Spreadsheets are an integral part the modern business world. Spreadsheets are essential to modern business. The specific features that you need in a spreadsheet program will depend on your work style and preferences. No matter how rich the functions are, you will rarely use all that Microsoft Excel has. If you choose to purchase it, you will have to pay the full cost, which is quite high. You don’t have to spend so much on Microsoft Excel. This includes $149.99 for Office Home & Student 2019, $99 per Year for Business use, and $6.99 per Month for Home use. If you don’t need as many features as Excel, you can save money by installing other free alternatives on your computer or in the Cloud. Let’s take a look at them.
1. Google Sheets
This program is Google Cloud-based and is the answer to all those who are searching for an alternative to Microsoft Excel. Google Sheets can do most of the tasks that Excel users need. It can be accessed via a web browser and hosted in Cloud. It is platform-independent, so it can run on Windows, Linux, or Mac OS. Google Sheets is a cloud-based spreadsheet that saves all of your calculations on the go in Google Drive. This means that you don’t have any data to lose even if your computer crashes. This Google office tool, like other Google tools, allows multiple users to simultaneously manage and edit documents.
It is important to mention that Google Sheets does not have some of the advanced features of Microsoft Excel. Before you migrate, make sure you check that the functions you need are available.
2. WPS Office Spreadsheets
WPS Office Spreadsheets can be a great alternative to Microsoft Excel. It is actually the only freemium option to Microsoft Excel. Although it is a paid product, there is a free version with all the features and app ads. The ads are not annoying and last less than ten seconds. They only appear when you save to PDF or print or when you use certain tools. The feature will be locked for 30 minutes after an advertisement has ended. You can opt out by purchasing the paid version for $29.99 per year or $79.99 for lifetime access. WPS Office Spreadsheets can be used with Excel. This means that you can open any Excel file and save it.
3. Microsoft Office Excel Online
If you are looking for a Microsoft product at all cost, you might consider Microsoft Office Excel Online. This is if you don’t wish to pay for the desktop version. Excel Online is a basic version Microsoft Excel that can be used in conjunction with Google Sheets. It is better than the Excel desktop version. It is still more Microsoft Excel than Google Sheets, however. It does the same basic functions as the desktop version but also offers automatic Cloud savings via OneDrive. It also supports real-time collaboration. This tool is not suitable for those who need advanced Excel features. Many functions are limited and some functions are only available to the administrator. It doesn’t support VBA scripting or external data connections. There are no advanced charting features and no find-and-replace.
4. Apache OpenOffice Calc
Apache OpenOffice Calc is a better alternative to Microsoft’s latest editions. It can be used from 2007 onwards. It functions in the same way as Office 2003. This tool was the best alternative to Microsoft Office before the introduction of Cloud. OpenOffice Calc is the most current in this regard, as it retains many important advanced functions of Microsoft Excel but with minor changes in form. It is recommended that advanced Excel users read the OpenOffice user guide before migrating. This will help you to understand the functions in OpenOffice that are most important for your work. Cloud support is the main drawback. Other free platforms also have this problem. Apache OpenOffice Calc does not have native Cloud connection or real-time collaboration.
5. LibreOffice Calc
Apache OpenOffice Calc is also available as a free office suite. Calc is an Excel option that it provides. This tool doesn’t support Cloud support and real-time collaboration, just like OpenOffice. This suite is free, but you get access to many features that aren’t even available.
