Excel Vs Google Sheets

Publication Date :

Blog Author :

Edited by :

Table Of Contents

arrow

Differences Between Microsoft Excel Vs Google Sheets

Excel vs Google Sheets gives us the similarities and differences between Microsoft Excel’s Spreadsheet and Google Drives’ “Google Sheets”, which are similar in terms of formulas and calculations.

Excel Vs Google Sheets

Both Excel and Google Sheets have mostly similar features, such as data in the form of a table, i.e., rows and columns. However, the major difference is that the latter provides links to the owner to share with other users to give them permission to view, read, or edit the sheet. In contrast, in Excel, only one person can edit the file at a time.

For example, the worksheet of Excel is an application software that can be used without the internet and google sheets are the worksheets that are completely online and need the internet connection. The Excel worksheets and Google sheets are shown in the images below.

Excel
Google Sheets

In a nutshell, Google Sheets are becoming highly popular these days. The ease of use, simple collaboration capability, and storage capacity has allowed it to go beyond the functionalities of Excel.

Google Sheets have come a long way, but Microsoft Excel is the one that stands out.

  1. Excel vs Google Sheets is similar regarding their internal programming, formulas, and basics. However, google sheets provide a collaborative platform for group work, whereas Excel isn’t collaborative and to save manually.
  2. Even though google sheets are better, excel is unbeatable with its data and visualization center, making it the most chosen option.
  3. There is a price difference between excel and google sheets. The new version of Microsoft Office 365 is $8 per month, whereas a business subscription to google sheets $5 per month is the cost.

Excel Vs Google Sheets Infographics

Here, we provide the top 5 differences between Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.

Excel-vs-Google-Sheets-info

Excel vs Google Sheets - Key Differences

  • If we talk about price, Google Sheets are free. You can use them whenever you want and wherever you want. If you are going to jump in for a business subscription, you need to pay $5 per month. If you pay for the year, Google will provide you with discounts. On the other hand, Microsoft Office is not free. You need to pay to use Microsoft Office 365 (only the online version) $8.25 per month for a single user. So, as for pricing, Google Sheets prove to be a much better alternative than Microsoft Excel.
  • Another advantage of Google Sheets is the ease of collaboration. While working on a Google Sheet, if you need the help of your team in creating something worthwhile, you may ask your team to join in and share their inputs. It implies that on a Google Sheet, multiple people can work simultaneously. As a result, collaboration becomes easier. On the other hand, Microsoft Excel allows you to track changes in excel, but Google Sheets lets you edit the sheet simultaneously.
  • If you use Microsoft Excel, you must manually save the file. But in the case of Google Sheets, you can concentrate on creating the sheet and doing the work that matters, and your sheet will be automatically saved up on your Google Drive.
  • If you choose one for data analysis and visualization, Microsoft Excel is still the better version. Since Excel has more formulas stored, creating financial models is easily possible. For example, if you want to create a flowchart or Gantt chart in excel, you can access the inbuilt formula in Excel, but you need to do them manually to make these charts on Google Sheets.
  • To use Excel or sheet for macros, you should know that Google Sheets has added macros. And as a result, Google Sheets has become a strong alternative to Microsoft Excel.
  • Individuals that use the MacBook prefer Google Sheets over Microsoft Excel, as it may work on all applications, but Microsoft’s focus is mainly on Windows and not Mac users.

Excel Vs Google Sheets Comparative Table

Basis for comparisonExcelGoogle Sheets
PriceFor the new version of Microsoft Office, “Office 365” (online version), you need to pay $8.25 per month.You can use Google Sheets for free. If you want to purchase a business subscription, you need to pay $5 per month. If you are buying for a year, you may get a discount.
CollaborationCompared to Google Sheets, Excel is less favorable for collaboration, as multiple users cannot work simultaneously.Google Sheets is a preferred application for collaboration, as multiple users can work simultaneously.
Tool for Statistical Analysis & VisualizationExcel is preferred as there are many built-in formulas.Create a chart on Google sheets must be done manually, since unlike Excel sheets do not have inbuilt formulas or charts.
Seamless and easy to useExcel is easy to use, but you need to save the file manually.In the case of Google Sheets, you do not need to save the sheet manually. Instead, it will be held on Google’s drivers automatically.
Usage of macrosExcel is now similar to Google Sheets in using the macro.Google Sheets has brought macro and become a strong contender.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does Google Sheets have the same functions as excel?

Both Google Sheets and Excel have many of the same standard functions. Users who transition between programs do not notice that the features they are used to using are missing.

2. Do companies use Excel or Google Sheets?

Microsoft Excel is typically used by businesses to fulfill their various and varied spreadsheet needs. However, due to the program’s high managerial cost and significant inherent error risks, Excel is less ideal for business applications.

3. What can excel do that google sheets can't?

Excel has a feature that allows it to retrieve data from various external sources such as databases, text & Excel files, and cloud services. In addition, the Power Query add-in in Excel provides limitless options for formatting the imported data to prepare it for analysis. In contrast to Google Sheets, Excel offers more advanced data importing and shaping capabilities.