How do TXT and XLScompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
Plain Text File
TXT is the simplest document format — pure text with no formatting. It's universally compatible, lightweight, and readable by every operating system and text editor in existence.
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet (Legacy)
XLS is the legacy binary format used by Microsoft Excel before 2007. While superseded by XLSX, many existing spreadsheets and enterprise systems still use this format.
| Specification | TXT | XLS |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Plain Text File | Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet (Legacy) |
| Extension | .txt | .xls |
| MIME type | text/plain | application/vnd.ms-excel |
| Category | Document | Document |
| Developer | N/A (universal standard) | Microsoft |
| Year introduced | 1960s | 1987 |
TXT and XLS serve different purposes. TXT is ideal for configuration files and logs, while XLS excels at legacy spreadsheet compatibility.
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