Excel sheets are used by millions of people around the world. They are used for a variety of reasons, such as summarizing and organizing data, accounting, reporting, and analysis, among others. However, many specialists prefer not to use this application because it is paid. Fortunately, there are several Excel alternatives available in the form of free accounting software. Haven't we convinced you yet? Read on to learn about the top 5 best free alternatives to Excel .
Google Sheets
Google Sheets is one of the most widely used alternatives to Excel. All you need to use it is a free Google account, which you already have if you use Gmail. It's tightly integrated with all the other Google apps you use, including Google Analytics, Google Data Studio, and Google Forms.
For example, you can easily populate a spreadsheet with data from a web form, or you can convert the spreadsheet data into advanced visualizations through Google Data Studio.
LibreOffice Calc
LibreOffice is a free and open source productivity suite , which started as a side project to OpenOffice quite a few years ago. The result is a spreadsheet application, which contains the functionality expected of a modern spreadsheet application. It's a great alternative to Google Sheets, if you're looking for something that runs natively on your Mac, Windows, or Linux desktop.
The user interface feels more "traditional" than the ribbon-like interface that Microsoft has adopted for the last decade or so. You can customize the entire interface to show only the functions that interest you, and it has a set of keyboard shortcuts to use its functions more quickly.
Zoho Sheet
Zoho Sheet offers more than 350 functions , which is more than Google Sheet offers. In this program you will find support for advanced functions such as the use of conditional formatting, pivot tables and data validation. You can also bring in data from external sources by clicking Data> Link External Data and then uploading a CSV file, RSS or Atom feed, or web page. Additionally, you can control how often Zoho Sheet checks the source for updates.
You can also build your form using drag and drop elements, post it live to the web, and use the responses to fill out your spreadsheet.
EtherCalc
EtherCalc is a web-based spreadsheet tool that you can use without registering. EtherCalc can also be hosted on your own server, and customized according to your needs, or you can install it locally on a computer if it is more comfortable for you.
It is collaborative, so you can work with other users in real time on the same sheet. Sharing couldn't be easier: copy the URL of the sheet in the browser, and send it to your collaborator.
WPS Office spreadsheets
WPS Office is another very interesting office suite that we can use for free, although in return we will have to deal with its advertising. This can put many users back, but we decided to include it because it is the one that most resembles Excel in terms of the user interface, so the transition will be easier.
WPS claims to be 100% compatible with Excel, so you can open all files generated with the Microsoft suite. However, some items might not display as well as they should if they include proprietary Office formats.