Do you have a spreadsheet that you need to open and edit, but no version of Excel to open it with? Well, look no further!
If you've been looking for the best alternative to Excel, here are a few you can try. They can all open the main Excel file types and save as them as well – so there's no need to worry about compatibility!
Google Sheets
Free
Pros:
- Packed with features
- Works with Google Drive cloud storage
Cons:
- Internet access required
- Requires a Google account to work
One of the more popular alternatives to Excel, Google Sheets is a free online program that not only provides many of the functions you'd find in the normal Excel software, but also allows users to work together on the same spreadsheet at the same time.
This can be a great time-saver, as you no longer have to wait for the other contributor to finish adding their work before you start on adding your own! All changes to your spreadsheets are automatically saved, too – so if you find your spreadsheet suddenly empty, you can reclaim all your missing work in a couple of clicks.
You do need a Google account to use Google Sheets – although this is free and you can sign up for one in under a minute.
Spread32
Free unlimited trial / $20 (around £13) for full version
Pros:
- Supports most functions you’ll need for the basics
Cons:
- Missing a few advanced features
- Frequent shareware pop-ups during the trial
Spread32 is a free Excel alternative which supports most of the functions that you’d use in a normal day-to-day spreadsheet.
It can’t create pivot tables or display multiple spreadsheets side by side, nor can it support custom lists. It does, however, work in an almost identical manner to Excel and features the ever-useful AutoSum button!
As it’s a free trial (or shareware) version, you do see a pop-up whenever you use anything in the file options. (Save, Open, Print, and so on.) If you plan on using this program a lot, the $20 fee to get the registered version might be worth it just to get rid of them!
PlanMaker (SoftMaker Suite)
Free 30 day trial / $79.95 (around £52) for full version
Pros:
- Receives regular updates
- Supports some advanced features like Gantt charts
Cons:
- No support for pivot tables
PlanMaker looks almost identical to Microsoft Excel, making it ideal for spreadsheet beginners or Excel junkies.
On the downside, it’s missing pivot tables – but it has a lovely feature that allows you to view sheets side by side, placing them vertically or horizontally with an easy button. This function is perfect if you have long or wide sheets – and even if you're not viewing them side byside, it’s easy to swap between sheets with a tab at the top of the page.
PlanMaker might not be cheap, but its raft of handy and user-friendly features makes for a great all-round package.
Simple Sheets
Free 30-day trial / $19.99 (about £13) for full version
Pros:
- A modern and easy-to-use application
- Simple, accessible layout
Cons:
- Overly large and clunky task bar
- Some customisation featues not available
Simple Sheets is a pared down but slick version of Excel. It lacks the ability to view sheets side by side, but it does have easy buttons that allow you to swap easily between each sheet. It also has all the formulae you’ll need and all the usual formatting tools.
In short, Simple Sheets does what it says on the tin: it’s a straightforward, no-frills spreadsheet program.
It also provides the option to protect worksheets, allowing other users to edit only certain ranges. The program's interface is rather clunky, though – and if you have a big spreadsheet, you might find yourself getting rather annoyed by the large taskbar.
So that’s our round up of the best alternatives to Excel. Feel free to share your own personal recommendations with other Geek Squad users below in our comments section!