pyexcel-xls
A wrapper library to read, manipulate and write data in xls format. Itreads xlsx and xlsm format
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to read or write xls files and can work within its constraints (65k row limit, no formatting support, xlrd version dependency for xlsx). The low install friction, permissive license, and stable API make it a straightforward choice for basic xls I/O. The aging maintenance status is a minor concern but not a blocker—the package is mature and the repository is not archived.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- xls files cannot contain more than 65,000 rows.
- xlsx support depends on the installed version of xlrd: xlrd >= 2 will not read xlsx format; use pyexcel-xlsx for xlsx if xlrd >= 2 is installed.
- Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel.
License · maintenance · safety
New BSD (permissive) — Licensed under New BSD (permissive), so you can use, modify, and distribute the package freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.
last release 2025-03-08 (524 days) · last repo commit 2025-04-18 · 47 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,843,217 downloads/mo, #3,494 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pyexcel-xls
from pyexcel_xls import get_data, save_data
from collections import OrderedDict
data = OrderedDict()
data.update({"Sheet 1": [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6]]})
save_data("file.xls", data)
read_data = get_data("file.xls")- Whether datetime.timedelta round-trip behavior (written as timedelta, read back as datetime) is acceptable for your use case
- Performance impact of detect_merged_cells and skip_hidden_row_and_column options on large files
- Whether the package's lack of support for fonts, colors, charts, and password-protected files meets your requirements
What it is and what it does
pyexcel-xls is a lightweight wrapper around xlrd and xlwt that abstracts away the details of reading and writing xls files. It lets you work with spreadsheet data as Python dictionaries and lists, handling the format conversion transparently. You can read from or write to files on disk or in memory, and it integrates with pyexcel to provide a higher-level interface if you want it.
The package supports xls natively and can read xlsx and xlsm files, though xlsx support is conditional on your xlrd version—if xlrd >= 2 is installed, you'll need pyexcel-xlsx for xlsx files instead. It includes pagination features to read partial data (by row or column range) and options to detect merged cells or skip hidden rows and columns, though these may slow performance. Fonts, colors, charts, and password protection are not supported.
Use it for
- Programmatically generate xls reports from Python data structures for download or archival
- Read xls files uploaded by users and parse them into dictionaries for processing
- Extract a subset of rows or columns from a large xls file without loading the entire sheet
- Integrate xls file handling into a pyexcel workflow for multi-format spreadsheet support
- Convert data between xls and other formats via pyexcel's plugin ecosystem
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to read or write xls files and can work within its constraints (65k row limit, no formatting support, xlrd version dependency for xlsx).
The low install friction, permissive license, and stable API make it a straightforward choice for basic xls I/O. The aging maintenance status is a minor concern but not a blocker—the package is mature and the repository is not archived.
Install
pyexcel-xls on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel. Maintenance status is aging—last release was in March 2025, with no commits since April 2025, though the repository remains active and unarchived.
xls files cannot contain more than 65,000 rows. xlsx support depends on the installed version of xlrd: xlrd >= 2 will not read xlsx format; use pyexcel-xlsx for xlsx if xlrd >= 2 is installed.
License in practice
Licensed under New BSD (permissive), so you can use, modify, and distribute the package freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install pyexcel-xls
from pyexcel_xls import get_data, save_data
from collections import OrderedDict
data = OrderedDict()
data.update({"Sheet 1": [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6]]})
save_data("file.xls", data)
read_data = get_data("file.xls")Verify before relying
- Whether datetime.timedelta round-trip behavior (written as timedelta, read back as datetime) is acceptable for your use case
- Performance impact of detect_merged_cells and skip_hidden_row_and_column options on large files
- Whether the package's lack of support for fonts, colors, charts, and password-protected files meets your requirements
Package facts
| License | New BSD permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.6 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 3 packagespyexcel-ioxlrdxlwt |
| Maintenance | Aging 524 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,843,217 / month, #3,494 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Intended Audience :: DevelopersProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries |
Evidence: pyexcel_xls-0.7.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also pyexcel · pyexcel-ods3 · pyexcel-xlsx · pylightxl · pyexcel-io · pyexcel-webio · xlrd3 · xlrd · excelrd · xlutils