Best Google Sheets alternatives in 2024

Google Sheets is widely used for cloud-based spreadsheet management, but it’s not the only option. If you prioritize privacy, customization, or open-source solutions, several alternatives might better suit your needs. This article explores top alternatives and their features.

Online and offline Google Sheets alternatives

Although Google Sheets is an online application, there are some good offline alternatives worth considering. Therefore, in this article we will present both types of solutions.

1. ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor (online, desktop and mobile)

ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor is a free and open-source Google Sheets alternative, part of the online suite ONLYOFFICE DocSpace.

The editor offers a user-friendly set of functions and formulas for quick and accurate calculations, as well as a variety of tools for data analysis, such as pivot tables, conditional formatting, and macros.

ONLYOFFICE provides robust protection options for worksheets, allowing users to secure entire workbooks, individual sheets, specific cell ranges, or formulas. It also enables the hiding of formulas for privacy and the locking of cells, shapes, and text.

To enhance its spreadsheet capabilities, ONLYOFFICE includes additional tools like a quick text translation feature and a photo editor for image editing. The ChatGPT plugin’s AI assistant helps with tasks related to text analysis and generation, information retrieval, and code development directly within the editor. Additional plugins can be installed to customize the experience as needed.

As with the other editors in the suite, the spreadsheet editor allows working collaboratively with colleagues: open, edit and share spreadsheets, co-edit in real-time, leave comments, and chat with collaborators online without leaving the editor.

ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor is fully compatible with Microsoft formats, enabling seamless creation and editing of XLSX files. It also supports XLS, ODS, and CSV files, and can save spreadsheets in PDF, PNG, and JPG formats.

Pros:

• Available both online and on premises.
• Free of charge.
• Highly customizable with plugins and integrations.
• Extensive range of tools for performing calculations and analyses also in the online version.

You can try all these and more features online, or by downloading the application for Windows, Linux, or macOS. Explore ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor along with all the other tools in the suite right now.

START ONLINE                  GET DESKTOP APP

2. Apache OpenOffice Calc (desktop)

Calc is the spreadsheet editor that comes with the free and open-source OpenOffice suite.

The support of numerous formats, and the possibility of installation on Windows, Linux, and macOS make this editor versatile and flexible.

It includes a vast library of built-in functions for performing complex calculations, ranging from basic arithmetic to advanced statistical and financial analysis. It allows creating various charts, including bar, line, pie, and scatter plots, with options for customization.

Although it does not allow integration with many third-party services and applications or plug-ins, Calc can be customized with support for macros and extensions.

Pros:

• Free and open-source.
• High compatibility with various file formats.

Cons:

• Complex interface, especially for beginners.
• No real-time collaboration.

3. Gnumeric (desktop)

Gnumeric is a spreadsheet application, part of the GNOME Free Software Desktop Project.

With a simple and clean interface, it offers a full complement of calculation functions, formatting options, graph types and drawing options that have been developed during the years to offer an accurate product.

Particularly effective in scientific and engineering functions, this program is the preferred choice of academic and technical users who need specific, professional tools.

Gnumeric can handle a large number of spreadsheets of different formats, making it compatible with other applications’ native files.

This spreadsheet application is free and open-source, allowing users to modify and distribute the software as needed. It also ensures that your data remains local, guaranteeing privacy and security.

Currently, Gnumeric is only supported by Linux and BSD, but it can be launched on Windows using an interface emulator.

Pros:

• Highly accurate calculations, especially for statistical and scientific data.
• Can handle large datasets.

Cons:

• Few integrations available.
• Primarily supports Linux and BSD.

4. Zoho Sheet (online and desktop)

Zoho Sheet is an online cloud-based spreadsheet application that’s part of the Zoho Office Suite, designed to provide easy data management and collaborative features.

It offers different chart types, a pivot table builder, and tools to analyse data effectively. The AI-powered assistant can automate the data process and analysis steps in your data cycle. It is also possible to use macros to automate repetitive tasks.

Zoho Sheet supports various file formats, including Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx), OpenDocument (.ods), and CSV. The application seamlessly integrates with other Zoho applications and third-party services, enhancing its functionality and making it flexible and versatile.

When it comes to collaboration, multiple users can edit the same spreadsheet simultaneously, add comments and chat within the document.

The application guarantees that data is securely encrypted during transmission and storage. Users also have the possibility to set specific access permissions, ensuring that only authorized individuals can view or edit the spreadsheet.

Zoho Sheet is partially free with substantial features, but a more complete paid version is also available.

Pros:

• Real-time collaboration features.
• Comprehensive data management and analysis tools.

Cons:

• Slowed performance with large amounts of data.
• Not fully free of charge.

5. Smartsheet (online and desktop)

Smartsheet is a work management and automation platform that combines the flexibility of spreadsheets with project management and collaboration tools.

Rather than being an application for creating complex calculations and analyses, at first glance it might seem useful only to those who use tools such as these to organise their work and data. However, Smartsheet offers tools such as functions, formulas, pivot tables, automation of calculations and frequent tasks.

Nevertheless, the strength of this application is the range of tools for managing work: automated alerts and reminders, real-time collaboration, interactive dashboards with widgets, project trackers, and much more.

It is available both online and as a desktop version, in both cases a fee-based plan is required.

Pros:

• A complete tool for personal and collaborative work management.
• Available in both online and desktop versions.

Cons:

• Not the best alternative for those who need professional tools to perform very complicated and precise calculations.
• Fee-based.

How to choose the best Google Sheet alternative?

Choosing the best Google sheets alternative involves evaluating several key features to ensure it meets your needs. When making your choice, focus on the following aspects:

1. Identify your needs: Do you need your editor to automate work, allow you to perform complex calculations or collaborate with other people?
2. File and OS compatibility: You might frequently use a certain file format or operating system. Make sure that your chosen editor allows you to work with the material you frequently use.
3. Interoperability: If you work with people who use different OS or softwares, you may need a tool that ensures interoperability between different operating systems and formats. Check if the tool can seamlessly import and export files from other spreadsheet programs without losing data integrity.
4. Privacy and Data Security: If privacy is a priority for you and your team, you should consider an open-source editor. As an alternative, choose a program compliant with security standards and equipped with data encryption and access control.