Documents conversion
Convert XLSX to RTF
Updated Jul 2026
XLSX is Excel's spreadsheet format, built around a grid of cells and formulas. RTF is a plain, cross-app format that any word processor can open, but it can't hold formulas or multiple sheets. Converting turns your spreadsheet into a formatted table of text, and doing it on your own computer means the file never leaves your machine.
- Extension
- .xlsx
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Spreadsheets
- Extension
- .rtf
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Cross-app rich text
Convert XLSX to RTF on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert XLSX to RTF
- Open Morphjet and drag in the XLSX file you want to convert, or a whole folder of spreadsheets at once.
- Choose RTF as the output format.
- Convert. Morphjet lays out each sheet's cells as a formatted table in the RTF file.
- The RTF file is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
XLSX vs RTF: what actually changes
| XLSX | RTF | |
|---|---|---|
| Compatibility | Needs Excel or a spreadsheet app | Opens in almost any word processor |
| Formulas | Live, recalculate automatically | Lost, only the last calculated value remains as text |
| Multiple sheets | Yes, one workbook can hold many | No, each sheet becomes its own table or document |
| File size | Compact, even with lots of data | Larger, since formatting is stored as plain text markup |
| Cell formatting | Fonts, colors, borders, column widths | Basic fonts and styling carry over; borders and column widths mostly don't |
| Charts and images | Supported | Not carried over |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert XLSX to RTF when you need to hand someone a simple, readable version of your data, like a table for a report or letter, that opens in any word processor without needing Excel installed.
Keep the XLSX if you still need to run calculations, sort data, or edit multiple sheets, since RTF can't do any of that.
Why not just use an online converter?
Spreadsheets often carry sensitive numbers: budgets, salaries, client lists, formulas that reveal how a business works. Uploading one to an online converter means that data sits on a server you don't control, even briefly. Converting on your own computer keeps the workbook, and everything in it, on your machine the whole time.
Questions
Will my formulas still work after converting to RTF?
No. RTF only stores text and formatting, so formulas are replaced by whatever value they last calculated. If you need the formulas to keep working, keep the XLSX.
What happens to multiple sheets when I convert to RTF?
RTF doesn't have the idea of separate sheets, so each sheet Morphjet converts becomes its own table of text rather than staying inside one workbook.
Does the RTF keep my cell colors and borders?
Basic text formatting like bold, italics, and fonts usually carries over. Cell borders, background colors, and column widths mostly don't, since RTF doesn't model a spreadsheet grid the same way.
Can I convert XLSX to RTF without uploading the file anywhere?
Yes. Morphjet converts the file on your own computer, so the spreadsheet never gets sent to a server. It works fine offline.
Why would I want a spreadsheet as RTF instead of a PDF?
RTF stays editable in a word processor, so the recipient can tweak wording or reformat the table, where a PDF is meant to look the same everywhere and resist edits.
Morphjet converts XLSX, RTF, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.