A Comparison Between IronXL and ClosedXML

Name: IronXL
Brand: Iron Software
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.67 (175 reviews)

ByRegan Pun

November 1, 2023

Updated June 22, 2025

In this video, a comparative analysis is conducted between two prominent .NET libraries, IronXL and ClosedXML, focusing on their capabilities in reading Excel files. Both libraries are popular for handling Excel data, but they have distinct differences. The video begins by demonstrating how to read an Excel file using the ClosedXML library, which involves creating an instance of the Excel workbook class and reading the data with a for loop. This approach is noted as somewhat complex. In contrast, the IronXL library is showcased for its simplicity and versatility. It allows reading the Excel file using a foreach loop, offering support for almost all spreadsheet formats, unlike ClosedXML, which is limited to Excel files only. The video concludes by recommending IronXL for users seeking a library with broader file compatibility and ease of use. Viewers are encouraged to subscribe for more tutorials and try a trial subscription of Iron Software for further exploration.

Further Reading: A Comparison Between IronXL and ClosedXML

Regan Pun

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Software Engineer

Regan graduated from the University of Reading, with a BA in Electronic Engineering. Before joining Iron Software, his previous job roles had him laser-focused on single tasks; and what he most enjoys at Iron Software is the spectrum of work he gets to undertake, whether it’s adding value to sales, technical support, product development or marketing. He enjoys understanding the way developers are using the Iron Software library, and using that knowledge to continually improve documentation and develop the products.

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