Microsoft Excel has been the most popular spreadsheet program for over three decades regarding the systematic arrangement and display of various data. It is still the go-to spreadsheet program for billions of data enthusiasts. However, as an alternative, Google Sheets emerged with some unique features. In this article, we will make an in-depth Google Sheets vs Excel comparison.
If you are completely new to the spreadsheet world, it is easy to get confused about what may fulfill your needs. Excel is a top program with well-tested features and functions. On the other hand, Google Sheets comes as a cloud-based choice for spreadsheets. As things stand now, both Sheets and Excel bring something exclusive for users.
Our goal for this article is to include everything you possibly want to know about Google Sheets and MS Excel. By the time you reach the end, you will find out which spreadsheet program best suits your work.
Let’s start!
Contents
A Quick Overview of Sheets and Excel
Google Sheets and Excel may be spreadsheet programs, but they have unique appearances and come with noticeably different features. Before we get straight into a head-to-head comparison, we would like to discuss some important things about these two programs.
What is Google Sheets?
Google Sheets is a free online spreadsheet program by Google. It is a part of the Google Doc Editor package. Although it has been around since 2006 in different styles and names, it started getting noticed in early 2013.
Software and programs that allowed users to collaborate started gaining traction in the late 2000s. Google Sheets picked up that flow and never looked back. This availability of collaboration is undoubtedly one of its most attractive features.
Google Sheets has a simple interface and is easier to work with. For a new user of spreadsheets, it is more than enough. The tricky bits of this program are inside the menus. It may pose as both a blessing and a curse simultaneously.
The image below shows the picture of a new worksheet in Google Sheets. The marked area contains options and menus.
For everyday work, Google Sheets offer adequate options. However, it gets a bit complicated when we are talking about advanced work. The comparison table in this article will give you a more distinct idea.
Regarding supporting various systems, Google Sheets has its own app, available for Android and Apple. But it does not have any desktop application or package.
What is Excel?
It is hard to find anyone who has not heard about Excel. It is the most-used spreadsheet program in the world. Since its initial release in 1987, it has led the data industry with its amazing features. Macros and VBA, Pivot Table, etc., turned Excel into the most definitive choice for many analysts.
Before Microsoft introduced its cloud service with Microsoft 365, Excel was a completely offline spreadsheet program. Even right now, Excel is available in many forms. You can buy an Office package for a lifetime (offline) or get a Microsoft 365 subscription (online, cloud-based) per your requirement.
In a standard Excel program, there are around 500 functions for you to work with. Microsoft 365 offers some more exclusive functions as well. The talk of almost half a thousand functions may seem intimidating. However, the availability of this huge number of functions has helped Excel become the one to beat in the spreadsheet game.
Any user can follow the interface of Excel. You can find a plethora of options inside each ribbon. The picture below shows the default interface of Excel. The area we have marked is called the Ribbon, which was introduced with Excel 2007. Earlier, it was about only drop-down menus and small icons.
MS Excel has been an industry flagship also due to its stability. It can handle datasets bigger than you can even imagine. Excel supports 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns of data. A simple multiplication of these two numbers tells you the exact number of cells Excel has: a whopping 17,179,869,184 cells!
In our comparison table, you will find more interesting features of Excel. Although the table will contain comparative information, it will also tell you about the programs we discuss in this article.
Google Sheets vs Excel: The Showdown
In this section, we will directly compare Google Sheets and Excel. We believe that it would be faster and easier to understand everything about these two programs through this table instead of individual, lengthy discussions.
We will compare the most defining 27 features of Google Sheets and Excel here. Depending on your type and level of work, you will get a clear picture of which program to use later on.
| Category | Google Sheets | Excel |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Office package: ~$150 (one-time payment) Microsoft 365 Subscription: At least ~$5/month |
| Cloud Service | Cloud-based | Offline for Office package, cloud-based for Microsoft 365 Subscription |
| Security | Strong cloud security | Updated strong security |
| Availability | Browser only, no desktop software package Applications for Android and iOS | Desktop software packages for Windows and Mac Free Android and iOS Applications |
| Customization | Not available | Highly customizable interface |
| Shortcuts | Extremely limited shortcuts are available | Shortcuts available for all the options |
| Storage Space | 15GB Free | Unlimited computer storage for desktop packages |
| Updates | No downloadable updates | Frequent software and security updates (downloadable) |
| Auto-Saving Option | Available for all | Available for Microsoft 365 Subscriptions only |
| Collaboration | Available for all through the browser and mobile applications | Available for Microsoft 365 Subscriptions only |
| Data Visualization | Limited features | Advanced features |
| Formatting Data as Table | Not available | Available (makes adding and updating data easier) |
| Available Cells | Just over 5 million cells | Over 17 billion cells |
| Version Control | Available for all | Available for Microsoft 365 Subscriptions only |
| Handling Large Datasets | Not capable | Highly capable |
| Data Processing Power | Slow | Fast |
| Functions & Formulas | Around 500 functions & formulas (with some Google Sheets-exclusive functions) | Around 500 functions & formulas (with some Excel-exclusive functions) |
| Macros & VBA | Not available (Apps Script is the Sheets alternative) | Available |
| Pivot Tables Auto-Update | Available | Not available |
| Chart Auto-Update | Not available | Available |
| Flash Fill (CTRL E) | Not available | Available |
| Selecting Multiple Special Cells | Not available | Available (with the Go To Specials option) |
| Searchable Drop-Down List | Available | Not available |
| Importing Non-Table Data from Web | Available (ImportXML function) | Not available |
| Splitting Texts with Function | Available (SPLIT function) | Available only in Microsoft 365 Subscriptions (TEXTSPLIT function) |
| Translation with Function | Available (with GOOGLETRANSLATE function) | Not available |
| Cloud Service | Google Drive (Free) | OneDrive for Microsoft 365 Subscriptions only |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In this penultimate section of the Google Sheets vs Excel article, we will answer some of the most asked questions. These answers will help you get some more ideas about Sheets and Excel.
Q: Are Google Sheets And Excel Compatible?
A: No, there are noticeable differences. Some features and functions like XLOOKUP in Excel or SPLIT in Google Sheets do not work in the other program.
Q: Will Google Sheets Open Excel Files?
A: Yes, Google Sheets will open the default Excel file format XLSX without a problem. However, some Excel functions and features may not work in Sheets. Power Pivot, Power Query, VBA, XLOOKUP, etc., are some of these features and functions.
Q: Can I Open Google Sheets In Excel?
A: Yes, you can. Google Sheets offers an option to download a worksheet in XLSX format. It is Excel’s default format. So, there should be no problem opening the downloaded XLSX file.
Q: Can I Convert Google Sheets To Excel?
A: Absolutely! Just go to the File menu in your Google Sheets worksheet. From there, click on Download and then click Microsoft Excel (.xlsx). That’s it!
Q: Can I Link Google Sheets To Excel?
A: Yes, you can. However, it is a complex procedure that needs to be discussed in a separate guide.
Q: Can Google Sheets Run Excel Macros?
A: No, it cannot. If any Excel file with Macros is imported into Google Sheets, the Excel Macros will need to be created again by using Apps Script inside Google Sheets.
Last Words
Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel are excellent spreadsheet programs. Both offer unique features but with certain limitations. Subjecting to your needs and expertise, you can choose your preferred program. The comparison table in this article gives you a complete idea of what each program comes with.
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