Format comparison
TXT vs XLS
How do TXT and XLScompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
.txt
Full guide →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.
.xls
Full guide →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 While superseded by XLSX, many existing spreadsheets and enterprise systems still use this format.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 advantages
- Universal compatibility — works everywhere
- Tiny file sizes
- No formatting issues or version problems
- Human-readable and machine-parseable
TXT limitations
- No formatting, images, or styling
- No structure beyond line breaks
- No metadata or document properties
- Not suitable for professional documents
XLS advantages
- Compatible with older Excel versions
- Widely recognized format
- Supported by all major spreadsheet apps
- Large installed base
XLS limitations
- Limited to 65,536 rows and 256 columns
- Larger file sizes than XLSX
- Binary format — harder to recover
- Missing modern Excel features
Which should you use?
TXT and XLS serve different purposes. TXT is ideal for configuration files and logs, while XLS excels at legacy spreadsheet compatibility.
Best uses for TXT
Configuration files and logs
Quick notes and drafts
Data exchange between systems
README files and documentation
Best uses for XLS
Legacy spreadsheet compatibility
Older enterprise systems
Historical data archives
Backward-compatible exports
Convert between TXT and XLS
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.