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Microsoft Excel alternatives: 8 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Microsoft Excel: windows desktop is the most complete; Mac and web lag on some features, and large workbooks get slow and are easy to break. We ranked 8 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Microsoft Excel, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Google Sheets currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Google Sheets logoGoogle SheetsFreeNoWeb, iOS, Android3 of 366.5
2Apple Numbers logoApple NumbersFree plan + paidNomacOS, iOS, Web4 of 459.6
3Zoho Sheet logoZoho SheetFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +23 of 357.2
4ONLYOFFICE logoONLYOFFICEOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +45 of 555.3
5Airtable logoAirtableFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +24 of 438.6
  1. Google Sheets logo

    1. Google SheetsTop pick

    Best for: Teams sharing trackers, budgets and lists that several people update

    FreeWeb, iOS, Android

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Microsoft Excel

    Free and browser-based with the easiest real-time collaboration on shared sheets.

    Pros

    • Live multi-user editing and cell comments with no file passing
    • Free, with Apps Script automation and many add-ons
    • Edits Excel files directly

    Cons

    • Slows down noticeably with large datasets
    • No equivalent to Excel's Power Query or VBA
    • Offline use needs Chrome or Edge
    Visit Google Sheets Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Google Sheets a good Microsoft Excel alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    Anyone with a Google account
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Offline mode
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Excel files
    Convert or edit directly
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Apple Numbers logo

    2. Apple Numbers

    Best for: Apple users building budgets, trackers and good-looking reports

    Free plan + paidmacOS, iOS, Web

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Microsoft Excel

    Free on Apple devices, with a canvas layout that suits budgets and simple reports.

    Pros

    • Free and preinstalled on Apple devices
    • Canvas layout makes presentable reports easy
    • Exports to Excel, CSV and PDF

    Cons

    • Struggles with large datasets
    • No macros and limited advanced analysis
    • No native Windows or Android app
    Visit Apple Numbers Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Apple Numbers a good Microsoft Excel alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Price
    Included with new Apple devices
    Checked Oct 25, 2026support.apple.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Mac, iPad, iPhone, Vision Pro
    Checked Oct 25, 2026support.apple.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Export formats
    Excel, CSV, PDF
    Checked Oct 25, 2026apple.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Web version
    Numbers for iCloud
    Checked Oct 25, 2026apple.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Zoho Sheet logo

    3. Zoho Sheet

    Best for: Teams wanting a free shared spreadsheet with AI data cleanup and offline apps

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Microsoft Excel

    Free online spreadsheet with AI data cleaning and offline apps.

    Pros

    • Free, with real-time collaboration
    • AI assistant for cleaning data and building charts
    • Offline-capable apps on desktop and mobile

    Cons

    • Smaller template and add-on ecosystem than Sheets or Excel
    • Complex Excel workbooks don't convert fully
    • Best value only if you use other Zoho apps
    Visit Zoho Sheet Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Zoho Sheet a good Microsoft Excel alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Offline mode
    Windows, macOS, Android, iOS apps
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
    AI features
    AI-assisted data cleaning
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. ONLYOFFICE logo

    4. ONLYOFFICE

    Best for: Teams wanting self-hosted, Office-compatible editing inside Nextcloud or similar

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Microsoft Excel

    Open-source spreadsheet editor with an Excel-like interface and strong .xlsx support.

    Pros

    • Very close .docx/.xlsx/.pptx compatibility
    • Free desktop editors on Windows, macOS and Linux
    • Self-hostable server that integrates with Nextcloud, ownCloud and others

    Cons

    • Free community server has limits on simultaneous connections
    • Many editions and product names make choosing confusing
    • Advanced features sit in paid Enterprise editions
    Visit ONLYOFFICE Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is ONLYOFFICE a good Microsoft Excel alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    AGPLv3 (core of Docs)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Desktop platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    DocSpace Startup, up to 3 admins
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business price
    $20 per admin/month (DocSpace)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Integrations
    Nextcloud, ownCloud, Seafile, SharePoint
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Airtable logo

    5. Airtable

    Best for: Non-technical teams that want a flexible shared database with a large template and integration ecosystem

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

    38.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Microsoft Excel

    Move tracking spreadsheets into linked tables with views, forms and automations.

    Pros

    • Easy to learn for anyone comfortable with spreadsheets
    • Linked records, rollups and many views make real relational setups possible
    • Interfaces let you give colleagues tailored screens instead of raw tables
    • Large ecosystem of templates, integrations and community answers

    Cons

    • Per-seat pricing gets expensive as more people need edit access
    • Record and automation limits per base can force workarounds
    • No self-hosting option, so data lives only in Airtable's cloud
    Visit Airtable Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.37
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Airtable a good Microsoft Excel alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026airtable.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Team plan
    $20 per user/month billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026airtable.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business plan
    $45 per user/month billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026airtable.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Billing basis
    Per seat
    Checked Oct 25, 2026airtable.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Microsoft Excel alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Google Sheets logo

Best Microsoft Excel alternative for most people

Google Sheets

Free and browser-based with the easiest real-time collaboration on shared sheets.

LibreOffice logo

Best Microsoft Excel alternative for a free option

LibreOffice

LibreOffice Calc is a free desktop spreadsheet that opens most .xlsx files.

Apple Numbers logo

Best Microsoft Excel alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Apple Numbers

Free on Apple devices, with a canvas layout that suits budgets and simple reports.

ONLYOFFICE logo

Best Microsoft Excel alternative for open source

ONLYOFFICE

Open-source spreadsheet editor with an Excel-like interface and strong .xlsx support.

ONLYOFFICE logo

Best Microsoft Excel alternative for self-hosting

ONLYOFFICE

Open-source spreadsheet editor with an Excel-like interface and strong .xlsx support.

Zoho Sheet logo

Best Microsoft Excel alternative for Mac

Zoho Sheet

Free online spreadsheet with AI data cleaning and offline apps.

Airtable logo

Best Microsoft Excel alternative for Windows

Airtable

Move tracking spreadsheets into linked tables with views, forms and automations.

Gnumeric logo

Best Microsoft Excel alternative for Linux

Gnumeric

Small, fast, free spreadsheet known for accurate statistical functions.

Google Sheets logo

Best Microsoft Excel alternative for iPhone and Android

Google Sheets

Free and browser-based with the easiest real-time collaboration on shared sheets.

Quadratic logo

Best Microsoft Excel alternative for working in the browser

Quadratic

Browser spreadsheet with Python, SQL and an AI agent built in.

Microsoft Excel alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Microsoft Excel?

Google Sheets ranks first right now. Free and browser-based with the easiest real-time collaboration on shared sheets. LibreOffice and Apple Numbers follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Microsoft Excel?

Yes. Google Sheets (free), LibreOffice (open source), Apple Numbers (free plan + paid) and Zoho Sheet (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Microsoft Excel?

Yes: LibreOffice, ONLYOFFICE and Gnumeric. ONLYOFFICE can also be self-hosted.

Which Microsoft Excel alternatives work on Linux?

LibreOffice, ONLYOFFICE and Gnumeric run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Microsoft Excel?

The complaints we hear most: windows desktop is the most complete; Mac and web lag on some features; large workbooks get slow and are easy to break; full features need a Microsoft 365 subscription.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Microsoft Excel, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.