When it comes to reading Excel files in Python, there are several options available. In this article, we will compare some of the popular libraries and discuss the fastest way to read Excel files.
One of the commonly used libraries for working with Excel files is Pandas. While Pandas offers a wide range of functionalities, it may not be the fastest when it comes to reading large Excel files. Tablib is another library that can be used, but it also may not provide the best performance.
Openpyxl is a popular library specifically designed for working with Excel files. It offers a lot of features and is relatively fast. However, if you’re looking for even faster performance, you might consider using LibreOffice. LibreOffice uses a headless mode to read Excel files, which can significantly improve the reading speed.
Another library worth mentioning is DuckDB. While not specifically designed for Excel file reading, DuckDB offers impressive performance and can be used as an alternative.
But the winner in terms of speed is python-calamine. This library takes only 3.58 seconds to read 500,000 rows from an Excel file. It outperforms the other libraries mentioned in this article. However, it’s important to note that python-calamine does not support writing Excel files. So if you need to both read and write Excel files, you might need to consider using a different library.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for the fastest way to read Excel files in Python, python-calamine is the clear winner. However, consider your specific requirements before choosing a library as there may be other factors to consider such as support for both reading and writing Excel files.

Collections

This post compares different libraries for reading Excel files in Python and identifies python-calamine as the fastest option. It mentions other libraries like Pandas, Tablib, Openpyxl, LibreOffice, and DuckDB, highlighting their pros and cons. It also mentions that python-calamine does not support writing Excel files. Consider your specific requirements before choosing a library.

Fastest Way to Read Excel in Python