How to open a .hdf5 file
Quick, free ways to open HDF5 on any system.
A .hdf5 file is a Hierarchical Data Format v5. If double-clicking does nothing, your computer simply does not have an app that reads HDF5 yet. Here is how to fix that on each operating system, using free software wherever possible.
Open a .hdf5 file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .hdf5. Drop it into the WhatFileType file identifier, which reads its signature without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with HDFView or Python (h5py).
- On Mac, use HDFView or Python (h5py).
- On Linux, try HDFView or Python (h5py).
- Still stuck? Convert the .hdf5 to CSV, which opens more widely.
Best apps to open .hdf5 files
Windows
- HDFView
- Python (h5py)
- Panoply
macOS
- HDFView
- Python (h5py)
- Panoply
Linux
- HDFView
- Python (h5py)
- h5dump
!
Before you open it: Safe. HDF5 is a scientific data container read by libraries. It stores arrays and metadata, not executable code.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I open my .hdf5 file?
Almost always because no installed app understands HDF5. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads.
How do I open an HDF5 file?
Use HDFView for a visual tree, or read it in Python with h5py. The command-line h5dump prints its structure and contents.
What does the .h5 extension mean?
.h5 and .hdf5 are the same format; .h5 is just the shorter, common extension for Hierarchical Data Format version 5 files.