6 finest free options to Microsoft Excel in 2023

Google Sheets: Greatest for offline modifying and collaboration

Google Sheets is Google’s cloud-based reply to Microsoft Excel, and it’s able to doing the overwhelming majority of what the typical Excel consumer wants. It’s additionally hosted within the cloud and runs in an online browser, so it’s platform unbiased and might be run on Home windows, macOS and Linux programs.

You by no means have to fret about dropping a single calculation, both — Google Sheets saves every thing in Google Drive, making a crashed laptop of no concern to your necessary information. As with Google’s different workplace instruments, Sheets options real-time collaboration that permits a number of customers to edit a doc on the identical time (Determine A). Customers can see the cursor place of different individuals within the doc, see what they’re doing as they’re doing it and chat proper within the doc window.

Determine A

Superior options that some Excel customers want are lacking, although, so if you happen to’re an Excel energy consumer, it’s a good suggestion to search out out if the options you want can be found earlier than migrating. There have additionally been reported problems with formulation in Excel spreadsheets breaking after they’re uploaded to Google Sheets, so bear in mind that you would run into points transferring .xls or .xlsx information out of your laptop to Sheets. On the plus aspect, scripting remains to be out there in Google Sheets, although it’s JavaScript based mostly and never Visible Primary for Functions.

Key options

• Offline modifying functionality.
• Help of file codecs, together with .xlsx, .xls, .xlsm, .xlt, .xltx, .xltxm, .ods, .csv and .tsv.
• Knowledge evaluation and visualization.
• Sharing and collaboration.
• Model historical past function, which helps you to see all of the modifications you and others have made to the spreadsheet or revert to earlier variations.
• Template gallery.

Execs

• Skill for customers to obtain their information in numerous codecs, together with .pdf, .html, .ods, .xlsx and .tsv.
• Customizability — customers can add hyperlinks, feedback, charts, filters or features.
• Skill for customers to automate repetitive duties with macros.
• Actual-time collaboration.

Cons

• Lags when engaged on massive information.
• Troublesome to pinpoint who edited the spreadsheet.

Zoho Sheet: Greatest for automation

Zoho Sheet is a spreadsheet software program that features collaboration, information visualization and automation options that assist groups get work finished quicker. Zoho Sheet is a free, cloud-based spreadsheet software that helps a number of file varieties, together with Excel (.xls), .csv, .ods and .tsv codecs to maneuver your current sheets into Zoho Sheet simply.

Collaboration in Zoho Sheet is straightforward, with real-time updates on the sheet stage for any customers within the doc (Determine B). You should use macros and even VBA code to automate updates and pace up work.

Determine B

Collaborators can use Knowledge cleansing to catch errors shortly or roll again to a earlier iteration with Model Historical past. And Zoho Sheet can simply be used by way of the cellular app or revealed to the online with granular controls over embedded information manipulation.

Zoho Sheet is a part of the bigger Zoho household of apps, which implies that extensions and integrations are straightforward and quick. Use Zoho Kinds to shortly consolidate info in a single Sheet, and Zoho’s AI, Zia, will assist groups visualize information with pivot tables, charts or graphs.

Key options

• Multi-language assist, together with Polish, Bulgarian, Dutch, Chinese language (Simplified), German, English, Spanish, French, Croatian, Turkish, Japanese, Hungarian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish and Italian.
• Help for over 350 predefined features.
• Skill for customers to export .html and .pdf codecs.
• Customized and user-defined features.
• Picture-to-sheet function, which permits customers to scan books, receipts and invoices and routinely convert them to spreadsheets.

Execs

• Straightforward to study and use.
• AI-powered insights.
• Knowledge cleansing — duplicates, inconsistencies and lacking worth elimination.
• Integration with different Zoho apps.

Cons

• Lacks information connections, evaluation and modeling functionality.
• Lacks offline assist.
• Takes a very long time to load spreadsheets.

Microsoft Workplace Excel On-line: Greatest for customers preferring Excel’s interface

To not be outdone by Google, Microsoft has created its personal on-line model of Workplace, which features a stripped-down model of Excel that’s nearer to Google Sheets than to the desktop model of Microsoft Workplace’s Excel (Determine C). It’s to not say that Excel On-line is unusable or not price your time — it’s undoubtedly extra like Excel than Google Sheets, so if you happen to favor a well-known interface, you could go for Excel On-line as an alternative of going the Google route.

Determine C

Recommending Excel On-line to the typical Excel consumer is ok; it does all of the fundamentals of the desktop model whereas including computerized cloud saving in OneDrive, and it has real-time collaboration instruments that Workplace 365 and Workplace 2019 lack.

Excel energy customers could need to keep away from Excel On-line. Lots of the options Excel energy customers depend on are gone, restricted or read-only — there’s no VBA scripting, no creating exterior information connections, no discover and exchange, and no superior charting options. All of these capabilities exist in Excel On-line, however they’re read-only.

Key options

• Energy BI integration.
• Help of many file codecs, together with .docm, .docx, .pptm, .pptx, .xlsm and .xlsx.
• Copilot in Excel, which works with you to investigate and discover your information.
• Skill for customers to visualise information in charts and graphs.

Execs

• Collaboration functionality.
• Macros to automate common duties.
• Intensive vary of features and formulation, which allow customers to carry out advanced calculations and information evaluation simply.
• Consumer-friendly interface.

Cons

• Will get sluggish when working with massive information units.
• Requires web connectivity.

Apache OpenOffice Calc: Greatest for personalisation

Once I discuss to Home windows customers who hate the look of Microsoft Workplace’s post-2007 interface, I all the time advocate Apache OpenOffice. Calc, OpenOffice’s Excel different, seems to be and looks like Workplace 2003, which is nice if you happen to’d favor a time earlier than the Workplace ribbon (Determine D). Previous to the arrival of the cloud and the dominance of Google’s on-line workplace instruments, OpenOffice reigned supreme amongst these in search of a free Microsoft Workplace different.

Determine D

Apache OpenOffice’s Calc serves numerous userbases together with freelancers, massive enterprises, midsize companies, non-profits, public administrations and small companies.

Key options

• Pure language formulation, which permit customers to create formulation utilizing phrases.
• Prepared-made templates repository.
• Situation supervisor with assist for “what if” evaluation.
• Skill for customers to export paperwork in numerous codecs, together with ​​.pdf, .odt, .doc and .html.

Execs

• Massive consumer group.
• Accessible as open supply.
• Customized backgrounds to allow customers to create spreadsheets in line with particular person preferences.

Cons

• Lacks real-time on-line collaboration.
• Must be up to date extra often.

LibreOffice Calc: Greatest Excel different for options

Like OpenOffice, LibreOffice is a free workplace suite that features its personal Excel different, additionally known as Calc. It has the identical restrictions as OpenOffice in that LibreOffice’s Calc lacks cloud assist and real-time collaboration. What LibreOffice does have is a surprisingly strong listing of options, a lot of which aren’t current in Excel (Determine E).

Determine E

LibreOffice has extra features than Excel, can evaluate two separate spreadsheet information, has extra cell formatting choices and may even deal with imports of legacy spreadsheets from retired functions (Microsoft Works, Lotus 1-2-3, BeagleWorks, Claris Resolve, and so forth.) previously out there on Home windows and macOS.

Key options

• Situation supervisor that permits “what if …” evaluation.
• Skill for customers to export to .pdf.
• Desktop apps for Home windows, macOS and Linux.

Execs

• Open supply.
• Function wealthy.
• Skill to learn .xlsx information created with Microsoft Workplace for Home windows and macOS.

Cons

• Has restricted macro recording skills.
• Lacks the flexibility to show many superior sorts of charts.
• Lacks real-time on-line collaboration options.

WPS Workplace Spreadsheets: Greatest Excel different for ease of use

On the subject of strong options which might be a real competitors for Excel, WPS Workplace Spreadsheets can’t be crushed, and with good cause: It’s the one freemium product on this listing. WPS Workplace is a paid product, however it comes with a fully-featured free model with one catch — it’s ad-supported (Determine F).

Determine F

Don’t let that flip you off from giving WPS Spreadsheets a attempt; the advertisements are fast, typically lasting about 10 seconds, and solely pop up whenever you attempt to print, save to PDF or use a few of its different extra particular instruments. When you watch an advert, that function is unlocked for half-hour. When you determine you need to eliminate the advertisements in WPS Workplace, it’s worthwhile to pay $9.99 for 3 months or $29.99 a yr.

Key options

• Knowledge evaluation and visualization.
• Templates to handle charts, observe budgets and analyze private or enterprise funds.
• Compatibility with widespread file codecs comparable to .xls, .xlsx, .xlsm, .xlt and .csv.
• Skill for customers to edit Excel information on cellular units, computer systems or internet pages.

Execs

• Compatibility with workplace suites comparable to Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc and OpenOffice Calc.
• Intuitive consumer interface.
• Ease of use.
• Help for 13 languages on PC and 46 languages on cellular.

Cons

• Free model has advertisements.
• Occasionally freezes.