Excel has been the prominent spreadsheet software for homes and businesses since Microsoft started bundling it in 1985. With more than 750 million users, it’s the traditional tool for presenting and analyzing data for all kinds of purposes. But despite its popularity, Excel has some disadvantages, and you might feel you’d be better off using an alternative provider.
So, whether you’re new to spreadsheets or you think you might have outgrown Excel, check out our list of the best Excel alternatives.
- Why you need an alternative to Microsoft Excel
- The best Excel alternatives
- Other top Excel alternatives to check out
- Excel alternatives FAQs
- Baserow vs Microsoft Excel
- So, what’s the best alternative to Excel?
Why you need an alternative to Microsoft Excel
Even though Excel has some great features for organizing, analyzing, and reporting data on spreadsheets, it also has its fair share of downsides. For one, it’s not meant to be used as a database, so it lacks the tools needed for security, access control, audit trails, and more.
While Excel is good for calculations, it is not the best tool when data access needs to be restricted based on roles or when an audit trail is needed. It is therefore not suited to users who need to secure their data and ensure that no sensitive data reaches unauthorized employees.
Excel also struggles with large amounts of data. It has a row limit which can be an issue with large datasets, and search functions also become very slow which is a serious limitation for professional usage of Excel spreadsheets. These present serious issues in scalability when implementing big data wrangling and management projects.
What’s more, Excel pricing is expensive if you get the standalone release which will set you back £149.99 for one PC or Mac. If you want to buy a licence for multiple users, you’ll have to pay hundreds of pounds. That said, it’s cheaper with an Office 365 subscription, and most new computers are pre-installed with a free trial.
Users also complain that the interface is difficult to navigate, and the menus are hard to decipher. You may find yourself spending hours trying to use it effectively. If any of these issues will impact your businesses, you’ll need to check out some Excel alternatives that might work better for your needs.
The best Excel alternatives
1. Baserow
Baserow really holds its own when compared to Microsoft Excel. For starters, it’s an open-source alternative while Excel is a proprietary or ‘closed source’ software. Baserow’s open-source core means that you can run it independently and securely on your own server with no vendor lock-in and nobody else having control over it.
With Excel, there is a lack of data access governance which poses a security risk for companies. Excel is not made for granular role-based access control. Therefore, users can access sensitive data and start sharing it without the proper governance structure around it, leading to potential fines in regulated sectors like Health, Insurance, Banking, and Government.
What’s more, Baserow is API-first so it’s easy to connect with external databases or web services. If Excel doesn’t have a feature you need, you’ll have to wait for Microsoft to add to its software, but with Baserow, you can easily create custom plugins or use third-party ones, customizing them to meet your team’s needs and requirements.
Other disadvantages of Microsoft Excel include the fact that it’s predominantly a spreadsheet which isn’t the best tool if you have complex needs. Baserow is a spreadsheet-database hybrid, meaning it offers the familiarity of a spreadsheet with advanced database capabilities such as automation, collaboration, and seamless integration with other software. Plus it’s a no-code platform, making it easy to build applications, without any coding skills.
For these reasons, Baserow tops the list of the best alternatives to Excel. The only drawback to Baserow is that you can only access it through your browser, plus it doesn’t have mobile functionality yet. However, you can expect plenty of new features in 2024.
Baserow pros and cons
- No-code, open-source Excel alternative
- Role-Based Access Control
- Audit trail
- Wide variety of pre-built templates
- Multiple views
- Competitive pricing
- API-first
- Fast and intuitive interface
- Real-time collaboration
- Excellent free plan
- No mobile functionality
- Only accessible via browser
2. Smartsheet
No list of Excel alternatives would be complete without mentioning Smartsheet. A cross between a project management tool and a spreadsheet platform, it lets you manage and organize your projects from a colorful and collaborative user interface.
While Excel is limited to a grid view, Smartsheet has flexible views to display data, including grid, Kanban, calendar, and Gantt. Additionally, Smartsheet is an online platform with the ability to share work, automate alerts and collaborate on projects in real-time. Whereas in Excel, updates to data do not happen in real-time.
Smartsheet also offers more integrations with Office 365 and other popular work apps such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Slack, Jira, and more. Excel has integrations with Power BI and Azure, but limited connection with other Office 365 applications.
Smartsheet pros and cons
- Familiar spreadsheet interface
- Multiple views including Kanban and Gantt
- Lots of Pre-built project templates
- Alerts and reminders
- Automated workflows
- No in-built time tracking
- User Interface feels pretty messy
- More expensive than other Excel alternatives
- Steep learning curve
3. Google Sheets
Google Sheets is a popular spreadsheet program that’s hailed as one of the best free Excel alternatives. It offers many of the same features as Excel, but it comes with better collaboration capabilities, allowing users to share links, grant permissions, and read or edit spreadsheets at the same time. In contrast, Excel allows only one user at a time to edit a file, which can be slow and frustrating.
In terms of interfaces, Google Sheets looks similar to Microsoft Excel, so users who are switching don’t have to learn everything from scratch. Furthermore, because Google Sheets is cloud-based, everything is back-up in real-time so users are not at risk of losing their work. While with Excel you can easily lose any unsaved work if your computer loses power or your drive becomes corrupted.
For statistical analysis and visualization, Excel is the better option. It’s also better if you’re working with a high volume of data. When using Sheets, you’ll have to be patient when working with more than 400,000 cells as the tool gets really slow. This is because Google’s answer to Excel doesn’t have the processing power you need to sift through massive amounts of data. But if you’re looking for an easy-to-use spreadsheet with a mobile app, then Google Sheets is a great Excel alternative.
Google Sheets pros and cons
- A free alternative to Excel
- The preferred application for collaboration
- Cloud storage, online and offline mode
- Robust mobile app
- Good for low volumes of data
- Simple user access management
- Geo-blocked in some Far East territories
- Limited chart formatting compared to Excel
- Requires more processing power to handle extensive sheets
4. LibreOffice Calc
Calc from LibreOffice is a top free Excel alternative. Excel is expensive, especially if you require more features for professional use. But LibreOffice Calc is totally free, regardless of the amount of work you need. Calc is also a great open-source alternative, meaning that independent developers are continually crafting new features to make the spreadsheet program better.
Calc also allows you to import sheets from older platforms like BeagleWorks and Lotus 1-2-3. Additionally, you can compare two separate spreadsheets in LibreOffice Calc – a feature that is yet to come to Excel.
This Excel alternative also offers two versions of its interface. The classic version is similar to the older Excel layout. This enables long-term Microsoft Office users to adapt quickly to the program. Alternatively, you can opt for the more modern NotebookBar design.
However, there are some disadvantages of LibreOffice Calc. The software struggles when it comes to displaying advanced chart formats, while this is a staple in Excel. What’s more, exporting generic XML files is a big part of sharing spreadsheets for use elsewhere, and LibreOffice Calc falls short when it comes to exporting this file type.
LibreOffice Calc pros and cons
- Open-source Excel alternative
- Compatible with Microsoft Office products
- Similar features to Excel
- Free templates
- Less features compared to Excel
- Can’t display advanced chart types
5. WPS Office Spreadsheets
WPS Office Spreadsheets is available on all major platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can also access it as an Android or iOS app on your devices.
This is one of the go-to alternatives to Excel for data analysis and visualization features. It offers a similar interface and overall experience to Excel with a word processor, a presentation tool, and spreadsheets. But it comes with a range of PDF applications and data recovery that give it the upper hand.
Additionally, WPS Spreadsheets supports CSV, XSL, and XLSX file formats, so you can open, create and edit spreadsheets just like Microsoft Excel, and then save them as a PDF or in Excel format. The software is also free to install and use except for a few premium features, making it the better alternative price-wise.
But there are some disadvantages to WPS Office Spreadsheets. For instance, we mentioned the program’s availability on all the major platforms. You can also access it via the web. However, the web version comes as part of the entire WPS Office suite. It doesn’t have a standalone version.
In terms of pricing, there’s a free version but it has a lot of ads. For a no-advertising version, WPS Premium will set you back $35.99 per year. The Premium plan also increases the number of viable devices to 3 PCs and 6 mobiles at the same time.
WPS Office Spreadsheets pros and cons
- Excel-like layout
- Great compatibility with some other programs
- Free version
- Supports several file formats
- Modern interface
- Mobile app
- Cloud storage
- Ads in the free version
- Web version is accompanied by the entire Office suite
6. Apache OpenOffice Calc
With millions of users worldwide, Apache Open Office Calc is a tough one to beat.
It has an array of data analysis tools for number crunching, making it a top alternative to Excel for data analysis. It also converts spreadsheets easily into PDFs for file sharing, although it lacks cloud functionality.
Drag and drop is easier with Calc, which might not seem like a big deal but if you’re moving cells frequently, it’s a time saver. Calc also requires semicolons to separate parameters in a function. Again, it’s not a big deal, but something you’ll need to get used to when moving from Excel. The software also uses a different macro programming language to Excel, but you shouldn’t have too much trouble familiarising yourself if you’re used to working with spreadsheets.
There are some disadvantages of Apache OpenOffice Calc. For instance, Calc has plenty of charts for displaying data, but it can’t create fill gradients and has fewer chart types, plus it won’t recommend charts for your specific data, which Excel does.
Apache OpenOffice Calc pros and cons
- A good Excel alternative for data analysis
- Drag and drop is easier with Calc
- Calc is free
- Delete contents option
- Semicolons are needed to separate parameters
- Using a different macro programming language to Excel
- Excel has more charting options
7. Zoho Office Sheet
Zoho Office Sheet is one of the best Excel alternatives for data analysis and large data sets. It offers way more features for you to structure and analyze your data. The program uses artificial intelligence to make sense of your data, providing insightful analysis. While it can be challenging to structure, edit and analyze data in Excel, Zoho simplifies the process with automated tasks.
Zoho also takes collaboration to another level, something that Excel lacks. The platform has a chat function that allows colleagues to communicate efficiently. You can invite up to 25 colleagues to work together on a sheet. This is especially handy if you’re working remotely or with professionals in other parts of the world.
Additionally, you have more control over your data because you can limit access to your various spreadsheets. Not only can you lock down entire files, but you can also restrict access to individual parts of a single sheet. This is all possible because Zoho is a cloud-based platform.
And while we’re on the subject of the cloud, Zoho stores your data as you work. Therefore, you can’t lose valuable work if your devices cut out or get corrupted. The cloud set-up plus the mobile app availability means you and your colleagues have remote access to your data, so you can edit it wherever you are.
This cloud-based Excel alternative offers comparatively less processing power to handle extensive spreadsheets with rows numbering in the tens of thousands. Plus, it’s completely free.
Zoho Sheet pros and cons
- Great Excel alternative for large data sets
- AI-powered data analysis
- Real-time multi-user collaboration
- Chat function
- Cloud storage
- Automated tasks
- Remote access
- Cloud storage
- Fewer features compared to Excel
- Limited processing power for extensive spreadsheet rows
8. Quip Spreadsheets
Quip Spreadsheets are part of its productivity suite and can be used on iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, and on your desktop. You don’t have to choose between documents or spreadsheets because you can combine everything on a single page.
Within your documents, you can embed as many spreadsheets as you want, with support for formulas, more than 400 functions, and a wide variety of data formatting options. Spreadsheets come with plenty of collaborative and social features, including the ability to comment on individual cells in spreadsheets.
Additionally, the software comes with a unique set of custom mobile keyboards that makes it easy to edit even the most complex spreadsheet straight from your phone. When you’re editing a table cell, you can choose between your phone’s keyboard, a numeric keypad, and a specialized formula-editing keyboard.
You can import documents from Microsoft Excel, CSV, and OpenOffice. And you can export spreadsheets to Excel from the settings menu at the top of any document. One of the big downsides is Quip’s per-person pricing which really adds up if you’ve got a bigger team. If you go for Quip Advanced it will cost you a whopping $100 per user, per month.
Quip Spreadsheets pros and cons
- Great Excel alternative for large data sets
- Familiar spreadsheet design
- Collaborative features
- Mobile editor
- Easy to import & export documents
- Not available as a standalone product
- Expensive
Other top Excel alternatives to check out
OnlyOffice
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Best for: Teams seeking a comprehensive office suite with strong Excel compatibility.
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Key features: High compatibility with Microsoft Office formats. Collaborative editing in real-time. Extensive formatting and formula options. Communicate via built-in chat or Telegram. AI helper.
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Best suited for: Businesses looking for an all-in-one office suite that includes powerful spreadsheet capabilities.
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Pricing: Free Startup Cloud version. The Cloud Business version starts at $16 per user/month. Enterprise On-Premises is priced from $7100 per server/lifetime.
Notion
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Best for: Teams and individuals seeking an all-in-one workspace that combines note-taking, project management, and database functionalities.
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Key features: Combines notes, tasks, wikis, and databases in a single, unified platform. Customizable templates. Database functionality. Collaboration tools. Integrates with popular tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Trello.
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Best suited for: Creative teams, startups, and businesses looking for a versatile platform to manage projects, documents, and tasks. Everything new created in Notion is a blank document, without any structure. By contrast, Baserow offers more structure in the form of databases and tables.
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Pricing: Offers a generous free plan. Business plans start at $18.96 per user/month billed monthly.
Airtable
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Best for: Users looking for a cloud-based proprietary platform with spreadsheet-like database functionality.
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Key features: Database and spreadsheet hybrid interface. Extensive integration options with other apps. Collaborative features and rich field types.
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Best suited for: Users looking for an intuitive user interface who are not concerned about tool performance with larger volume of data. Airtable becomes unstable and slower as data and user volume increases.
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Pricing: Free plan available. Team plan starts at $24 per user/month billed monthly. Business plan starts at $54 per user/month billed monthly. Find out more about Airtable’s pricing changes.
Stackby
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Best for: Teams looking for Excel alternatives that combine spreadsheets, databases, and third-party integrations in one platform.
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Key features: Customizable spreadsheet-database hybrid. Pre-built no-code templates. Real-time collaboration and automation. API connectivity to pull data automatically. Mobile app available.
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Best suited for: Organizations that need real-time data syncing from external sources into a spreadsheet-like interface.
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Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $5 per user/month.
SeaTable
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Best for: Users in search of a flexible data management platform with spreadsheet-like functionality.
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Key features: Spreadsheet interface with database capabilities. Rich column types and views, including Kanban and calendar. Strong focus on collaboration and automation.
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Best suited for: Teams looking for Excel alternatives with more advanced data management and collaboration features.
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Pricing: Free version available. Paid plans start at $9.75 per user/month billed monthly.
Apple Numbers
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Best for: Mac users looking for a visually appealing spreadsheet application.
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Key features: Intuitive and clean interface with interactive chart options. iCloud integration for easy sharing and collaboration. Pre-built templates for various uses.
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Best suited for: Individuals and teams using Apple devices who prefer a spreadsheet tool that offers both functionality and design.
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Pricing: Free for macOS and iOS users.
Rows
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Best for: Professionals and businesses seeking an Excel alternative with integrated data tools and collaboration features.
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Key features: Integrated data tools and real-time collaboration Powerful automation. Custom functions and formulas: Embeddable spreadsheets unique to Rows. AI feature.
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Best suited for: Marketing teams, financial analysts, and any professional or organization that relies heavily on data analysis. Suits teams who like to keep an Excel-like user experience and do not need any application building capabilities.
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Pricing: Free plan for basic use. Plus plan priced at $79 per month, billed monthly.
Excel alternatives FAQs
What are the best alternatives to Excel for large datasets?
Baserow is one of the best Excel alternatives for managing large datasets, with features like unlimited databases, rows and storage, along with open-source flexibility, and self-hosted options. Other alternatives include Quip, SeaTable, LibreOffice Calc, and Zoho Office Sheet due to their balance of functionality, ease of use, and scalability.
Are there any open-source Excel alternatives?
Yes, Baserow is an excellent open-source, self-hosted alternative to Excel, offering significant flexibility for those who need to adhere to strict data governance and compliance regulations. OnlyOffice, LibreOffice Calc and Apache OpenOffice Calc also provide open-source solutions, though without the same level of self-hosting options as Baserow.
Which Excel alternative is best for data analysis?
WPS Office Spreadsheets is a good alternative to Excel for data analysis with its visualisation features, word processor, presentation tool, and range of PDF applications and data recovery. Google Sheets offers a wide range of add-ons and integrations with data analysis tools. LibreOfficeCalc supports complex formulas, pivot tables, and macros for in-depth data analysis. Baserow also offers a suite of features for advanced data analysis such as filters and multiple views, along with API access for seamless integration with external data sources and analysis tools.
What are some free Excel alternatives for spreadsheet management?
For those seeking free alternatives, Google Sheets offers a powerful, collaborative platform at no cost. LibreOffice Calc and Apache OpenOffice Calc also provide robust spreadsheet management features for free, while Baserow is open-source and offers a generous free tier with unlimited databases, rows, and storage on its self-hosted plan.
Which alternative to Excel provides the best project management features?
Smartsheet is geared towards project management with features like Gantt charts, Kanban boards, automation, and real-time collaboration tools. SeaTable also offers additional project management features such as task assignments, timelines, and automation. Additionally, Baserow can be used for project management through pre-built templates and custom database creation, allowing for task tracking, data organization, and team collaboration with its API for integrations.
How do Excel alternatives compare in terms of pricing?
Baserow offers the best value for money according to Capterra reviews. LibreOffice is also open-source and entirely free. Airtable’s Business plan starts at $54 per user/month, billed monthly, and can quickly become expensive for teams needing access to premium features or larger databases. Smartsheet provides spreadsheet-like functionalities within a project management tool, starting around $6 per user/month.
Which Microsoft Excel alternatives are best for small businesses and startups?
Rows, SeaTable, and Quip are good choices for small businesses and startups due to their affordability, collaborative features, and the scalability they offer as the business grows. Baserow and Rows both offer no-code platforms that enable custom spreadsheet creation and automation without coding knowledge, making them ideal for teams with varied skill levels.
Can I find a Microsoft Excel alternative with better collaboration tools?
Google Sheets offers real-time collaboration functionality, allowing multiple users to work on a spreadsheet simultaneously. Baserow supports shared views, automated workflows, and integrations to enhance team productivity, along with real-time updates, notifications, and user permission controls. Zoho Office Sheet also offers strong collaboration tools, including real-time editing, commenting, and sharing options, tightly integrated within the Zoho ecosystem.
Are there any no-code platforms similar to Microsoft Excel?
Airtable, SeaTable, and Stackby all offer features that simplify database management and automate workflows without requiring users to code. Baserow no-code platform also provides an open-source, no-code Excel alternative particularly suited for users seeking to manage data efficiently without the complexity of traditional databases, making data management accessible to a broader audience.
What are the best Excel alternatives for large enterprises?
For larger enterprises, Smartsheet and Zoho Office Sheet offer comprehensive project management tools, advanced security features, and extensive integration capabilities. Additionally, Baserow’s open-source and self-hosting capabilities make it the best option for large enterprises that want to maintain full control over their data and adhere to strict security and compliance requirements. Baserow’s scalable architecture can accommodate the growing needs of large enterprises, ensuring that the platform grows with organization. Baserow Enterprise offers advanced role based access control, audit logs, and SSO capabilities.
Baserow vs Microsoft Excel
If you’re evaluating Baserow versus Microsoft Excel and aren’t sure which platform will better satisfy your database needs, then check out the many advantages Baserow has over Excel. While both tools serve essential functions in data management, Baserow stands out with its advanced features, open-source core, and competitive pricing.
Here’s why Baserow stands out as a better choice compared to Microsoft Excel:
- Open-source flexibility: Baserow’s open-source nature means you can tailor the software to your needs, avoiding the restrictions often encountered with proprietary software like Excel.
- Self-hosting for compliance: With Baserow, you have the option to self-host, ensuring adherence to strict data security and governance standards, including GDPR and HIPAA compliance, something not directly offered by Excel.
- Enhanced plugin capabilities: Baserow extends your database functionalities beyond what’s possible with Excel, thanks to its plugin capabilities.
- Scalability: Designed to scale, Baserow can efficiently manage upwards of 500,000+ records, maintaining performance without compromise.
- Automation and integration: Baserow’s API allows for extensive automation, offering greater flexibility than Excel. It integrates with a wide array of tools, including Make, n8n, Bubble, and Zapier, facilitating streamlined workflows.
- Free to modify under the MIT license: Baserow’s MIT license permits users to build software solutions with Baserow, modify and enhance the source code without extra costs, offering freedom that Excel’s closed system does not.
- Intuitive interface: Transitioning from Excel to Baserow is seamless, thanks to its user-friendly, spreadsheet-like interface.
- Community and support: Baserow boasts a supportive community and extensive technical documentation for users.
- Multiple views and collaboration tools: Baserow offers various views like Grid, Calendar, Form, and Kanban, plus real-time collaboration features that Excel’s static spreadsheets lack.
- Application builder module: Unique to Baserow, this feature allows the creation of custom database interfaces, public-facing portals, and data visualization tools, offering capabilities beyond Excel’s scope.
- Better value: In terms of value, Baserow provides more for your investment compared to Excel. Its self-hosted version delivers unlimited rows and databases. Plus, Baserow’s SaaS version significantly exceeds Excel in terms of storage and row capacity.
So, what’s the best alternative to Excel?
Finding the best Excel alternative for your needs ultimately boils down to understanding your specific data management requirements, collaboration needs, and budget constraints. While Excel has long been the go-to spreadsheet software for many, the diverse range of Excel alternatives available today may better suit your project demands. Whether you prioritize open-source flexibility, scalability, enhanced collaboration tools, or no-code database capabilities, there are many solutions to choose from.
Baserow is an ideal solution for those seeking a customizable, scalable, and user-friendly no-code database platform. Its open-source core, self-hosting options, and extensive API for automation and integration make it especially appealing. On the other hand, platforms like Google Sheets might be a better choice for those with basic data management requirements.
When comparing Excel alternatives, consider the size and complexity of your datasets, the level of customization you need, and how your team collaborates. Trial and error with a few selected platforms can also be helpful, as firsthand experience will determine whether a tool fits seamlessly into your workflows. Remember, the best alternative is not about finding a one-size-fits-all solution but rather identifying the software that complements your work processes, enhances productivity, and meets your specific project management and data analysis needs.
Ready to get started? Contact Baserow today!
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