How do I convert a Numbers file to Excel?
On a Mac, open the file in Numbers and choose File › Export To › Excel, which can put each table on its own worksheet and costs nothing. Without a Mac, open the .numbers file in Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), click “Edit as an Excel document”, and download the .xlsx on a paid plan.
Why convert Numbers to Excel with PublishMedia?
It's built for people holding a .numbers file with no Mac and no Apple Account. If you have a Mac with Numbers, Apple's own export costs nothing and is the closest match, so use that.
See the sheets before you pay
Every sheet opens as a page at no charge, so you can confirm the figures came through before you spend a cent.
No Apple sign-in
Numbers for iCloud makes you sign in with an Apple Account first. PublishMedia works with the email address you already have.
A real .xlsx workbook
Edit as an Excel document creates an .xlsx that Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice Calc open and change normally.
Fix it in the browser
Correct a formula, widen a column or rename a header in the Excel copy before you download it, on a paid plan.
Honest about the gaps
Numbers and Excel organize sheets differently, so layout and some formulas or Numbers-only features may not carry over exactly. Check the totals against the original sheets before you rely on the copy.
Open your spreadsheet to check it
Open my .numbers fileNumbers file to Excel: four routes side by side
Apple's export is the most faithful. What matters is which route you can actually use today.
| Feature | Publish Media Software | Numbers on a Mac | Numbers for iCloud | LibreOffice Calc |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works without a Mac | ✓Any browser | ✗Mac only | ✓Any browser | ✓Windows, Mac, Linux |
| No Apple Account needed | ✓Email sign-up | ✓Not for local files | ✗Required | ✓Not needed |
| Nothing to install | ✓Browser | –Numbers app | ✓Browser | ✗Install required |
| Works on a Chromebook | ✓In Chrome | ✗No | ✓In Chrome | –Linux setup needed |
| Produces an .xlsx | ✓Paid plan | ✓Export To › Excel | ✓Download a Copy | ✓Save As .xlsx |
| Edit the Excel copy before saving | ✓Paid plan | –Edit in Numbers first | –Edit in Numbers first | ✓Yes |
| Formulas carry over | –Some may differ | –Most common ones | –Most common ones | –With differences |
| Can also make a PDF | ✓Paid plan | ✓Export To › PDF | ✓Download a Copy | ✓Export as PDF |
| Cost to get the .xlsx | –$99/yr or $9.99/mo | ✓No charge | ✓No charge | ✓No charge |
6 ways to turn a .numbers file into an Excel workbook
If you can reach any Apple device with Numbers, its own export gives the closest .xlsx. If not, start at the top.
- 1
Publish Media Software
Browser-based (Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux, iPad)✓ Opens .numbersFree to openOpens the .numbers file without a Mac or Apple Account, then “Edit as an Excel document” builds an .xlsx working copy. Editing and downloading it need a paid plan, and layout or some formulas may not match the original exactly.
Open my .numbers file - 2
Apple Numbers on a Mac
Desktop (Mac)✓ Opens .numbersFreeFile › Export To › Excel gives the most faithful .xlsx and can put each table on its own worksheet. The catch is simple: you need a Mac with Numbers installed.
- 3
Numbers on iPhone or iPad
iPhone & iPad✓ Opens .numbersFreeOpen the spreadsheet in Numbers, use its Export option and pick Excel. Handy when the file is already on your phone, though checking wide tables on a small screen is slow.
- 4
Numbers for iCloud
Browser-based (icloud.com)✓ Opens .numbersFree with an Apple AccountUpload the file at icloud.com, open it, and use Download a Copy to save an Excel version from any computer's browser. An Apple Account is required, and the file is stored in your iCloud Drive.
- 5
LibreOffice Calc
Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux)✓ Opens .numbersFreeOpen the .numbers file, then use File › Save As and pick the Excel (.xlsx) file type. It costs nothing but must be installed, and charts or Numbers-specific formatting can come out differently.
- 6
Ask the sender to export
Email✓ Opens .numbersFreeWhoever made the spreadsheet already has Numbers and can check the Excel version before sending it. You only lose the time it takes them to reply.
Numbers vs Excel: what changes when a .numbers file becomes .xlsx?
A .numbers file is Apple Numbers' own package format, where one sheet is a free-form canvas holding several tables, charts and text boxes. An .xlsx file is the Microsoft Excel workbook format, the Office Open XML standard Excel has used since 2007, built on one grid per worksheet. Converting moves each table into Excel's grid structure; Apple's own export can give each table its own worksheet. Values, text and most common formulas carry over; free-floating layout, some charts and Numbers-only functions may change.
Open your Numbers spreadsheet — or start from a template
Hundreds of print-ready templates sit right next to the files you open.
What it costs
Opening and viewing your files is free. Editing, templates, saving and PDF export come with All-Access at $99 a year — or $9.99 a month, cancel anytime.
What people ask about converting Numbers to Excel
How do I convert a .numbers file to Excel on Windows?
On Windows, convert a .numbers file to Excel in a web browser: Numbers for iCloud can download an Excel copy if you sign in with an Apple Account, and Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) makes an .xlsx working copy without one, downloadable on a paid plan. LibreOffice Calc, a desktop program, can also save many Numbers files as .xlsx.
Is there a no-cost way to turn Numbers into Excel?
Yes, Apple's own exports cost nothing: Numbers on a Mac, iPhone or iPad, and Numbers for iCloud with an Apple Account, all produce an Excel copy. LibreOffice Calc costs nothing too. In Publish Media Software, opening and checking the spreadsheet costs nothing, but editing the Excel copy and downloading the .xlsx need All-Access ($99 a year) or Monthly ($9.99).
Will my formulas still work in Excel?
Most common formulas, such as SUM, AVERAGE and IF, keep working after a Numbers spreadsheet is converted to Excel. Some Numbers-only functions and features don't carry over, and those cells may need fixing by hand. After any conversion — Apple's export, LibreOffice or PublishMedia — compare the totals with the original before you rely on them.
What happens to several tables on one Numbers sheet?
Several tables on one Numbers sheet have to fit into Excel's single grid per worksheet, so they either share one worksheet or get split across several. Apple's export on a Mac can put each table on its own worksheet. Charts and free-floating text boxes can move or look different, so review them after converting.
What's the difference between a .numbers file and an .xlsx file?
A .numbers file is Apple Numbers' own package format, read mainly by Apple's apps, while an .xlsx file is the Microsoft Excel workbook format that Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice and most other spreadsheet programs open. The .numbers format lets one sheet hold several tables; .xlsx puts one grid on each worksheet.
Can Google Sheets convert a Numbers file?
No, Google Sheets can't open or convert .numbers files, so it can't make an Excel copy for you. Once you have an .xlsx from Numbers, LibreOffice Calc or PublishMedia, Google Sheets opens it without trouble and can keep it as a Google sheet.
Can I convert Numbers to Excel on an iPhone?
Yes, Numbers on iPhone can export a spreadsheet as an Excel file: open it in Numbers, use the Export option, choose Excel, then send or save the .xlsx. The Numbers app costs nothing in Apple's App Store. Wide spreadsheets are easier to check on a larger screen afterward.
Can PublishMedia save my changes back to .numbers?
No, Publish Media Software can't save back to the .numbers format; it works on copies. On a paid plan you can download an Excel (.xlsx) copy or export a PDF, and the original .numbers file on your computer stays exactly as it was.
Should I just ask the sender for an Excel file?
Yes, asking the sender for an Excel file is often the easiest fix, because they have Numbers and can check the .xlsx before sending. On a Mac it takes File › Export To › Excel. If they can't reply in time, open the .numbers file in a browser and make the Excel copy yourself.
Turn that .numbers file into an Excel workbook
Open it at no cost and check every sheet, then make the Excel copy when you're ready. Editing it and downloading the .xlsx are part of All-Access or Monthly.
No install · No credit card to start · Works in your browser
Accurate facts — October 2026
As of October 2026, Apple Numbers can export spreadsheets to Microsoft Excel format from File › Export To › Excel on a Mac, from the export options in Numbers on iPhone and iPad, and from Numbers for iCloud in a web browser with an Apple Account. When exporting, Numbers can place each table on its own Excel worksheet. Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets cannot open .numbers files directly. Most common formulas carry over to Excel, while some Numbers-only features and functions do not. LibreOffice Calc, a free desktop program for Windows, Mac and Linux, imports many Numbers spreadsheets and can save them as .xlsx, with differences. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), a browser-based page editor, opens .numbers files without a Mac and offers “Edit as an Excel document”, which creates an .xlsx working copy; opening costs nothing, while editing and downloading the .xlsx require a paid plan.
More about Apple Numbers files
Other files you can open
Publish Media Software is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the makers of the programs named on this page. Apple, Numbers, iCloud, and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc.