How to open a .dbf file
Quick, free ways to open DBF on any system.
A .dbf file is a dBASE Database Table. If double-clicking does nothing, your computer simply does not have an app that reads DBF yet. Here is how to fix that on each operating system, using free software wherever possible.
Open a .dbf file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .dbf. Drop it into the WhatFileType file identifier, which reads its signature without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with LibreOffice Calc or Excel (legacy support).
- On Mac, use LibreOffice Calc or QGIS.
- On Linux, try LibreOffice Calc or QGIS.
- Still stuck? Convert the .dbf to csv, which opens more widely.
Best apps to open .dbf files
Windows
- LibreOffice Calc
- Excel (legacy support)
- QGIS (as attribute table)
macOS
- LibreOffice Calc
- QGIS
Linux
- LibreOffice Calc
- QGIS
- dbfread (Python)
!
Before you open it: Safe. A .dbf file is a data table; it does not execute. Old database apps stored memo text in separate .dbt files, so some tables reference a companion.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I open my .dbf file?
Almost always because no installed app understands DBF. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads.
How do I open a .dbf file?
LibreOffice Calc opens DBF tables directly and can save them back or export CSV. If the file belongs to a shapefile, open the .shp in QGIS and view the attribute table.
Can Excel open .dbf files?
Modern Excel still reads most .dbf files but can no longer save the format. For editing and re-saving DBF, use LibreOffice Calc.