phpexcel to download

Instead of saving it to a file, save it to php://output^­Docs:

$objWriter->save('php://output');

This will send it AS-IS to the browser.

You want to add some headers^­Docs first, like it's common with file downloads, so the browser knows which type that file is and how it should be named (the filename):

// We'll be outputting an excel file
header('Content-type: application/vnd.ms-excel');

// It will be called file.xls
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="file.xls"');

// Write file to the browser
$objWriter->save('php://output');

First do the headers, then the save. For the excel headers see as well the following question: Setting mime type for excel document.

$excel = new PHPExcel();
header('Content-Type: application/vnd.ms-excel');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment;filename="your_name.xls"');
header('Cache-Control: max-age=0');

// Do your stuff here

$writer = PHPExcel_IOFactory::createWriter($excel, 'Excel5');

// This line will force the file to download
$writer->save('php://output');