Pros of ClosedXML

• Free and open-source, with no licensing restrictions
• More intuitive API, closer to Excel's object model
• Better support for older Excel file formats (xls)

Cons of ClosedXML

• Slower performance for large datasets compared to EPPlus
• Less comprehensive documentation and community support
• Fewer advanced features for complex Excel operations

Code Comparison

ClosedXML:

using (var workbook = new XLWorkbook())
{
    var worksheet = workbook.Worksheets.Add("Sample Sheet");
    worksheet.Cell("A1").Value = "Hello World!";
    workbook.SaveAs("HelloWorld.xlsx");
}

EPPlus:

using (var package = new ExcelPackage())
{
    var worksheet = package.Workbook.Worksheets.Add("Sample Sheet");
    worksheet.Cells["A1"].Value = "Hello World!";
    package.SaveAs(new FileInfo("HelloWorld.xlsx"));
}

Both libraries offer similar functionality for basic Excel operations, but their APIs differ slightly. ClosedXML's approach is more intuitive for developers familiar with Excel's object model, while EPPlus provides a more streamlined API for certain operations.

Pros of Open-XML-SDK

• More comprehensive support for Office Open XML formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Official Microsoft SDK, ensuring long-term support and compatibility
• Offers greater flexibility and control over document structure

Cons of Open-XML-SDK

• Steeper learning curve due to lower-level API
• Requires more code to perform common operations
• Less intuitive for simple Excel-specific tasks

Code Comparison

EPPlus:

using (var package = new ExcelPackage())
{
    var worksheet = package.Workbook.Worksheets.Add("Sheet1");
    worksheet.Cells["A1"].Value = "Hello, World!";
    package.SaveAs(new FileInfo("output.xlsx"));
}

Open-XML-SDK:

using (var spreadsheet = SpreadsheetDocument.Create("output.xlsx", SpreadsheetDocumentType.Workbook))
{
    var workbookPart = spreadsheet.AddWorkbookPart();
    workbookPart.Workbook = new Workbook();
    var worksheetPart = workbookPart.AddNewPart<WorksheetPart>();
    worksheetPart.Worksheet = new Worksheet(new SheetData());
    var sheetData = worksheetPart.Worksheet.GetFirstChild<SheetData>();
    var row = new Row { RowIndex = 1 };
    var cell = new Cell { CellReference = "A1", DataType = CellValues.String, CellValue = new CellValue("Hello, World!") };
    row.AppendChild(cell);
    sheetData.AppendChild(row);
}

Pros of ExcelDataReader

• Lightweight and focused solely on reading Excel files
• Supports both .xls and .xlsx formats
• No external dependencies required

Cons of ExcelDataReader

• Limited to reading Excel files; cannot create or modify spreadsheets
• Less feature-rich compared to EPPlus
• May require additional libraries for advanced data manipulation

Code Comparison

ExcelDataReader:

using (var stream = File.Open(filePath, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read))
using (var reader = ExcelReaderFactory.CreateReader(stream))
{
    var result = reader.AsDataSet();
    // Process data from result
}

EPPlus:

using (var package = new ExcelPackage(new FileInfo(filePath)))
{
    var worksheet = package.Workbook.Worksheets[0];
    var value = worksheet.Cells["A1"].Value;
    // Manipulate data or create new spreadsheet
}

ExcelDataReader is more straightforward for simple reading tasks, while EPPlus offers more comprehensive Excel manipulation capabilities. ExcelDataReader is ideal for projects that only need to extract data from Excel files, whereas EPPlus is better suited for applications requiring both reading and writing Excel files with advanced formatting and calculation features.