How do XLS and EPUBcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
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 While superseded by XLSX, many existing spreadsheets and enterprise systems still use this format.
Electronic Publication
EPUB is the open standard for digital books and publications. It supports reflowable content that adapts to any screen size, making it the preferred format for e-readers and reading apps.
| Specification | XLS | EPUB |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet (Legacy) | Electronic Publication |
| Extension | .xls | .epub |
| MIME type | application/vnd.ms-excel | application/epub+zip |
| Category | Document | Document |
| Developer | Microsoft | International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) |
| Year introduced | 1987 | 2007 |
XLS and EPUB serve different purposes. XLS is ideal for legacy spreadsheet compatibility, while EPUB excels at e-books and digital publications.
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