8 Best Google Sheets Alternatives for Businesses

Google Sheets is the go-to spreadsheet tool for countless users around the world. Part of Google’s free, web-based Google Docs Editors suite, it lets you create, edit and collaborate on spreadsheets in real time through any PC, tablet or mobile.

Used by businesses of all sizes, the program has lots of great features like built-in templates, pivot tables and conditional formatting. No special software is required to create spreadsheets directly in your browser. And because it’s cloud-based, your files are accessible immediately from anywhere.

But despite its benefits, there are some disadvantages to working with Google Sheets. Read on to find out more about why some companies don’t use the software, and what the best Google Sheets alternatives are for teams and businesses.

• Baserow
• Microsoft Excel
• Zoho Sheet
• Apache OpenOffice Calc
• Airtable
• Jotform Tables
• Clickup
• LibreOffice

Why you need an alternative to Google Sheets

While it’s widely used, Google Sheets has some downsides for business. It can be complicated and difficult to grasp for beginners in your team. And loading times can be slow, especially when working with a few hundred rows of data.

Not only are there some limitations in terms of how much data you can work with. There are also limits to what you can do with it. If you handle large volumes of data and you require lots of formulas, then you might need to look at the best alternatives to Google Sheets.

From a spreadsheet perspective, some businesses will not use Google Sheets for any projects requiring more than listing raw data. In terms of features and functionality, some users say that the software falls short of Microsoft Excel and other top alternatives such as Baserow, Zoho Sheet and Clickup.

Is there anything better than Google Sheets?

Yes, there are lots of other options that are better than Google Sheets. Our top pick has to be Baserow, which offers some similar functionalities, but much more scope for non-technical teams and businesses to build, customize and manage their online database.

Microsoft Excel is also considered to be better than Google Sheets for business use. It lets you create, format and share spreadsheets easily. But Excel can be prone to human error which can result in losses for businesses.

Want to find out more about the best alternatives to Google Sheets? Read on for the best options to help you supercharge your spreadsheets in 2023.

Top Google Sheets alternatives for teams & businesses

1. Baserow

Hailed as the best open source alternative to Google Sheets, Baserow offers some awesome features on its hosted and self hosted plans. The user-friendly platform makes it possible for individuals and businesses to build applications collaboratively, quickly and efficiently.

It’s a no-code tool, meaning you can create workable applications without any technical experience. It organises all of your data into tables that are easy to create, collaborate on and look through. And because it’s API-first, it can be easily integrated with an array of tools.

Import an existing file or use one of Baserow’s many templates, then drag and drop your files to tables, make fast calculations, and create relationships between tables by linking them together. Collaboration is easy thanks to link sharing and comments. Plus you can visualise and customise your data using a variety of gallery and kanban views.

Compared to Google Sheets, Baserow spreadsheets are super fast. You can easily work with 100,000+ rows per table without any problems. It also lets you build your own public form, share it with the world and have responses sync to your tables in real time.

Perfect if you’re working with big volumes of data, Baserow’s full-featured platform is built for scaling, speed and stability.

Features, pros and cons

• Easy to build, expand and customise database
• Collaborate in real-time
• Impressive data management features and formulas
• Gallery and kanban views
• API-first for easy integration with other tools
• Build and share public forms
• Good for large volumes of data
• Hosted and self hosted plans with free option.
• $5 Premium plan, $20 Advanced plan

Try Baserow

2. Microsoft Excel

Like Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel is one of the better-known spreadsheet applications out there. It is a great tool for getting meaning out of large volumes of data. It also works well for simple calculations and tracking all kinds of information.

The software is similar in that they both have good core features. Google Sheets offers more in the way of collaboration, but the processing speed of Excel is faster, making it better if you’re dealing with high volumes of data.

Microsoft Excel has more data visualisation options, and its formulas are more customizable with features like pivot tables and array formulas. If your business requires more functionality for calculations and analysis, then Excel is the better option.

Overall, Excel is a good Google Sheets alternative, but you’ll need a Microsoft subscription to get it. It has more advanced functions, it’s faster and its charting options are superior. Although some users say it’s difficult to use, and collaboration is harder.

Features, pros and cons

• Some advanced functions like XLOOKUP
• Can work with large volumes of data
• Better for calculations and analysis
• Good features like pivot tables and array formulas
• Not designed for collaborative work
• No free version
• Prone to human error
• Not open source
• Steep learning curve

Try Microsoft Excel

3. Zoho Sheet

Zoho Sheet is a free online spreadsheet application that makes it easy for users to create, edit, share and collaborate on spreadsheets. It’s a blessing for those who want easy-to-use software, making it ideal for casual and professional users alike.

A good free alternative to Google Sheets, it offers everything you need all in one place. CRM, email marketing, chat, accounting and much more. It also offers some powerful reporting and analytics tools that help translate data into valuable and actionable reports.

When comparing the two solutions, some users found Zoho Sheet easier to use. It comes with a handy AI-powered assistant called Zia who can help you understand and manage your data. She can fetch information, take notes as you dictate, predict outcomes of sales activities, automate mundane tasks, and much more.

Features, pros and cons

• Designed with collaboration in mind
• Track projects using checklists
• Good automation features
• Create your own functions
• Comes with a personal data analyst
• Timesheet can be confusing
• The shortcut keys are different from other mainstream services
• Free plan has limited features

Try Zoho Sheet

4. Apache OpenOffice Calc

The successor to OpenOffice.org, Open Office Calc is an electronic spreadsheet program that offers six applications; word processor, spreadsheets, presentations, diagrams, databases and formulas. Of all the Google Sheets alternatives mentioned, this is the better option for individuals and small businesses.

Newbies find it easy to get the hang of, while professionals appreciate advanced features like DataPilot, which lets you pull in raw data from corporate databases, and then cross-tabulate, summarise and convert it into meaningful information.

Its Intelligent Sum Button inserts a sum function or a subtotal automatically, depending on context. And its Wizards feature guides you through the process of using advanced spreadsheet functions. There’s also a good range of templates for ready-made spreadsheet solutions.

Features, pros and cons

• Open source and free
• Supports a variety of formats
• Intuitive and easy to use
• Good formatting and calculation tools
• User interface is basic
• No cloud save options available
• Does not allow upgrades
• Not the best solution for large or complex documents
• Doesn’t integrate well with third-party software

Try Apache OpenOffice Calc

5. Airtable

Airtable allows you to create and customise a database that’s packed with the data that matters for your business. It has the familiar rows and columns of a spreadsheet, but it’s more colourful than Google Sheets and it offers heaps more in terms of functionality.

Unlike traditional spreadsheet software, Airtable behaves like a database, letting you link records across tables and create connections across your data. You can input dates, attachments, single selects and more. And features like kanban and calendar views are great for collaboration.

Google Sheets has a free version with a 10M record limit and up to 100 collaborators. In comparison, Airtable has a free model which is limited to only 5 collaborators. After that, it can get expensive depending on the plan you choose.

If you’re looking for Google Sheets alternatives on a comparable level to Airtable, we actually think Baserow is the better option. It offers many similar features but it’s better value for money.

Top features, pros and cons

• Easy to use interface
• Good collaboration features
• Customize how you view and organise data
• Add over 30 pre-built applications
• Choose from many templates
• Free plan is limited
• Can be expensive
• Running mathematical equations can be complex
• Baserow is better

Try Airtable

6. Jotform Tables

Jotform Tables is an ideal alternative for when Google Sheets just isn’t enough for your team. This spreadsheet-database hybrid lets you collect and organise online data, collaborate with your teams and manage your workflow, all in one easy-to-use workspace.

Tables are easy to edit and share, letting you easily set up formulas, filters and colour-coded labels to keep your data organised. As well as searching, organising and sharing your data, the software offers plenty of view types, integrations, free templates and ready-made formulas and column types.

It also comes with a built-in online form builder, making it possible to do things like collect online payments, contact details, survey data and more, then get responses automatically synced to your Jotform Tables ready for you and your team to use.

Jotform Tables is available on every Jotform plan. The free Starter plan comes with 5 forms, 100 monthly submissions and 100MB of available space. Paid plans start at $39 per month and up to $129 per month, with 1 user per team.

Features, pros and cons

• Create online forms for data collection
• Easily import data or add it manually
• Organise data with ready-made column types
• Sync responses from connected forms
• A wide range of templates
• Visualise data in different formats
• Customer service isn’t rated highly
• Some users report duplicate entries on forms
• Lots of functionalities can be overwhelming
• Expensive
• Only 1 user per team

Try Jotform Tables

7. Clickup

If you like fun spreadsheets then you’re going to love Clickup. It lets you create and manage your work all in one place, with great features for tasks, docs, chat, goals and more.

While Google Sheets is a good way to edit and manage data, Clickup has heaps more functionality to help you plan projects, arrange tasks, make complex calculations, and switch between useful views such as kanban boards, calendars, lists and Gantt views.

Comments and chat make it easy to collaborate in real time. And offline mode means that you can work whenever you want, even without the internet. It has lots of shortcuts to help you work more efficiently, with more than 50 automation to reduce repetitive tasks.

Clickup integrates easily with popular work software like Zoom, Slack, Zapier and more. But, there are some downsides such as no dashboard export feature, and limited views on the mobile app.

Features, pros and cons

• See tasks and details clearly on a grid
• Make simple and complex calculations
• A variety of views for visualising data
• Comments and chat view for collaboration
• Shortcuts, reminders and automation
• Easy to integrate with popular work tools
• The interface takes some getting used to
• View of boards can be chaotic
• Takes work to optimise for different processes
• It can be slow to use
• Desktop version has less resources than online

Try Clickup

8. LibreOffice

This free, open source office suite works on Linux, Windows and Mac operating systems. It requires no internet to use and is a good alternative to Google Sheets and paid office suites. From its clean interface, you can access an array of word processing, presentation and spreadsheet tools. With the ability to open and save documents in many other formats.

Ideal for individuals and small businesses who want free, downloadable tools, LibreOffice is continually updated with new improvements. It doesn’t offer any communication or collaboration tools. Nor does it offer cloud storage. However, it’s a good option if your internet access is spotty or unavailable.

Top features, pros and cons

• A good set of office tools
• Spreadsheets look similar to Google Sheets
• Can be downloaded on unlimited devices
• A good desktop solution
• Not suited to large businesses
• Could do with collaboration features
• Looks outdated

Try LibreOffice

Are you interested in Baserow as an alternative?

Baserow offers much more than just spreadsheets. Our open source, no code platform can be optionally installed on your own server, meaning there’s no vendor lock in. Plus it is API-first, so you can easily integrate it with any software you need.

It’s the best alternative to Google Sheets if you’re looking for a spreadsheet-database hybrid that’s comparable to the likes of Airtable and other big online database providers. Take a look at our pricing. Or get started with our free trial today!

Other useful resources:

• The Best Airtable Alternatives

• What is Baserow?

• The No-Code Landscape