How to open a .DBF file online
Three steps, a few seconds.
Open your .DBF file
Drop it on the box or click to choose it. If it uses memo fields, add the matching memo file from the toolbar.
Check the text
The right code page is read from the file header. If accents look wrong, switch the encoding and the table updates at once.
Browse and export
Sort, filter and show or hide deleted records, then export everything - or just the filtered rows - to CSV or JSON.
What is a .DBF file?
The table format that ran small businesses for three decades.
A DBF file is a single-table database in the dBASE/xBase format, in use since 1983 and still common in GIS shapefiles, accounting exports, and legacy business software. Open it free with LibreOffice Calc (File > Open, choose dBASE) or import it into Excel. Keep any companion .dbt or .fpt file in the same folder; long-text columns are stored there and will be blank without it.
Programs that open .DBF files
| Full name | Database File (dBASE / xBase table) |
|---|---|
| Developer | Originated with dBASE (Ashton-Tate, 1980s); now a de-facto open xBase standard |
| First released | 1983 (dBASE II/III); format family known as xBase |
| Category | Data & Other |
| MIME type | application/dbf |
| Signature | 03 |
Related viewers
Other free tools to open and preview your files.
Frequently asked questions
Is my .DBF file uploaded?
No. Your .DBF file is read by JavaScript in the page.
Why do Polish or German letters look wrong?
Old DBF files store text in DOS or Windows code pages. We read the language driver byte in the header, but many programs left it empty. Use the Encoding menu to switch, for example to CP852 (DOS Central Europe) or CP1250 (Windows Central Europe).
What are deleted records?
dBase never removes a row straight away - it marks it with an asterisk until the table is “packed”. The viewer shows these rows crossed out so you can still recover the data. Untick Show deleted to hide them.
My memo fields say “in .FPT file”. What now?
Memo text is stored in a separate file with the same name: .DBT for dBase/Clipper, .FPT for FoxPro. Click Add memo file and choose it - the text appears in the table.
Can I edit the DBF?
Not in the viewer. Export to CSV, edit it in a spreadsheet, or use LibreOffice Calc, which can save back to DBF.
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