Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets are the two best-known spreadsheet applications available today. They are pretty much the same when it comes to formulas and calculations. This implies that many of their features are the same. This article will take a closer look at two applications and the key differences between Excel vs Google Sheets.
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application that has been developed and maintained by Microsoft. Using Excel, you can perform a multitude of functions such as run calculations, make lists, and charts. It also helps analyze and sort information, track financial data, and much more.
Pros and Cons of Microsoft Excel
Let’s look at some of the major pros and cons of Excel.
Pros
- Excel has advanced functionalities
- It has unlimited storage space
- Execution speed is fast
- It contains more options for data visualization
Cons
- Excel is difficult to troubleshoot
- Different versions of Excel make collaboration difficult
- You cannot access the sheets from computers other than your own
Google Sheets
Google Sheet is a spreadsheet program offered by Google. Google Sheets can be in the form of web applications, desktop applications, or mobile applications.
Pros and Cons of Google Sheets
Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of Google Sheets.
Pros
- Google Sheets are free and easy to use
- They are primarily built for collaboration
- Google Sheets have a built-in revision history and a real-time chat window
Cons
- The loading time of the document increases, and the data increases
- It has limited data visualization options
- It contains limited customization and formulas
Key Differences
Let’s look at the different aspects of Microsoft Excel vs. Google Sheets to understand the key differences between them.
|
Category |
Microsoft Excel |
Google Sheets |
|
Developed by |
Microsoft Corporation developed MS Excel. |
Google LLC developed Google sheets. |
|
Launched as a pack of |
They launched MS Excel as a pack of MS Office. |
They launched google sheets as a pack of G Suite. |
|
Launching Year |
1987 |
2006 |
|
Languages supported |
Excel is available in 91 languages. |
Google Sheets are available in 83 languages. |
|
Performance |
Great for a high volume of data. |
Great for low volumes of data (less than 400,000) cells. |
|
Collaboration |
Compared to Google sheets, Excel is a not favorable application for collaboration. |
Google sheets are the preferred application for collaboration. |
|
Tools for statistical analysis and visualization |
Excel is a superior product in the case of statistical analysis and visualization. |
If you want to perform any analysis, you have to do it manually. |
|
Online offline usability |
We can use Excel in offline mode. |
We can use Google Sheets in both online as well as offline mode. |
|
Chatting facilities |
Excel does not have this facility. |
In Google Sheets, a chatting facility is available on the sidebars. |
|
Macros |
Yes |
No |
|
Scripting |
VBA |
Apps Script |
|
Price |
$8.25/users/month |
Free for individuals.$5/user/month for business. |
|
Cloud Drive |
One Drive |
Google Drive |
Conclusion
In the case of Excel vs. Google Sheets, both the softwares are great in terms of its core features. If your business requires some serious calculations, then Excel is a better application for you. If you want to collaborate on your spreadsheet, then Google Sheets is your best option.
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FAQs
1. Is Google Sheets better than Excel?
Both Google Sheets and Excel are good to use. They both have some unique features. If you want to collaborate on data, opt for Google Sheets. However, for calculations and analysis, Excel is a better application.
2. Can you replace Excel with Google Sheets?
Yes, you can replace Excel with Google Sheets. You have to upload the Excel file to your google drive. Save it as a sheet file, you can change your drive settings to do that. Once the settings are adjusted, everytime you will upload an Excel file in your drive, it will be replaced with a Google Sheet.
3. Should I use Google Sheets as a database?
As Google Sheet’s data is saved in cloud storage, you will never lose any data. However, if you are working in Excel and forgot to save the file, you can lose data. Hence, Google Sheets are a better choice for databases.
4. What are Google Sheets' advantages over Excel?
Google Sheets are better than Excel spreadsheets in many ways, some of them are -
- Collaboration
- Working at Scale
- Linking Between Applications
- Version Control
- File Management
- Plugins
- External Data Sources
5. Google Sheets vs Excel: What is the difference?
Both of them structure data in tabular format. In other words, the data is in the form of rows and columns. The major difference between Excel and Google Sheets is that you can share the link of Google Sheets with anyone and they can edit the file. This feature makes Google Sheets a perfect option for those who work in teams or shared projects.
