CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is the universal spreadsheet export format: one table of rows and columns stored as plain text, opened by Excel, Google Sheets and every data tool.
Typical use: CSV is the common language of data — importing contacts, analytics exports and database dumps almost always expects CSV.
About the CSV format
CSV (comma-separated values) is the lowest common denominator of tabular data: one table, rows as lines, columns separated by commas, everything plain text. Excel, Google Sheets, every database importer, every data-science library and every scripting language read it, which is why it has survived fifty years of format fashion.
Its weaknesses come from the same minimalism. There are no types (everything is a string until you decide otherwise), no formulas, one table per file, and dialect quirks are legendary: comma vs semicolon locales, quoting rules, and Excel's insistence on re-opening UTF-8 files without a BOM as mojibake. Clean, well-formed UTF-8 CSV with a BOM sidesteps nearly all of it.
Strengths
- ✓ Universal: Excel, Sheets, databases and code all read it
- ✓ Human-readable and diff-friendly
- ✓ Streams well — process giant files line by line
Limitations
- ✗ No types, no formulas, no multiple sheets
- ✗ Dialect chaos: delimiters, quoting, encoding
- ✗ Nested or hierarchical data does not fit
- Structure
- One flat table
- Types / schema
- Untyped (all strings)
- Compatibility
- Excel, Sheets, databases, code
- Best for
- Data exchange and bulk import
Tools Actions on CSV files themselves
Convert CSV to…
18 direct directions plus 16 workflows, sorted A–Z; 🔥 marks popular targets.
Convert other files to CSV…
Frequently asked questions
What is a CSV file?
CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is the universal spreadsheet export format: one table of rows and columns stored as plain text, opened by Excel, Google Sheets and every data tool.
How do I convert CSV files online?
Pick a target format from the "Convert CSV to…" list below, drop your file and hit convert. Everything runs in your browser — no install, no upload, no watermark, no limits.
Is it safe to convert CSV files here?
Yes. Every conversion is performed by your own device inside the browser — files never leave for a server, and the page keeps working even offline.
Which formats can CSV convert to?
This page lists all 36 directions across documents, images, audio, video, spreadsheets and archives — each one is its own free converter page.