX to ODT when you need to drop spreadsheet numbers into a written report, memo, or document that opens in a word processor rather than a spreadsheet program.
Keep the XLSX if you still need to calculate, sort, filter, or update the numbers, because once the data lands in ODT it becomes static text and the formulas are gone.
Why not just use an online converter?
Spreadsheets often hold sensitive numbers, budgets, salaries, client lists, things you would not want sitting on someone else's server. An online converter has to upload the whole file to convert it, then store it, however briefly, before sending it back. Converting on your own computer means the spreadsheet, and everything in it, never leaves your machine.
Questions
Does converting XLSX to ODT keep my formulas?
No. A text document has no concept of a formula, so each cell's calculated value is written into the ODT as plain text in a table. If you need the formulas to keep working, keep the XLSX or convert to a spreadsheet format like ODS instead.
What happens to multiple sheets in the XLSX?
Each sheet typically becomes its own table in the resulting document, one after another in the order they appeared. If your workbook has many sheets, the ODT can end up quite long.
Will formatting like colors and column widths carry over?
Basic formatting, fonts, bold text, borders, and colors usually comes through fine as table styling. More advanced spreadsheet formatting, like conditional formatting rules or frozen panes, has no equivalent in a text document, so it doesn't carry over.
Can I open the ODT as a spreadsheet again later?
Not directly. Once it's a text document, it behaves like one, not a spreadsheet. If you want to keep working with the numbers as a spreadsheet, hold onto the original XLSX, or convert to ODS instead of ODT.
Can this be done without uploading the file anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file on your own computer, so it never travels over the internet. You could even do it with your wifi off.
Morphjet converts XLSX, ODT, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.