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CSV File - What is a .csv file and how do I open it?
Learn about .CSV files and view a list of programs that open them.
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Overview
What is a CSV file? A CSV file is a comma-separated values file commonly used by spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice Calc. It contains plain text data sets separated by commas, with each new line in the CSV file representing a new database row and each database row consisting of one or more fields separated by a comma.
More Information CSV file open in Microsoft Excel 365 The CSV data exchange format is supported by many personal, business, and scientific programs. The format is especially useful in transferring tabular data between programs and databases because of its wide support. The file is also helpful for transferring data saved in a proprietary format, such as an .XLSX file, into another program that does not support the XLSX format. For example, you can export financial data in an XLSX file opened in Microsoft Excel to a CSV file to upload it to an online financial management service. Or, you can export thousands of contacts from an email service to a CSV file then import the file into an address organizer or another email service.
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.CSV File Extension
Comma-Separated Values File
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NEW: Open your .CSV file online with File Helper . View Online
What is a CSV file?
A CSV file is a comma-separated values file commonly used by spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice Calc. It contains plain text data sets separated by commas, with each new line in the CSV file representing a new database row and each database row consisting of one or more fields separated by a comma.
More Information
CSV file open in Microsoft Excel 365
The CSV data exchange format is supported by many personal, business, and scientific programs. The format is especially useful in transferring tabular data between programs and databases because of its wide support.
The file is also helpful for transferring data saved in a proprietary format, such as an .XLSX file, into another program that does not support the XLSX format. For example, you can export financial data in an XLSX file opened in Microsoft Excel to a CSV file to upload it to an online financial management service. Or, you can export thousands of contacts from an email service to a CSV file then import the file into an address organizer or another email service.
How to open a CSV file
You can open CSV files with a large number of applications, including Microsoft Excel (multiplatform), OpenOffice Calc (multiplatform), Corel Quattro Pro (Windows), and Apple Numbers . You can upload CSV files to Google Sheets and view, edit, save, and convert the files. And you can open CSV files with various mobile apps, including Microsoft Excel (Android and iOS), Apple Numbers (iOS), and Google Sheets (Android and iOS).
Since CSV files are saved as plain text you can open them with a plain text editor, such as Microsoft Notepad (Windows) and Apple TextEdit (macOS).
How to convert a CSV file
Several applications, including Microsoft Excel, Apple Numbers, and LibreOffice Calc, can convert CSV files to other formats.
For example, you can select File → Save As in the Windows and Mac versions of Microsoft Excel to convert CSV files to one of the following formats:
Programs that open CSV files
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Program Name
Platform
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Windows
File Viewer Plus
—
Get it from Microsoft
Free +
Microsoft Excel 365
Free Trial
Corel Quattro Pro 2021
Free Trial
OpenOffice Calc
Free
LibreOffice
Free
Intuit Quicken
Free Trial
Microsoft Notepad
Included with OS
Microsoft Wordpad
Any text editor
Mac
Microsoft Excel 365
Free Trial
Apple Numbers
Included with OS
Planamesa NeoOffice
—
Discontinued
Paid
OpenOffice Calc
Free
LibreOffice
Free
Apple TextEdit
Included with OS
Any text editor
Linux
OpenOffice Calc
Free
LibreOffice
Free
Vim
Free
Any text editor
Web
FileHelper.com
Free
Google Sheets
Free
Microsoft Excel 365
Free Trial
FreshBooks
Free Trial
Intuit QuickBooks Canada
Paid
Sage One
Free Trial
Polaris Office Web Sheet
Free
iOS
Apple Numbers
Free
Google Sheets
Free
MobiSystems OfficeSuite Pro
Free +
Microsoft Excel
Free +
Android
File Viewer for Android
Free +
Google Sheets
Free
MobiSystems OfficeSuite Pro
Free +
Microsoft Excel
Free +
Category: Data Files
Updated: November 2, 2023