01 — TL;DR
Both docx and xlsx are strong choices for document tools — they score within 0.15 of each other on our composite (4.0 vs 3.9). Pick based on which source you trust more, not on raw score.
Where they differ
- Trigger clarity. trigger clarity: docx and xlsx score essentially the same (5.0 vs 5.0). Neither has an edge here.
- Output specificity. output specificity: docx and xlsx score essentially the same (5.0 vs 5.0). Neither has an edge here.
- Scope precision. scope precision: docx is clearly stronger (5.0 vs 4.5). For workloads where this dimension matters, prefer docx.
- Self-containment. self-containment: docx and xlsx score essentially the same (5.0 vs 5.0). Neither has an edge here.
- Reusability. reusability: docx and xlsx score essentially the same (4.0 vs 4.0). Neither has an edge here.
How to decide
- If neither of the above tips the scale, default to the one whose author you've used before in other contexts — ecosystem familiarity compounds.
Scenario by scenario
| Scenario | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Agent must auto-select between many document tools | either | Trigger clarity decides — clearer triggers reduce routing errors. |
| Output must be a specific file format or structured data | either | Output specificity determines whether downstream tools can rely on the result. |
| Skill must be readable and complete out of the box | either | Self-containment matters when you're not the original author. |
| Cross-team or cross-project reuse expected | either | Reusability separates one-off scripts from durable building blocks. |
Common questions
- Which is better, docx or xlsx?
- Neither is clearly better — they score within 0.15 of each other on our 0–5 composite. The decision should be driven by source preference, ecosystem fit, or specific dimension priorities (see "How to decide" above).
- Are docx and xlsx both free to use?
- Both skills are free and open-source (or freely licensed). docx: See source repo. xlsx: See source repo. Installation has no cost; usage costs depend on the underlying LLM tokens consumed when you invoke the skill.
- Can I install both docx and xlsx at the same time?
- Yes. Agent skills are not exclusive — an agent runtime (Claude Code, Codex, etc.) can have many skills installed and route to whichever matches the current task. Installing both is a low-cost way to keep your options open.
- Where do these skills come from?
- docx is sourced from github:anthropics/skills (official). xlsx is sourced from github:anthropics/skills (official). We verify each skill across multiple sources where possible; docx appears in 2 sources, xlsx in 2.