ApexDelight

xlsxwriter vs xlwt: Which is Better?

• apexdelight
• March 20, 2025March 20, 2025
• 0

Both xlsxwriter and xlwt are Python libraries used for writing Excel files, but they have key differences:

1. File Format Support

• xlsxwriter → Supports .xlsx format (Excel 2007+).
• xlwt → Supports .xls format (Excel 97-2003).

2. Features

• xlsxwriter
  • Supports formatting (fonts, colors, borders, etc.).
  • Allows charts, conditional formatting, and data validation.
  • Provides worksheet protection and autofilters.
  • Handles large datasets efficiently.
• xlwt
  • Supports basic formatting but lacks advanced features.
  • No support for charts, conditional formatting, or .xlsx format.
  • Limited to 65536 rows per sheet due to .xls format limitations.

3. Performance & Compatibility

• xlsxwriter is more efficient for large data and has better performance.
• xlwt is outdated and has been largely replaced by openpyxl for .xlsx files.

4. Installation

pip install xlsxwriter  # For writing .xlsx files
pip install xlwt        # For writing .xls files (not recommended)

5. Example Usage

Using xlsxwriter

import xlsxwriter

workbook = xlsxwriter.Workbook("example.xlsx")
worksheet = workbook.add_worksheet()

worksheet.write(0, 0, "Hello")
worksheet.write(0, 1, "World")

workbook.close()

Using xlwt

import xlwt

workbook = xlwt.Workbook()
worksheet = workbook.add_sheet("Sheet1")

worksheet.write(0, 0, "Hello")
worksheet.write(0, 1, "World")

workbook.save("example.xls")

Which One to Use?

• Use xlsxwriter for new projects (supports .xlsx with advanced features).
• Use xlwt only if you need to generate .xls files (legacy support).
• Consider openpyxl if you need to read, modify, and write .xlsx files.

Let me know if you need more details! 🚀