Alternatives to Microsoft Excel (56)

Microsoft Excel is one of the most well-known and widely used tools for spreadsheets. However, the number one spreadsheet tool may not be the best option for everyone.

One of Excel’s biggest weaknesses is its limited collaboration capabilities. Microsoft now offers a cloud version with real-time editing, but problems still arise, especially when multiple users make simultaneous changes or different file versions exist.

Another disadvantage: Excel heavily relies on manual inputs and formulas. If you place a comma incorrectly or accidentally overwrite a cell, you may find yourself in a lengthy troubleshooting process. Additionally, many processes are not automated, increasing the workload.

Excel also reaches its limits with large datasets. Although it supports over a million rows per sheet, performance slows down with extensive data sets.

Moreover, Excel can be expensive in terms of licensing. Microsoft 365 requires a monthly fee starting at €5.60 per user for the Basic plan. These prices are as of February 2025. Depending on your needs, you might find a completely free Excel alternative.

Excel Alternatives for Every Need

It is estimated that more than 750 million people use Excel daily. However, companies often opt for specialized solutions for better collaboration, automated workflows, or specific requirements. Here are some tools that might be suitable alternatives.

Time Tracking Tools

Excel is sufficient for simple time tracking via manual entries. If you diligently maintain your data, formulas can calculate working hours or overtime. However, this process is not always error-free. So, is time tracking with Excel even worth it?

Instead of Excel, we recommend specialized tools such as ZMI, Timemaster, 123erfasst, or MyTimeTracker. These alternatives offer automated time tracking and often sync data directly with the payroll software.

Excel Alternative for Data Analysis

For professional data analysis or Business Intelligence, Microsoft Power BI, Looker, or Tableau are better choices. Excel struggles with its row limitations and lack of API integration. Power BI seamlessly integrates with Excel, offers interactive dashboards, and advanced AI-driven data modeling. Tableau excels in visual analytics with its drag-and-drop interface. On the other hand, Looker by Google is ideal if you need a web-based solution.

For Classic Spreadsheets

Zoho Sheet and LibreOffice provide similar functionality to Excel—with some differences. Zoho Sheet is a web-based tool that doesn’t require Google or Microsoft products. It allows access from anywhere without installation and supports CSV or Excel files. LibreOffice is a local open-source alternative that supports pivot tables and macros while allowing custom extensions. Both applications are free.

Solutions for Data Visualization

Although Excel allows chart creation, the charts are not truly interactive. Even visualizing data in PowerPoint is not intuitive or may not yield the desired results. If you want to make your analyses more visually appealing, we recommend Power BI—especially if you already use Microsoft products. A free alternative is Google Looker Studio. Other options such as Zoho Analytics, Qlik Sense®, or think-cell make visualization easy.

Project Management Alternatives

Many businesses still use Excel for project organization. However, tools that truly simplify planning include Trello, ClickUp, Asana, or ONLYOFFICE. Instead of juggling countless Excel spreadsheets, these alternatives help manage projects more efficiently using to-do lists and Gantt charts.

Excel Alternative for Better Collaboration

Looking for an Excel alternative that enhances collaboration? Google Sheets, Airtable, Smartsheet, or Zoho Sheet focus on real-time collaboration and prevent version conflicts.

While Google Sheets is free and ideal for simple use, Airtable or Smartsheet are better suited for project management as they combine spreadsheet functionality with database features. If you need even more collaboration, Quip by Salesforce allows you to integrate a team chat into each spreadsheet. However, its data analysis features are not as extensive as Excel’s.

Options with Better Automation

Alternatives such as Notion and Airtable support automation better than Excel. We recommend these tools for data management rather than complex calculations. Another option is Rows. Although it is less well-known, it surpasses Excel in terms of automation.

Alternatively, you can use Google Sheets with Apps Script, Google’s low-code platform. Its functionality is similar to Excel’s Visual Basics (VBA), though Apps Script requires basic programming knowledge.

Free Excel Alternatives

Looking for an entirely free Excel alternative? LibreOffice or Google Sheets are viable options. Zoho Sheets is free for up to 25 users, while Rows allows up to 3 users on the free plan. Airtable users can store up to 1,000 records for free, and SeaTable allows up to 10,000 records.

Microsoft Excel is available with the Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan for €5.60 per user per month (annual billing). The Standard plan costs €11.70, and the Premium plan is €20.60. These prices are as of February 2025.

Similar to Excel: More Spreadsheet Options

If you reach Excel’s limitations, numerous alternatives exist—whether for data visualization or project management. Ultimately, the choice depends on your use case. Many tools offer free versions so you can find the solution that best fits your workflow.