Top 10 Best Spreadsheet Excel Alternatives for 2024

Is Excel Obsolete? 

Despite the rise of other spreadsheet software, Microsoft Excel is still going strong. Its ubiquity means that it can be found just about anywhere, and its brand recognition also means it’s the first name people mention when they’re looking for spreadsheet software.

However, Excel may not be the most modern spreadsheet app on the market. It lacks some features offered by other apps, such as real-time collaboration. Excel is also a paid software, generally bought as part of an Office 365 subscription, which may discourage those looking for free alternatives. 

What Makes a Great Spreadsheet Software

Many factors determine the quality of a spreadsheet app. Here are three of the most prominent criteria when it comes to spreadsheet software:

• Basic Feature Competency: Your spreadsheet app should flawlessly perform its basic functions – this encompasses math formulas and other statistics actions like finding average values. Converting spreadsheets into dynamic charts and graphs is also a must-have feature in any spreadsheet app. 
• Additional Features: The best spreadsheet Excel alternative should also have extra features not found in Excel. One of the most common additional features includes real-time collaborative features that let multiple people work on one document at the same time. Other features that may help include in-line commenting and edit control so you have a record of your spreadsheet’s version history.
• Interface Design: eople tend to work on spreadsheets for a long time. Great interface design is important so people are comfortable with staring at it for hours on end. This doesn’t mean that the spreadsheet app should have great pictures or use vibrant colors – it just needs to be intuitive and pleasant to look at.

How to Select the Best Excel Alternative

With all the options on the market, it’s tough to find the best Excel alternative. Here are three things you should do when looking for the best spreadsheet app. 

• Think About Its Features: A spreadsheet app’s features should be your first consideration. Just about all spreadsheet apps can organize data, perform mathematical functions, and process statistical information. However, your company may need other features that not all spreadsheet apps can provide. For instance, not all spreadsheet tools let your team collaborate on a single document at once.
  Before picking an Excel alternative, check to see if its features fulfill your team’s needs.
• Determine Its Cost: Budget is another important consideration in shopping for spreadsheet apps. Most prominent spreadsheet apps like Excel require a one-time purchase or ongoing subscription. However, you can still choose free spreadsheet software like Google Sheets and LibreOffice if your team is on a budget.
• Ensure It’s Easy To Adopt: The last thing you should consider is how easy your team can adopt the new software. Most people have been using Excel for so long that its interface has become the gold standard for spreadsheet tools. If you want your team to adapt quickly to the new software, you should pick one that has a similar interface to Excel.

How We Chose the Best Excel Alternatives 

When scouring the market for the best spreadsheet/Excel alternative, we used several key criteria. To help in your search, here are the criteria we used:

• Price: The software’s price point is essential, especially if your team is on a tight budget. However, we don’t just look at the price tag. We also examine its value for money, as in how well a spreadsheet app performs compared to its price.
• Features: Being able to execute basic calculations flawlessly is a key requirement for spreadsheet apps. Extra features like reporting functions and collaboration tools will also net an app more points.
• User interface: An easy-to-understand spreadsheet interface is another key factor. Most users will spend hours on a spreadsheet app so it needs to be easy on the eyes.
• Device compatibility: More and more teams are working remotely these days. Having an app that works well on desktop computers and mobile devices gives your team extra flexibility.

Google Sheets

 Google Sheets is one of the most widely-used spreadsheet apps after Microsoft Excel. It provides everything you need out of spreadsheet software, whether it’s processing data or making math calculations. You can also integrate Google Sheets with Google Drive and hundreds of other apps through Integrately to make your job easier. Other features you can get from Google Sheets include:

• Web client: Work on your spreadsheets directly on your browser without downloading anything.

• Google Drive integration: Store and share files through Google’s file storage service.

• Wide compatibility: Save your spreadsheets in a variety of common file formats.

Plans & Pricing

Google Sheets is completely free for all Gmail account owners. 

LibreOffice Calc

LibreOffice is a completely free open-source office suite. LibreOffice Calc is its spreadsheet component that provides Excel-level spreadsheet processing at absolutely no cost. Some key features that put LibreOffice Calc in contention for the best Excel alternative include:

• Plugins and customization: Download plugins to further customize your spreadsheet processing experience.

• Multi-format compatibility: Save and open documents in all kinds of file types.

• DataPilot data processing: Take raw data from databases and summarize them in a flash.

Plans & Pricing

LibreOffice Calc, along with the entire LibreOffice suite, is completely free of charge. 

Quip

Quip is a spreadsheet solution made by customer relationship management (CRM) makers Salesforce. This software integrates seamlessly with Salesforce to improve CRM processes like lead tracking and account planning. It does so with a wide range of features like:

• Extensive library of templates: Get to work faster with pre-built templates for sales strategies, customer pipelines, and more. 

• Built-in chat app: Coordinate with your team directly on Quip without jumping to another chat platform.

• Collaborative editing: Work on documents together at the same time.

 Plans & Pricing

Quip’s starter plan costs $12/month per user. 

Smartsheet

Smartsheet bills itself as a work execution platform presented in a spreadsheet format. It offers multiple ways to visualize data as well, from grids to Kanban boards to Gantt charts for extra flexibility. This program also offers over 200,000 integrations with thousands of other apps through Integrately. Some other advantages Smartsheet offers are:

• Data syncs with multiple software: Centralize data management by syncing Smartsheet with your Salesforce, Jira, or ServiceNow accounts.

• Business process automation: Save time by programming automatic workflows through a simple interface.

• Seamless content collaboration: Review, revise, and discuss produced content right on the platform.

Plans & Pricing

Smartsheet’s basic plan costs $9/month per user. 

Zoho Sheet

Zoho Sheet prevents data loss and unauthorized modifications through user locks and version backups. Zoho’s entry into the spreadsheet game is also compatible with prominent spreadsheet formats like .xls, .ods, and .csv. Other features included in Zoho Sheet are:

• Automatic data analyst: Visualize and organize your data by letting Zia, Zoho’s data analyst, do the job.

• Data cleaning tool: Remove duplicates and fill in missing values automatically.

• Custom function creation: Code your own logic and functions to customize your worksheet experience.

Plans & Pricing

Zoho Sheets can be used for free. However, you can get larger storage and more features with the paid plans, starting at $5/month per user.

EtherCalc

EtherCalc is a web-based open-source spreadsheet that makes it easy to work together with others. While it doesn’t have as many features as many of its desktop peers, EtherCalc makes it easy to create and work on spreadsheets with other people on the Internet. Some of its most prominent features include:

• Self-host capable: Take EtherCalc’s source code to host it on your own server.

• Quick access: Create and share online spreadsheets simply by visiting EtherCalc’s page.

• Multi-platform compatibility: Work with EtherCalc on Windows, Mac, Linux, and FreeBSD devices.

Plans & Pricing

EtherCalc is open-source, which means it’s completely free. 

Airtable

Airtable is a cloud collaboration app that helps your team gather and connect important information. It provides multiple data views so your team can see a problem from several angles at once. Airtable also connects with Integrately to create hundreds of app integrations through numerous apps. Other advanced features offered by Airtable include:

• Report creator dashboard: Make better decisions by creating easy-to-understand reports based on the latest data.

• Interface creation: Create custom dashboards that cater to your business needs.

• Custom automation tool: Expand Airtable’s functionality with Javascript-powered automations.

Plans & Pricing

Airtable provides a free basic plan with limited cloud storage. Paid plans start at $10/month per user, billed annually.

Apache OpenOffice Calc

Similar to LibreOffice, Apache OpenOffice is an open-source, free-to-use complete office suite. Calc, its spreadsheet component, offers an intuitive interface that helps newcomers and power users alike. Some advanced functions offered by OpenOffice Calc include;

• Natural language formulas: Create formulas with normal words – no need to look up formula keywords.

• Intelligent sum function: Add up your data with context-sensitive sum and subtotal functions.

• Automated data processing: Process raw data and convert it into actionable information in minutes.

Plans & Pricing

The entire Apache OpenOffice suite is completely free to use. 

WPS Office Spreadsheets

WPS Office is an office suite available for students and business users. Its Spreadsheets component offers a lightweight Excel alternative for lower-end hardware. Other features available in WPS Spreadsheets include:

• Wide compatibility: Open files from Excel, OpenOffice, and many other spreadsheet applications.

• Advanced pivot tables: Analyze and summarize lots of data easily.

• Document tabbing: View and work on multiple documents simultaneously.

Plans & Pricing

WPS Spreadsheets is free to download. However, you can remove ads and unlock extra functions with a $29.99/year subscription. 

Hancom Office

Hancom Office is a Microsoft Office alternative that comes with Hancom Space, its own collaboration and file storage service. Some unique features found in Hancom Office are:

• Macro compatibility: Automate tasks by creating macros in Visual Basic.

• Chart suggestions: Receive suggestions on the best chart type to present your data.

• Smart tags: Get context-sensitive paste and fill options through Hancom’s AI.

Plans & Pricing

You can buy Hancom Office with a one-time purchase of $59.99 for home users and $119.99 for a business license.

Which Spreadsheet Software Should You Use? 

Different spreadsheet apps offer varying features and advantages. Therefore, there’s no one best spreadsheet software for everyone. The best spreadsheet app for you is the one that fulfills all your needs.

Closing Thoughts 

While Microsoft Excel is one of the best-known spreadsheet software, it doesn’t mean there are no alternatives. There are lots of spreadsheet software options that offer features not found in Excel, and you can even get some of them for free!

If you’re looking to make data processing in your company even easier, try Integrately today! Enjoy thousands of integrations across numerous apps to save time and maximize your working hours.