Spreadsheets can do practically anything. They can host your to-do list, help you reach your goals, and lead you to make better decisions. There's almost nothing you can't track using spreadsheet software.
As a writer and builder, spreadsheets are burned into my retina. They hold structured research that I use to write articles like the one you're reading; when building software, they're the standard for showing the content of a database. And whenever there's any kind of reporting to do, rows and columns make it easier to crunch a large amount of data that would otherwise get lost in a regular doc.
I'm sure spreadsheets are burned into your retina too. If you've been hunting for an Excel alternative or are tired of Google Sheets and looking for other free spreadsheet software, dive into my picks for the best spreadsheet apps to find a new take on a classic.
The 9 best spreadsheet apps
Microsoft Excel for powerful data crunching and large data sets
Google Sheets for collaboration
Zoho Sheet for a free, feature-rich solution
LibreOffice Calc for a free, native spreadsheet app
Proton Sheets for data privacy
Zapier Tables for automation and AI orchestration
Smartsheet for project management and other non-spreadsheet tasks
Airtable for database management
Sourcetable for AI features
What makes the best Excel alternative?
How we evaluate and test apps
Our best apps roundups are written by humans who've spent much of their careers using, testing, and writing about software. Unless explicitly stated, we spend dozens of hours researching and testing apps, using each app as it's intended to be used and evaluating it against the criteria we set for the category. We're never paid for placement in our articles from any app or for links to any site—we value the trust readers put in us to offer authentic evaluations of the categories and apps we review. For more details on our process, read the full rundown of how we select apps to feature on the Zapier blog.
For this roundup, I've chosen to look at web and desktop apps since that's how most users interact with spreadsheet data. Some of the apps featured here have mobile versions, but I only considered apps that were accessible outside of mobile as well.
To test all the top spreadsheet tools, I signed up for each one, imported a CSV file, and ran a series of tests—the standard (and sometimes not-so-standard) things you might do with a spreadsheet. Here's what I was looking for as I tested:Â
Formulas and functions. You want a certain level of competency in terms of available functions and formulas. Basic math operations like subtotaling a range or working out average values are present in all of the software featured here.Â
Data filtering and visualization. Similarly, once you have your data in a spreadsheet, you'll likely want to visualize it. All of the solutions featured here offer the ability to create charts and graphs, though the number of choices and formatting options varies.
Advanced features. I'm talking about everything from pivot tables for extracting information from large data sets, to conditional formatting for comparing data and spotting trends, to time-savers like recordable macros. This level of sophistication isn't required, but even some of the free solutions have powerful features like these.
Collaboration. Moving on to nice-to-have features, I looked at the amount of collaboration allowed by each app. Some Excel alternatives include real-time collaboration, while others include version control and in-line commenting. And some don't have any collaboration at all but work great for individual number crunching.
Ease of use. If you're going to be spending a lot of time in a spreadsheet, it should be easy to use and pleasant to look at. I considered user interface (UI) design and overall user experience (UX) while reviewing these apps. After all, we've come a long way since 1979's VisiCalc.
Pricing. Finally, I've chosen the software that demonstrates value, regardless of which price point it targets. There's no expectation that free products will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with pricey subscription models.
I use Google Sheets and Airtable nearly every day; I've used Microsoft Excel and LibreOffice in the past; and I've tested Smartsheet and Zoho Sheets for past writing projects. I augmented my experience with up-to-date research and an extra round of hands-on testing for these apps, as well as for every other one you're about to discover.
The best spreadsheet software at a glance
| Best for | Standout feature | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
Powerful data crunching and large data sets | Manipulating and displaying data with powerful filters and pivot tables | Free plan available; personal subscriptions start at $8.33/month | |
Collaboration | Dragging and dropping rows instead of cutting and pasting | Free version available; business accounts start at $7/user/month | |
A free, feature-rich solution | Automated chart and pivot table suggestions | Free | |
A native spreadsheet app | User-friendly interface | Free | |
Data privacy | Zero-knowledge encryption | Free | |
Automation and AI orchestration | Built-in automations and AI actions that trigger from spreadsheet data changes | Free plan available; starts at $19.99/month | |
Project management and other tasks | Vast library of project management templates | Starts at $9/user/month | |
Database management | Flexibility and extensive use cases | Free version available; starts at $20/seat/month | |
AI features | Natural language is the primary interface | Free with 50 monthly credits; starts at $29/user/month |
Best spreadsheet software for powerful data crunching and large data sets
Microsoft Excel (Web, Windows, Mac, Android, iOS)
Microsoft Excel pros:
The gold standard for spreadsheet software
Imports CSV files seamlessly and creates a banded row table instantly
Microsoft Excel cons:
Web version not as powerful as the desktop version
Microsoft Excel is the quintessential spreadsheet app. Introduced in 1987, Excel has been a mainstay of the Microsoft Office suite since 1995. Excel sets the benchmark for other spreadsheets, and it's a dream to work with. It imported my test CSV file seamlessly and created a banded row table instantly.
Excel offers more functions and features than any other spreadsheet software. It can handle more extensive spreadsheets, too, with a maximum cell count of 17,179,869,184—in case that ever comes up. If you're dealing with huge data sets, Excel will handle it better than the competition. Functions like INDEX-MATCH let you isolate records from a large range, and powerful filters at the top of each column make it easy to display data how you want.
Manipulating data with pivot tables and adding charts is also straightforward. In addition to an exhaustive list of functions, Excel pioneered features like conditional formatting and pivot tables. You can record your own macros or use Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to vastly speed up your workflow with one-click scripts. If you're not looking for something that can handle VBA or macros—or you don't even know what those are—you probably don't need to invest in Excel.
The interface has evolved over the years, too, with a customizable Quick Access toolbar for pinning useful functions you need to access often. The ability to use a native app means that calculations take place on your local machine, rather than having to be sent to a server first. This allows for better performance compared to web-only options like Google Sheets.
And with the advent of Copilot, Microsoft's AI, you'll be able to do even more with your data, such as generating formula column suggestions, automatically creating charts and pivot tables, and highlighting interesting information. Open the side tab, send your first prompt, and interact with your spreadsheet with the agent in natural language.
If you choose Excel, you can connect it to thousands more apps with Zapier's Excel integration. This way, you can orchestrate workflows layered with AI at every step to keep your data flowing across your organization. For example, you can capture new leads from a form, add them to an Excel sheet, and update matching records in your CRM. Or you can access and act on your Excel data directly from your AI assistant. Discover more ways to automate Microsoft Excel.
Microsoft Excel pricing: Free web version with limited features. For the desktop app and full feature set, the Microsoft 365 Personal plans start at $8.33/month (billed annually, Copilot included). Microsoft Business plans start at $7/user/month (billed annually, Copilot not included).Â
If you're a Mac user, you might consider Apple Numbers, mainly because it's free—it comes pre-installed on your Mac when you buy it. Numbers is a capable spreadsheet app with a user-friendly tilt. It offers real-time collaboration, can create beautiful charts and graphs, and comes with enough templates to get you started for most common office tasks. Unlike Excel, Numbers cannot handle huge data sets, and it lacks many of the advanced features of Microsoft's app. There's a definite emphasis on presentation and less on data manipulation. But it makes up for it with a simple user interface and an unbeatable price tag. That said, Google Sheets and Zoho Sheet are also free and offer more spreadsheet functionality, which is why Numbers didn't quite make the list here.
Best spreadsheet app for collaboration
Google Sheets (Web, iOS, Android)
Google Sheets pros:
The ability to drag and drop rows instead of cutting and pasting
Real-time collaboration and version history outshine Excel
Google Sheets cons:
Pivot table creation isn't quite as refined as Excel
Google Sheets gives Excel a run for its money in terms of name recognition—and it's free to use.
Like any Google product, it's tightly integrated with all the other Google apps you use, including Google Analytics, Data Studio, and Google Forms. For example, you can quickly populate a spreadsheet with data from a web form—by clicking Tools > Create a new form—or turn your spreadsheet data into advanced visualizations via Data Studio. Web admins can import Google Analytics data straight into their documents and then use the data to build charts or track trends.
Importing the test CSV file was good—but not quite as polished as Excel—and you can manipulate data with filters, conditional formatting, and pivot tables. But the pivot table creation isn't quite as polished as Excel. Yes, I'm being picky here, but I think this is the fine line between free and paid apps.
You can also create an impressive array of charts and graphs that update in real-time, including sparkline charts for creating at-a-glance graphs within a single cell. In addition to the usual mathematical and logical functions, you'll get a few Google-specific functions, like GOOGLETRANSLATE for translating cell contents and GOOGLEFINANCE for fetching real-time securities information.Â
Gemini's AI features add a new layer of capabilities, letting you chat with your spreadsheets or build charts. One unique feature is the =AI() formula: when you add a prompt and a cell range, you can run that prompt across every selected cell, making it great for running quick summarization or sentiment analysis without resorting to an external chatbot.
You can connect Google Sheets with Zapier to orchestrate AI-powered workflows that tie your spreadsheets into wider business operations. For example, you can automatically log new Stripe transactions in a sheet, use AI to categorize expenses or revenue, and sync the data into an accounting platform for reconciliation. Here are even more ways to automate Google Sheets, including ways to access and act on your Google Sheets data directly from your AI chatbot.
Google Sheets pricing: Free for anyone with a Google Account; available for business users (via Google Workspace) starting at $7/user/month (billed annually)
Best free Excel alternative
Zoho Sheet (Web, Windows, Mac, Android, iOS)
Zoho Sheet pros:
Automatically suggests various AI-powered insights, charts, and pivot tables
Filter and view data without disturbing collaborators with user-level filters
Zoho Sheet cons:
Occasional slight glitches in the server response, which you don't get with Google Sheets
Google Sheets may be the most popular spreadsheet web app, but Zoho Sheet has more features, and it's also completely free. It's the best free Excel alternative, if you're looking for the most powerful solution.
It has a similar look and feel to Google Sheets, so it wouldn't take long to make the switch and become familiar with its functionality. Like Excel, Zoho Sheet really packs in the features, with over 350 functions available, which is more than Google offers. Zoho Sheet also now ships as a native desktop app for Windows and macOS, so you can edit files offline and online without leaving your desktop, closing one of the last gaps that used to set Excel apart.
There's support for advanced functions like conditional formatting, pivot tables, and data validation. You can incorporate data from external sources by clicking Data > Link External Data and then uploading a CSV file, RSS or Atom feed, or web page. You can then control how often Zoho Sheet queries the source for updates.
I liked how easy it was to create charts and get insights with the AI-powered data assistant, Zia. For example, it automatically built quarterly pivot tables and charts from my imported CSV file. You can also filter and view data without disturbing collaborators with user-level filters and save them for quick access later.
Like Zoho's other products, Sheet includes real-time collaboration via the Share menu. Click the chat box at the bottom of the window to discuss the task at hand, or leave Google-style comments. Managing sharing permissions is easy, and you can publish your whole spreadsheet or specific ranges on the web.
To do even more with Zoho Sheet, connect it to Zapier, so you can orchestrate workflows that connect your data with the rest of your business tools. For example, you can log customer support tickets into Zoho Sheet, use AI to classify urgency and sentiment, and create follow-up tasks in your help desk tool—automatically or directly from your AI assistant.
Zoho Sheet pricing: Free for everyone to use; Zoho Workplace paid plans that include Zoho Sheet start at $3/user/month (billed annually), also unlocking access to other Zoho office apps.
Best free spreadsheet software for a native app experience
LibreOffice Calc (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android)
LibreOffice Calc pros:
Versatile Excel lookalike
Imports data effortlessly
LibreOffice Calc ons:
No real-time collaboration or chat
LibreOffice Calc is a basic Excel alternative with all the functionality you'd expect from a native modern spreadsheet app on a budget. It's part of the free and open source LibreOffice productivity suite, which began life as a fork of OpenOffice. It's a great alternative to Google Sheets if you're looking for something that runs natively on your Mac, Windows, or Linux desktop.
In practice, LibreOffice Calc feels like an old version of Excel: you can opt for the previous, standard Excel look or the current, tabbed Excel look. Alternatively, there's a sidebar option or a slim contextual single bar. Either way, you immediately feel the app will be easy to use.
You can customize the entire interface to display only the functions you're interested in, and there's a full set of keyboard controls for navigating the app quickly. LibreOffice is very user-friendly, with native support for Excel files and a healthy number of templates to save time.
Just because Calc is free and open source doesn't mean it's light on features. Like Excel and Sheets, Calc offers a relatively robust list of supported functions. And in addition to features like conditional formatting and pivot tables, it has a tool called DataPilot. This allows you to pull in raw data from databases and repurpose it in your own spreadsheets. LibreOffice Calc will handle extensive data sets better than web-based spreadsheet apps, but it still comes up short compared to Excel.
You can use LibreOffice's chart wizard to create graphs and diagrams from your data. There are a decent number of charts available, but they don't look as impressive as some of the other apps on this list. You can also share spreadsheets on a shared server if you want to collaborate, but there's no real-time chat since it's a native install.
LibreOffice Calc pricing: Free
Best free Excel alternative for data privacy
Proton Sheets (Web)
Proton Sheets pros:
Zero-knowledge encryption; not even Proton can read your spreadsheet data
Free to use, with formulas, sorting, filtering, and charts covering everyday spreadsheet needs
Proton Sheets cons:
No pivot tables, macros, or scripting
Worried that someone might end up snooping on your data? If data privacy is the reason you're shopping around for new spreadsheet software, Proton Sheets is your best bet. Released in December 2025 by Proton, the Swiss company behind Proton Mail, it's built around end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption. No one, not even anyone at Proton, can access your data.
The user experience is very similar to Google Sheets. The formulas have the same names and work similarly to the ones in Excel, so there's nothing to learn. You get the core toolkit—SUM, AVERAGE, IF, lookups, and more—along with sorting, filtering, conditional formatting, and charts. If you're an Excel power user, you'll notice the lack of support for pivot tables or scripting, and performance will suffer on extremely large data sets; that's the tax of cloud plus tight encryption methods at play.
Collaboration is built in: you can work on the same spreadsheet with others in real time, and recipients can view a shared sheet without needing a Proton account of their own (editing requires a free account). Sharing supports viewer, commenter, and editor permission levels, and access can be revoked at any time. Everything is encrypted end-to-end as you work, so as long as collaborator machines aren't compromised, you're safe.
Proton Sheets is included free with a Proton Free account (5GB storage), and it comes bundled into every paid Proton Drive plan and the Proton Workspace business plan—so you're not paying extra for it on top of an existing Proton subscription. While the product is still in its early stage, it was thoroughly tested before being fully released, and Proton's team is extremely thoughtful about every product.
One important note on productivity and automation: due to Proton Sheet's high data privacy standards and the fact that it's relatively new, it doesn't currently offer webhooks or API integrations. Building these features into a product with encryption as a main feature is extremely complicated. If you absolutely need data flowing in and out of your spreadsheets, take a look at other options on the list.
Proton Sheets pricing: Free with a Proton Free account. Included in all paid Proton Drive plans ($3.99/month, billed annually).
Best spreadsheet software for AI orchestration
Zapier Tables (Web)
Zapier Tables pros:
Governs data access and workflow actions in one place
Built-in automation—trigger actions across 9,000+ apps from a table row change
Structured fields and logic-first design built for operational use cases
Zapier Tables cons:
No native charting or advanced formulas (yet)
Like other tools on this list, Zapier Tables lets you create, sort, and filter rows of structured data. But where it really shines is in its ability to connect that data to actions. Need to automatically update CRM records, assign tasks based on form entries, or trigger entire workflows from a single row update? Tables was built for exactly that.
Get started by building your spreadsheet from scratch, or import your CSV to get a clean, readable layout with customizable field types like dropdowns, checkboxes, and dates. From there, set up automated workflows that trigger actions in other apps—without writing a line of code. For example, when the "Status" column is marked "Approved," Zapier can automatically send a Slack message and create a new task in your project management software of choice. Or, when a new row is added with a prospect's contact info, Zapier can enrich the data using a lead enrichment tool, score the lead based on your lead scoring specifications and AI input, and send qualified leads directly to Pipedrive—all in seconds.
Zapier Tables also includes versioning, comments, and user permissions, making it team-friendly. And while it doesn't have native pivot tables or complex charting (yet)—it's intended to be more of a database than a spreadsheet—its strength lies in orchestrating AI-powered workflows, not crunching massive data sets.
And with Zapier MCP, you can give your AI assistant direct access to your Tables data—querying records, triggering workflows, and taking action across 9,000 apps straight from Claude, ChatGPT, or any other AI assistant. If your idea of a spreadsheet is a data management system that powers the rest of your work, start here.
Zapier Tables pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $19.99/month, including Zap workflows and Forms.
Best Excel alternative for project management (and other tasks)
Smartsheet (Web, Android, iOS)
Smartsheet pros:
The most spreadsheet-like project management software
Rich library of project management templates
Smartsheet cons:
Requires premium add-on for pivot tables
Not everyone uses spreadsheets just for crunching numbers. If you use spreadsheets to keep track of projects or manage progress reports, then Smartsheet is likely your best option. It's the most spreadsheet-like project management software out there.
On the surface, there's a table-like interface, a database of common functions, and a simple, no-frills UI from which to work. Dive a little deeper, and you'll get the full picture. With a rich library of templates that you can modify, the use case options are surprisingly robust.
Say you were planning a product launc ˙˙ h: you could take the existing project management template and customize it to your needs, add tasks and due dates in Gantt view, and then monitor task assignments using the card view. You could even use the calendar view to see your important launch dates in a calendar-like interface. And you can create a dashboard full of charts without having to look at any raw data.Â
It's everything you'd expect from a project management app, but at the core is a spreadsheet. You get all the essential spreadsheet formulas and functions, plus some advanced features like conditional formatting. If you want to use pivot tables on large data sets, you'll need to export the data to another spreadsheet app or use the premium Pivot App add-on. Smartsheet also leaned hard into AI, rolling out tools and agents for building workspaces, automating tasks, and getting AI-generated insights without leaving your sheet.
Collaboration is core to Smartsheet. Use the handy Alerts & Actions for notifications and approvals if necessary. Plus, Smartsheet allows for collaboration with external stakeholders, like clients or investors, so you can easily share results in a dashboard without having to uncover the inner workings of your operation. It's a clean way of presenting information.
Of course, you can use Smartsheet like a regular spreadsheet app—but its potential feels wasted when used in this manner. If you want to do even more, connect Smartsheet with Zapier, so you can orchestrate workflows that tie project data into your broader business systems. For example, when a new row is added to track project progress, you can update milestones in your CRM, create follow-up tickets in your help desk tool, and log updates in a reporting dashboard. You can also securely access and act on Smartsheet data, and 9,000+ other apps, directly from your AI assistants.
Smartsheet pricing: Premium plans start from $9/user/month (billed annually) for up to 10 members and unlimited contributors.
The best spreadsheet-like database software
Airtable (Web, Android, iOS)
Airtable pros:
Build apps on top of your spreadsheets
Adds various views of data, not just a typical grid
Airtable cons:
Can't change fonts or sizes
Airtable isn't spreadsheet software: it's a relational database platform using a spreadsheet interface. But don't be scared off—it's as easy to use as a spreadsheet. Maybe even easier. Airtable refers to its "spreadsheets" as bases, which should give you some idea of the product's intended use. There's some basic spreadsheet functionality in there, but it's not accessed in the usual way.
There are a lot of templates included with Airtable to help you visualize what the product is capable of. These include product planning flowcharts, product launch checklists, sales and CRM solutions, and even video production storyboards. It's a bit like Smartsheet in that it's aimed at all the other things people use spreadsheets for. The difference here is that Airtable is designed with the database use case in mind.Â
The default Airtable view is a grid, which looks much like a typical spreadsheet, where columns are "fields" and rows are "records." When you click on a row, you can view the fields for the entire record. Each field is massively customizable, too. You can't change fonts or sizes, but you can select from various options, including checkbox, date, URL, and bar code. Other views include calendar, timeline, Gantt, and Kanban, so there's something for every scenario.
You can still do many of the same things you would use a spreadsheet for, like using formulas, looking up records in your base, applying conditional statements, and summarizing values. Plus, with Airtable extensions, you can even create charts and pivot tables. But you can also do non-spreadsheet things, like embed content from another web page into a dashboard you've made or manage an editorial workflow and collaborate with teammates. (The Zapier team uses it for that exact purpose.)
Since its database lean is so strong, Airtable has been slowly drifting toward the app builder category. After you upload your spreadsheets and set up a few views, the next step is to wrap it into an app, creating forms for data intake and screens to display that data, providing easy links to access these pages via the main menu. The Omni engine makes this process even easier, as it uses AI to configure new apps from a prompt or based on your data.
Don't come to Airtable looking for just another Excel alternative. Instead, use Airtable as a springboard for realizing many of the tasks you wish your other spreadsheet app could do. And with Zapier's Airtable integration, you can connect Airtable to thousands of other apps and orchestrate workflows that tie data to execution—automatically or directly from your AI chatbot. Learn more about how to automate Airtable.
Airtable pricing: Free plan available; premium plans from $20/seat/month (billed annually) for 50,000 records/base, 20GB/base, and 15,000 AI credits per seat.
Best spreadsheet software for AI features
Sourcetable (Web)
Sourcetable pros:
Natural language as the primary interface, with familiar spreadsheet tools as the fallback
40+ built-in data connectors (Stripe, Notion, GA4, Facebook Ads, PostgreSQL, BigQuery) without extra setup
Sourcetable cons:
Struggles on performance at scale
The creator of spreadsheets couldn't imagine that one day we'd be talking to LLMs and manipulating massive amounts of data across a dozen sources. That's why most AI implementations in other apps happen after the fact, feeling like a bolted-on feature rather than the main course. Not in Sourcetable: it treats AI as a native capability instead of the cool new bandwagon every app has to be on.
It starts with the table stakes of what AI should bring to a spreadsheet app: you can ask to generate formulas in natural language instead of getting lost in documentation. When your data set is ready, you can select a data range and ask for a chart, which Sourcetable provides after a bit of thinking and tinkering time.
But the biggest difference is how the AI agent sits as an interaction layer in its own right, not just a copilot. It can summarize insights, answer any questions you have based on your data, and support your decision-making as you keep prompting. If you're missing critical data, the Deep Research tool can go into the web to find the information you're looking for, such as market trends or competitive data, without you ever leaving the platform.
If the data isn't on the web at large, but instead locked safely in Salesforce, a beefy Supabase instance, or a rich Google Analytics account, Sourcetable can go get it too. It connects to over 40 data sources, with live sync available, so the data keeps refreshing as you chat with AI. This is much better than keeping a bunch of open tabs or going on an export-plus-consolidation tour every time you need to see the big picture.
Sourcetable pricing: Free (Regular) tier with 50 monthly credits; Pro at $29/user/month (2,000 credits, adds Deep Research, Python/data-science toolkit, SQL editor). Max at $100/user/month (6,000 credits, unlimited AI messages). Unlimited data connectors included on all paid tiers.
Which Excel alternative should you use?
Excel is the undisputed powerhouse of the spreadsheet world, but it can be overkill for many common tasks. Google Sheets should be your next stop, or if you're looking for a Google Sheets alternative, try Zoho Sheet. If you want a native application rather than a browser solution, LibreOffice Calc is your best bet. Airtable and Smartsheet, on the other hand, are entirely different beasts, allowing you to do things most spreadsheet apps can't. Sourcetable is the pick when you want to pull a lot of data into one place and explore it by chatting with AI. And finally, Proton Sheets is your data-encrypted privacy solution.
Most apps listed here come with a free version, so you can get a feel for what they offer before investing in the premium version. Whichever you choose, make sure to explore it in depth so you don't miss out on any of the features.
And if your needs lean less spreadsheet and more database, go with Zapier Tables, an automation-first database tool that lets you store, organize, and take action on your important data.
Related reading:
This article was originally published in January 2016 by Matthew Guay and has also had contributions from Timothy Brookes and David Hartshorne. The most recent update was in July 2026.
