How to Open Excel Spreadsheets Without Excel

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to open an Excel document, but you didn’t have the Excel application available/installed? If this has happened to you before, it definitely won’t from now on! There are several ways how you can open these documents without using the application. Keep reading this article, and you’ll find out how to open Excel documents without Excel.

How to Open Excel Documents Without Excel?

You can use a browser extension, different programs, and apps to open your documents without Excel. Some of these options are offline, some online, some are free, and some you have to pay for. So, depending on your needs and resources, you can opt for one of the following:

Opening Excel Documents Using Google Chrome Extensions

If you’re using Google Chrome and you want to open an Excel document, you can use free extensions to do so.

1. Open Google Chrome.
   
2. Tap the three dots icon (“Customize and control Google Chrome) at the top-right corner.
   
3. Tap “More tools.”
   
4. Tap “Extensions.”
   
5. Find “Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides.”
   
6. Tap “Add to Chrome.”
   

You can also do it like this:

1. Open Google Chrome.
   
2. Start typing “Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides” in the search bar and click on the first result. It will take you directly to the Chrome Web store.
   
3. Tap “Add to Chrome.”
   

Now you will be able to open and edit any online Excel file. If you want to open and edit an Excel file you already have on your computer, you can drag it to Chrome, and it will automatically open.

Opening Excel Documents Using Apache Office

Apache Office represents an alternative to Microsoft Office. It’s a free program and it’s compatible with Excel files, so you can use it to open your files without Excel.

1. If you don’t have it already, make sure you download Apache Office. You can do that here https://www.openoffice.org/download/.
   
2. Once you’ve installed it, open the app.
3. Press ‘’CTRL+O’’ to see the “Open” window on your display.
   
4. Choose the file you’d like to open.
   
5. Tap “Open.”
   

That’s it! You’ve successfully managed to open your Excel document with the help of Apache Office.

Opening Excel Documents Using XLS Viewer

There are different XLS viewing apps on the market that allow you to open your Excel files. Depending on the operating system you have, you can choose between a range of different apps. For example, if you have a Windows operating system, you can follow this link to download the XLS Viewer app.

You can use this application to open, view, and edit any Excel files on your Windows device. The downside of this app is that it will change the font inside your spreadsheet if you save the files using it. So, you can use it for viewing your Excel documents, but make sure you don’t save them through the app.

Opening Excel Documents Using Online Document Viewer

This online viewing app enables you to open different types of files, including Excel files. You can use this viewer regardless of the operating system you use since it supports many file formats. If you’d like to try this viewer, follow the steps below:

1. Open your browser.
   
2. Type “Online document viewer” in the search bar and click on the first link, or follow this link: https://onlinedocumentviewer.com/Welcome/.
   
3. Tap “Upload file.”
   
4. Choose the file you’d like to open.
   

This app allows you to view your Excel documents online completely free, without signing up or registering. However, if you notice a mistake in your document or wish to add something, you won’t be able to since this app is only for viewing, not for editing.

Opening Excel Documents Using Google Docs

You can use Google Docs to open and create your Excel files. This online service is called “Google Sheets” and you can follow this link to open it.

If you would like to edit an existing file, follow these steps:

1. Open your browser.
   
2. Go to Google Sheets or follow the link above.
   
3. Click on the plus sign (“Start a new spreadsheet”).
   
4. Tap “File.”
   
5. Tap “Open.”
   
6. You can choose a file from your drive, or you can tap “Upload” to access the files from your computer.
   

Since Google Sheets is an online service, it’s possible to run it on different operating systems. In addition, you can save the spreadsheet to your cloud, making it accessible from all your devices. This is a great way of securing your files and saving the ones you frequently open.

Opening Excel Documents Using Zoho Sheets

Zoho Sheets is an online software that enables you to open and edit Excel files. If you’d only like to view your Excel files, you can use their online Excel viewer.

To view your Excel files online using the Zoho Sheets Online Excel Viewer, follow the steps below:

1. Open your browser.
   
2. Start typing “Zoho sheet online Excel viewer” and open it.
   
3. Sign up with your e-mail address.
   
4. Choose a file you would like to open.

Zoho Sheets also offers different tools for creating, sharing, and publishing your spreadsheets.

Opening Excel Documents Using WPS Office

WPS Office is an office suite supported by various operating systems: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. The basic version of this program is completely free. This version offers all the features, but it contains ads. These ads will only pop up when using certain features, so don’t let this stop you from trying WPS Office for opening Excel documents.

Since WPS Office is supported by different platforms, you can choose if you’d like to open a file from your desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or your phone. The installation process is simple, and you can do it in only a few steps:

1. Open your browser.
   
2. Visit this page: https://www.wps.com/.
   
3. Choose your operating system and tap “Download.”
   

Once you download it, you will see that WPS Office has three programs: WPS Spreadsheet, WPS Presentation, and WPS Writer. Open the WPS Spreadsheet, upload the file you would like to open, and that’s it!

Opening Excel Documents Using Hancom (ThinkFree) Office

Hancom Office, formerly known as ThinkFree, represents an office suite similar to WPS Office. Besides the word processor, presentation software, and a PDF editor, it also includes the spreadsheet software. It runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS, and it’s easy to use.

1. Open your browser.
   
2. Visit this page: https://office.hancom.com/trial/.
   
3. Tap “Try 1 month Free.”
   
4. The program will automatically download to your device.
5. Once you install it, select the spreadsheet software and upload the file you’d like to open.

Unlike WPS Office, whose basic version is free, Hancom Office offers one-month free trials, and after that, you have to purchase a subscription if you’d like to continue using it.

Opening Excel Documents Using LibreOffice

LibreOffice offers the most developed free office suite. It features different options, such as word processing, creating spreadsheets, working with databases, etc. It’s a default office suite for most Linux distributions, but it’s available for different operating systems. The package includes Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Math, and Base.

If you’d like to open Excel documents using LibreOffice, you can download the suite and open the documents through LibreOffice Calc.

Here is how you can download the suite:

1. Open your browser.
   
2. Start typing “LibreOffice download” and select the first link, or use this link: https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download/.
   
3. Choose your operating system and tap “Download.”
   
4. Once you’ve downloaded it, open “LibreOffice Calc.”
   
5. Upload the Excel file you’d like to open.
   

LibreOffice offers an impressive number of functions, some of which aren’t available in the Microsoft Office package. For example, you can compare two separate spreadsheet files, you have more cell formatting options available, etc.

Opening Excel Documents Using Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365, formerly known as Office 365, represents an additional service offered by Microsoft. Using your browser, you can log in to your Microsoft account, and open different Excel documents. This online version of Excel contains the same functions as the app, so if you need to edit or fix your document, you can do it through this service.

Opening Excel Documents Using DocsPal

You can use DocsPal to open your Excel files. This is an online tool that allows you to view or convert your files if needed. It’s a free tool that supports different kinds of documents, videos, e-books, etc.

If you’d like to use this tool to open your Excel documents, make sure you follow these steps:

1. Open your browser.
   
2. Type “DocsPal” in the search bar.
   
3. Open the first link.
   
4. Tap “View files.”
   
5. Drag and drop the file you would like to open or browse your computer and select it.
   

It’s important to note that this tool will only allow you to view your files; you won’t be able to edit them. If you’d like to edit your Excel files, you should choose a different option.

Excel in Excel

Now you’ve learned how to open Excel documents without Excel. Microsoft Excel is one of the most popular spreadsheet programs today. It offers an impressive set of functions to make your daily tasks easier. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you don’t have access to the Excel application, and you need to open a file, don’t worry! There are different alternatives on the market, and you can check all of them out in this article.

Have you ever opened Excel files without the Excel application? Tell us in the comment section below.