by Excel is among the most useful and important software a company can have for managing, analyzing, forecasting, and visualizing information. However, because Excel relies on local storage, it can be difficult for users to view their documents from any location or to communicate with their colleagues in real time.
Sending and receiving files over email can cause some confusion, and nobody can agree on the correct one. That’s the good news. If you’d like to ditch Microsoft Office, there are several viable alternatives to Excel that you can use instead. Most of these options are free and hosted in the cloud, making them convenient for the entire workforce.
Here, I’ll show you some of the best alternatives to Excel so you can start finding the one that works best for your group.
Best Excel Alternatives
If you’re unsatisfied with Excel’s features or don’t have the money to buy it, here are the Best Microsoft Excel Alternatives.
1. Google Sheets
You can use Google Sheets if you have a Gmail account. Comparable to Excel in terms of design and functionality, Google Sheets has a few advantages over Excel. Google Sheets lets you automatically store and back up your data on the cloud.
As a result, Sheets’ seamless cross-platform availability is unrivaled for professional users with several gadgets. They are fantastic for collaborative work because multiple people can change them simultaneously.
Finally, Sheets lets you use other Google applications, such as Google Translate, finance, and the Import Feed/Import Data capabilities, to import information from website URLs.
2. Apache OpenOffice
Apache OpenOffice is a free and open-source office suite with tools for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases, and more. It was first released over 20 years ago and has since been installed on over 100 million machines.
Documents created in other popular office suites can be viewed and edited. The data is stored in a format compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.
Most devices can download and install Apache OpenOffice is a free office suite. Once it has been downloaded, it doesn’t need to be connected to the Internet, so it can be used without it.
3. Zoho Sheet
Zoho Sheet is a team-oriented spreadsheet application with built-in tools for collaboration, data visualization, and automation. This is a free, cloud-based spreadsheet solution that allows you to simply import your existing Excel (.xls),.csv,.ods, and .tsv files.
Zoho Sheet makes collaboration simple, as all users may see the latest revisions to the sheet in real-time. Utilize VBA or macros to speed up updates and reduce manual labor.
Teams can use tools like Data cleansing and Version History to swiftly identify and fix errors. In addition, Zoho Sheet’s extensive controls over embedded data processing make it simple to utilize either on the go with the mobile app or online.
4. ClickUp
ClickUp is a unified platform for project management and collaboration used by individuals and groups alike. A table view is just one of several alternative representations available.
The table view is a lot like Excel because it allows you to manage, edit, and arrange your tasks in neat columns and rows. To help you get things done, you also gain access to powerful project management tools, a big improvement over Excel.
Since your Table is part of ClickUp, any changes you make or new statuses you assign to tasks will appear immediately. Even better, you may access real-time reporting anytime to get a bird’ s-eye view of your entire project.
5. LibreOffice
It is generally agreed that LibreOffice is the best open-source alternative to the Excel list. The product is open-source, which means it can be used on any device at no cost. It’s a great alternative to the Mac versions of Microsoft Office.
In other words, if you’re familiar with the Microsoft Office user interface, you’ll have no trouble picking up LibreOffice. In contrast to Google’s offerings, the LibreOffice suite includes fully-featured offline desktop applications that are up to par in terms of professionalism.
LibreOffice now has a web app to sweeten the pot. This means you can edit files stored in Google Drive or OneDrive without ever leaving LibreOffice (but there is no collaborative editing capability).
6. FreeOffice 2021
The most recent release of SoftMaker’s FreeOffice 2016, version 2016, is entirely compatible with the file formats used by Microsoft Office. This ensures you will not experience any unexpected behavior while transferring files into MS Office.
PlanMaker, FreeOffice’s equivalent to Excel, has functionality remarkably similar to Excel’s and includes features such as conditional formatting and pivot tables.
It also provides elements like images and drawings, as well as tools for data visualization, which will assist you in creating materials that are suitable for presentation.
7. Numbers
Have you ever wished it were easier to make spreadsheets that looked polished and well-organized? You can do it in Apple Numbers. The iWork Suite from Apple includes this app.
Use one of the provided samples as a starting point for your work. Checklists and budgets are only two examples of the many template types supported by this software.
If you have worked with many spreadsheets and need to retrieve a specific one, you can do so quickly and easily by searching for any words inside the spreadsheet’s text or title.
8. Quip
Quip is revolutionary productivity software that fuses group messaging, document sharing, and spreadsheet creation into a single package. Launched in 2012, It was bought by Salesforce in 2016. The tool offers a lot of room for personalization and adaptability.
I’ve found it’s relatively easy to switch back and forth between apps like Google Sheets and Slack while I work. In addition to its more than 400 built-in features, Quip offers many keyboard shortcuts for its many menu options.
On my Mac, selecting a column is as easy as pressing Ctrl + space. Similar to this, use the Shift+Space combination. For example, in Excel, picking a data range, hitting “insert,” and finally, “chart” will produce a chart or graph.
9. Gnumeric
This open-source, cost-free software allows you to tailor your data to your specific requirements. Most of its features are geared toward those like me who need exact spreadsheet software to resolve statistical difficulties.
Gnumeric is a quick and lightweight alternative to Excel. It starts quickly, can process large spreadsheets, and maintains responsiveness during use.
This tool could be helpful if you enjoy using numerical data in a spreadsheet. It helps perform Monte Carlo simulations and generate high-quality reports.
10. WPS Spreadsheet
WPS Office Spreadsheets is the only freemium application on this list. It boasts feature sets that are formidable competitors to Excel. While WPS Office is not free, a fully functional free version is available, albeit with advertisements.
You’ll see a brief ad whenever you print, save as PDF, or use one of WPS Spreadsheets’ numerous excellent tools.
After watching an ad, the corresponding functionality is unlocked for 30 minutes. Pay $29.99 annually or $119.99 once and remove all ads from WPS Office forever.
