Spreadsheet Format Guide: XLSX, CSV, ODS, and TSV Compared
Compare spreadsheet and tabular data formats across features, compatibility, and use cases. Understand when to use binary formats versus plain text, and how to handle common conversion issues.
Key Takeaways
- Spreadsheet formats divide into binary (XLSX, ODS) and plain text (CSV, TSV).
- CSV appears simple but hides numerous gotchas.
- XLSX**: End-user reports with formatting, formulas, and charts
- When converting XLSX to CSV, specify the encoding (UTF-8 with BOM for Excel compatibility), date format (ISO 8601), and decimal separator explicitly.
- Fields containing commas must be quoted.
Binary vs Plain Text Formats
Spreadsheet formats divide into binary (XLSX, ODS) and plain text (CSV, TSV). Binary formats support formulas, formatting, charts, and multiple sheets but require specialized software. Plain text formats are universal but carry only raw data — no formulas, no formatting, no types.
Format Comparison
| Feature | XLSX | ODS | CSV | TSV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formulas | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Formatting | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Multiple sheets | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Data types | Yes | Yes | Strings only | Strings only |
| File size | Medium | Medium | Small | Small |
| Version control | Poor | Poor | Excellent | Excellent |
| Universal readability | Excel required | LibreOffice | Any text editor | Any text editor |
CSV Pitfalls
CSV appears simple but hides numerous gotchas. Fields containing commas must be quoted. Quoted fields containing quotes must escape them by doubling. Line breaks within fields require quoting. Leading zeros in numeric fields (ZIP codes, phone numbers) are silently dropped by Excel. Encoding issues between UTF-8 and Windows-1252 corrupt international characters.
When to Use Each
- XLSX: End-user reports with formatting, formulas, and charts
- ODS: Open format alternative when avoiding Microsoft lock-in matters
- CSV: Data interchange between systems, database import/export
- TSV: Data with embedded commas (addresses, descriptions)
Conversion Best Practices
When converting XLSX to CSV, specify the encoding (UTF-8 with BOM for Excel compatibility), date format (ISO 8601), and decimal separator explicitly. Convert spreadsheet formats with Peasy's browser-based converter to maintain data integrity without cloud uploads.