Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. The largest vendors in spreadsheet software
cannot hold places 1 to 3. Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category,
wherever the category has them; the established names follow from place 4 in their ranked order. How it works: placement disclosure ·
editorial process.
The 12 tools, reviewed
#1 LibreOffice Calc
Free open-source desktop spreadsheet with no account · Germany · libreoffice.org
open source desktop ODS
Calc suits the company that wants a serious spreadsheet and no meter running. It opens most XLSX files, keeps ordinary formulas, charts and pivot tables intact, and lets you script in Basic or Python. Nobody can change its price, and the files stay on your own disks, which makes it an easy answer for privacy-minded or public-sector buyers.
- Pricing: Open source. Free to download and use; the foundation asks for donations, and paid support comes from third-party partners. Free plan: open source.
- Best for: Budget-conscious teams wanting no licenses
- Strengths: Pivot tables (DataPilot); XLSX and ODS read and write; Macro recording with Basic and Python scripting.
Where it falls short
Co-editing in a browser is not built in, so shared work needs Collabora or a file server. Complex Excel workbooks with VBA, newer dynamic-array functions or elaborate pivots can open slightly wrong.
Wrong for
Teams that need several people editing one live file, or finance departments running mission-critical VBA.
Visit LibreOffice Calc →
#2 ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor
Excel-compatible web and desktop spreadsheet from Latvia · Latvia · onlyoffice.com
Excel-compatible self-hosted co-editing
ONLYOFFICE is the closest thing to a drop-in Excel replacement that you can also run on your own server. Spreadsheets open as XLSX without conversion, so layouts and formulas tend to arrive as they left.
- Pricing: Per admin / month. Cloud Business is $20 per admin per month with unlimited free users and guests. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Teams moving off Excel yet keeping XLSX
- Strengths: Native XLSX engine; 400+ formulas and functions; Pivot tables.
Where it falls short
Its VBA support is limited because macros are written in JavaScript, so Excel macro libraries need conversion.
Wrong for
Companies that depend on years of VBA, or on Power Query and Excel add-ins from outside vendors.
Visit ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor →
#3 Grist
Relational spreadsheet with Python formulas, self-hostable · United States · getgrist.com
relational open source self-hostable
Grist is what many teams reach for after a spreadsheet starts behaving like a database. Each table keeps its own columns, other tables reference its rows, and summary tables replace the pivot habit, while formulas are written in Python. Access rules can hide a row from one user and show it to another, which ordinary spreadsheets cannot do.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Free up to 5,000 records per document. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Operations teams outgrowing tab-per-client workbooks
- Strengths: Linked tables and reference columns; Python formulas; Row-level access rules.
Where it falls short
Habits from Excel only partly carry over; people must learn reference columns and Python-style expressions.
Wrong for
Finance analysts who build large models in classic Excel formulas, and anyone who needs a pivot-heavy desktop workflow.
Visit Grist →
#4 Microsoft Excel
The standard desktop spreadsheet for modeling and analysis · United States · microsoft.com
Microsoft 365 VBA modeling
Excel is the benchmark that everyone else is measured against, and for finance, audit and operations modeling that status is earned. The function library is the broadest, Power Query handles messy imports well, and VBA runs processes that nobody wants to rebuild. Almost every outside party sends files in its format.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Sold inside Microsoft 365 per-user subscriptions or as a standalone licensed app; read current prices on Microsoft's site. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Finance teams with macros and complex models
- Strengths: Dynamic-array formulas; Power Query; PivotTables and Power Pivot.
Where it falls short
Cost grows with bundle tiers and per-user licensing. The browser version has fewer features than the desktop app.
Wrong for
Small teams wanting simple shared lists at minimal cost, and Mac or Linux shops avoiding Microsoft licensing.
Visit Microsoft Excel →
#5 Google Sheets
Browser spreadsheet built around live sharing · United States · workspace.google.com
Google Workspace co-editing browser
Sheets earns its place by making sharing frictionless: a link, three people typing, a visible cursor for each. Pivot tables, query functions and Apps Script cover most tracking and reporting work, and Connected Sheets reaches into BigQuery for larger data. Because it ships with Workspace, many companies already pay for it without noticing.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Free with a personal Google account. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Teams who share and edit trackers together
- Strengths: Real-time co-editing with comments; Apps Script automation; IMPORTRANGE across files.
Where it falls short
Large files slow down well before the cell limit, and complex Excel workbooks often import with broken array formulas or lost macros. Apps Script is a separate skill from VBA.
Wrong for
Finance modelers with VBA libraries, and organisations that cannot send data to a US platform without extra safeguards.
Visit Google Sheets →
#6 Zoho Sheet
Free online spreadsheet that links to Zoho apps · India · zoho.com
Zoho online free
Zoho Sheet is an easy yes for a company already running Zoho CRM, Books or Projects, because data connections pull records into a sheet and refresh them on a schedule. Co-editing, cell locks and version restore cover shared tracking, and the free price removes the usual argument. Its AI assistant and data-cleaning helpers handle duplicates and tidy-up chores without formulas.
- Pricing: Free + bundled plans. Zoho describes Sheet as free to create and collaborate on; team storage and wider features come through Zoho WorkDrive, Workplace or Zoho One plans. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Zoho customers needing a connected spreadsheet
- Strengths: Nearly 40 chart types; Pivot table builder; Data connections to Zoho CRM, Projects and Books.
Where it falls short
Compatibility with complex Excel files is weaker than the Excel-first rivals, and the function and chart range is narrower for serious modeling. Fewer third-party add-ins exist, and the best features assume other Zoho products.
Wrong for
Heavy modelers and companies with no other Zoho products, where the integration advantage disappears.
Visit Zoho Sheet →
#7 Equals
Spreadsheet and dashboards on live SaaS data · United States · equals.app
BI spreadsheet connectors RevOps
Equals targets the finance or revenue-operations analyst who currently exports CSVs from Stripe and Salesforce every Monday. It keeps the formulas people know and refreshes the data behind them automatically, then turns ranges into dashboards that go to Slack. Unlimited seats mean the bill stays fixed as readers multiply, which is attractive for a company whose spreadsheets mostly serve executives.
- Pricing: Annual contract. Annual contracts: Essential $24k, Business $36k and Enterprise $60k per year, all with unlimited seats; demo required. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Finance and RevOps teams reporting on SaaS data
- Strengths: Connectors to Stripe, HubSpot, Salesforce and QuickBooks; Warehouse connections; Dashboards built on the grid.
Where it falls short
The price starts at $24,000 a year, there is no self-serve plan, and connectors are capped at three on the cheapest tier.
Wrong for
Small teams, individuals and anyone who just needs a grid with formulas.
Visit Equals →
#8 Rows
AI spreadsheet that imports business data and PDFs · Germany · rows.com
AI integrations Superhuman
Rows is built for the person who rebuilds the same weekly report by pasting from five tools. Integrations pull data into tables, an AI assistant extracts fields from PDFs and drafts analysis, and refresh schedules run daily or every minute depending on plan. The interface looks like any modern sheet, so training is light.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Free tier. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Small teams automating recurring reports
- Strengths: AI tasks for extraction and analysis; Integrations with business tools; Scheduled data refresh.
Where it falls short
Heavy modeling features trail Excel and Calc, and the plan limits on AI tasks (5, 200 or 1,000 per month) cap use. The Superhuman move creates roadmap uncertainty, and offline use and VBA-style automation are not available.
Wrong for
Companies with advanced financial models, or teams needing certainty about vendor ownership for a multi-year deal.
Visit Rows →
#9 Quadratic
Code-in-cell spreadsheet for data teams · United States · quadratichq.com
Python SQL open source
Quadratic suits analysts who already think in code and want cells and scripts to share one document. A Python result can spill into the grid, a SQL query can run against Postgres, and an AI agent will draft either. The company says it began in Boulder, Colorado in 2022 and links to an open-source repository.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Personal is free; Pro is $18 and Business $36 per user per month on annual billing, Enterprise by quote with SSO and self-hosting. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Analysts who write Python or SQL
- Strengths: Python, SQL and JavaScript in cells; Database and SaaS connections; AI agent.
Where it falls short
Not a drop-in for Excel users, since VBA does not run and the formula model differs.
Wrong for
Business teams that live in pivot tables and VBA, or buyers who want mature admin controls today.
Visit Quadratic →
#10 Row Zero
Cloud spreadsheet that opens huge files and warehouses · United States · rowzero.com
big data warehouse Databricks
Row Zero answers a narrow but painful problem: the export that will not open. Its free plan lists workbooks of tens of millions of rows with Excel-style functions, pivots and charts, and paid tiers add live refresh and write-back to a warehouse. Analysts from finance and ops can use it without learning code.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Free plan with one workbook; Pro $12 and Business $20 per user per month; Enterprise by quote. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Analysts whose CSVs outgrow Excel
- Strengths: Tens of millions of rows per workbook; 400+ Excel-compatible functions; Native Python.
Where it falls short
It is a specialist for big data rather than an all-round office tool, so a team still needs another spreadsheet for daily work. Ownership by Databricks may steer the roadmap toward its platform.
Wrong for
Teams whose files are small, or those avoiding a Databricks-aligned roadmap.
Visit Row Zero →
#11 WPS Spreadsheets
Excel-like spreadsheet in a free office suite · Singapore · wps.com
Excel-like free suite
WPS Spreadsheets is the easiest landing for someone coming from Excel who does not want to learn a new layout; the ribbon, shortcuts and file formats feel familiar and the vendor claims full compatibility with Microsoft formats. The free tier includes the core spreadsheet along with the word processor and PDF tools.
- Pricing: Free + paid tiers. The pricing page lists a free tier and paid Pro plans that raise cloud storage from 1 GB to 20 GB and add AI usage. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Individuals and small shops wanting free Excel-style
- Strengths: Ribbon interface similar to Excel; XLSX read and write; PDF tools in the suite.
Where it falls short
Compatibility claims come from the vendor and complex macros or pivots still need testing.
Wrong for
Companies with strict data-residency or supplier-vetting rules that want an EU contracting party.
Visit WPS Spreadsheets →
#12 Apple Numbers
Apple's free canvas-style spreadsheet · United States · apple.com
Apple free Mac and iPad
Numbers fits a household, a designer's invoice or a small shop where tables, charts and notes need to sit together on one page rather than in rigid sheets. It is free, polished and quick to learn on a Mac or iPad, with iCloud letting colleagues work in a browser. Exporting to XLSX and CSV is built in.
- Pricing: Free + optional subscription. Free on Apple devices; Apple Creator Studio at $12.99 per month adds premium content and AI features in Numbers. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Mac and iPad users with light needs
- Strengths: Free-form canvas with multiple tables; Hundreds of built-in functions; Categories to group and summarize data.
Where it falls short
No Windows or Linux desktop client, so mixed-device offices struggle. Excel compatibility is partial on complex files, macro automation is minimal, and pivot-style analysis is more limited than in Excel or Calc.
Wrong for
Companies with Windows PCs, finance modeling or auditors who exchange complex XLSX files.
Visit Apple Numbers →
Questions and answers
What is the best spreadsheet software in 2026?
LibreOffice Calc ranks first of 12, best for budget-conscious teams wanting no licenses. ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor is second (teams moving off Excel yet keeping XLSX) and Grist third (operations teams outgrowing tab-per-client workbooks). Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands, wherever the category has them.
Is Excel still worth paying for when Google Sheets and LibreOffice are free?
If your models depend on VBA, Power Query, large pivot tables or add-ins from your bank or auditor, yes. Excel's behavior is the standard other products imitate, and outside parties will send you XLSX files built for it.
Can LibreOffice Calc open and save Excel files without damage?
Mostly. Calc opens XLSX, keeps ordinary formulas and charts, and saves back to the format. Differences show up in pivot table layout, conditional formatting rules, newer functions and macros, since VBA often needs rewriting.
What is a relational spreadsheet, and when do I need one?
A relational spreadsheet lets one table point at rows in another, so a customer is stored once and referenced from orders, tasks and invoices.
Which spreadsheet handles millions of rows?
Row Zero is built for it: its free plan lists tens of millions of rows per workbook and its enterprise tier a billion or more.
Do spreadsheets with AI assistants produce reliable numbers?
They produce usable drafts, not verified results. Quadratic, Rows, Equals, Zoho Sheet and Google Sheets all offer assistants that write formulas, clean columns or answer questions about a range.
How do I move a team from Excel to a cloud spreadsheet?
Start with shared trackers and reports rather than financial models. Move one team, import its files, and watch for broken lookups, date formats and external links.
What happens to my files if the spreadsheet vendor is acquired?
Usually nothing at first, which is what Row Zero and Rows both say after their acquisitions by Databricks and Superhuman. The risk appears later, in pricing, in product focus and in where your data is processed.
Is a free spreadsheet safe for company data?
It can be, but free plans differ on storage region, admin controls and audit logs, which are what a security review asks about.
Do I need a spreadsheet if I already have a BI tool?
Usually yes, because a BI dashboard shows numbers but rarely lets a finance analyst adjust an assumption and see the totals change.
Which spreadsheet is best for a team that works offline or on a Mac?
LibreOffice Calc and ONLYOFFICE's desktop editors run locally on Windows, macOS and Linux and work without a connection. Excel does the same through the desktop app.
