by When it comes to managing, analyzing, forecasting, and visualizing information, Excel is among the most useful and important software a company can have. 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 which one is 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 best alternatives to Excel so you can get started finding the one that works best for your group.
Best Excel Alternatives
If you’re not satisfied with Excel’s features or you just 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 store and back up your data on the cloud automatically.
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 take advantage of other Google applications, such as Google Translate, finance, and the Import Feed/Import Data capabilities, so you may import information from the URLs of websites.
2. Apache OpenOffice
Apache OpenOffice is a free and open-source office suite that includes 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.
Apache OpenOffice is a free office suite that most devices can download and install. It doesn’t need to be connected to the Internet because it can be used without the Internet once it has been downloaded.
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 any 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, which is a big improvement over Excel.
Since your Table is part of ClickUp, any changes you make or new statuses you give to tasks will show up 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 option for alternatives 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 extremely similar to that of Excel 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 a large number of spreadsheets and need to retrieve a specific one, you can do so quickly and easily by conducting a search for any words contained inside the spreadsheet’s text or title.
8. Quip
It’s a revolutionary productivity software that fuses group messaging, document sharing, and spreadsheet creation into a single package. Launched in 2012, Quip was bought by Salesforce in 2016. There’s a lot of room for personalization and adaptability with the tool.
I’ve found it’s rather 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 also offers a plethora of 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. Like in Excel, picking a data range, hitting “insert,” and finally, “chart” will produce a chart or graph.
9. Gnumeric
You can tailor your data to your specific requirements using this open-source, cost-free software. Most of its features are geared toward those like me who need extremely precise spreadsheet software to resolve statistical difficulties.
If you’re looking for a quick and lightweight alternative to Excel, Gnumeric is it. It has a fast startup time, can process big spreadsheets, and maintain its responsiveness during its use.
This tool could be useful if you enjoy using numerical data in a spreadsheet. It is useful for performing Monte Carlo simulations and generating high-quality reports.
10. WPS Spreadsheet
WPS Office Spreadsheets stands alone as 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.
Whenever you print, save as PDF, or use one of WPS Spreadsheets’ numerous amazing tools, you’ll see a brief ad.
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.
