Free Spreadsheet: 5 Online Alternatives To Excel

When we talk about free spreadsheets, we think of Microsoft Excel or Sheets, the online version from Google. But these two giants are not the only ones to offer spreadsheet software; other companies provide similar tools enriched with features that satisfy specific needs. Always used in accounting, spreadsheet software today also allows you to manage a database or organize a project end-to-end. 

Teams working remotely benefit significantly from using online spreadsheets by being able to collaborate, synchronize documents across devices, and have a mobile version so they can access them from anywhere. But what are the best online spreadsheet software alternatives to Excel? In this article, we present five spreadsheet software programs selected according to the following criteria:

1. A free version and free trial are available.
2. Mobile version available
3. Minimum rating of 4 out of 5 stars on Capterra

WPS Office

1. A free version is available.
2. A free trial is available.
3. Pricing: free basic version; premium version: $29.99 per year (approximately €25); business version: available in three packages starting at $39.95 per user per year (about €33).

WPS Office is a suite of office tools with similar functionality to Office, including a spreadsheet, text editor, and presentation tool, all accessible online and synchronized across various devices. These three essential programs are also available in the free version. The Premium version additionally offers a PDF to Word conversion tool, optical character recognition functionality, and 20 GB of storage space. 

The business version provides customer support and advanced spreadsheet options, such as the ability to include multimedia elements and more built-in formulas. WPS Office is available for Windows, Apple, and Linux, as well as mobile devices (Android and iOS).

Stackby 

1. A free version is available.
2. Pricing: The free version is available with ten stacks; the paid version starts from the Personal plan at $5 (around €4) per user per month. The number of stacks open increases with higher levels.

Stack by is an advanced spreadsheet software that allows you to group various applications into a single sheet and automatically synchronize them. The software works according to a “stack” principle, that is, a set of sheets that bring together the appropriate applications for a specific type of project. Objects, information, and collaborators can be inserted in a personalized way in each row and column, while the number of available rows increases based on the subscription subscribed to. 

Stackby also allows you to integrate tools such as communication software and SEO tools, will enable you to create a marketing stack, and offers different models depending on the project (marketing campaigns, sales, audiovisual production, etc.). Stackby is available in a desktop version as well as for mobile (Android and iOS).

Zoho Sheet 

1. A free version is available.
2. A free trial is available.
3. Available
4. Pricing: free version available; subscription on quote.

Among the Zoho Editors Office apps, we find Zoho Sheet, a collaborative spreadsheet that allows you to create interactive files. Cloud-based Zoho Sheet facilitates real-time teamwork and, where necessary, allows you to lock cells to prevent any third-party modifications. The history function, on the other hand, records all changes in order to restore previous versions.

The tool includes the virtual assistant Zia, which helps you analyze and clean data, create pivot tables using drag-and-drop, or generate charts to illustrate groups of data. You can also ask Zia simple questions (in English) in writing or through a voice command in the mobile version. Zoho Sheet is available for Android and iOS.

Banana Accounting 

1. A free version is available.
2. A free trial is available.
3. Available
4. Pricing: A free version is available; different paid versions start from €5 per month, with annual billing (professional version).

Designed for accounting and finance businesses, Banana Accounting is spreadsheet software suitable for both private use and SME accounting experts. The free version (without advertising) is intended for personal use. It offers the functions of Time Sheet (management of hours worked), Cash Manager (cash movements), budget creation and planning, VAT management, and online support. 

The other options, provided by the paid versions, are available in demo mode; that is, they are entirely usable but limited in quantity (for example, 70 accounting entries and 20 budget lines). The advanced version, Banana Accounting Plus, includes:

1. Double-entry multi currency invoicing and accounting features.
2. A financial forecasting tool.
3. Inventory management.
4. Other advanced accounting options.

Banana Accounting is available for mobile devices (Android, iOS).

Ragic Builder 

1. A free version is available.
2. Pricing: A free version is available; paid versions start at $5 (around €4) per user per month (Lite version).

Ragic Builder is a custom database creation tool that looks like an online spreadsheet. This data management system was designed to be used even by those who do not know coding or programming. Ragic Builder is designed for various types of company departments and allows you to manage specific data from any area (marketing, customer service, project management, human resources, etc.) in a format very similar to that of Excel.

The free version offers three customizable sheets of 1000 lines each and provides many free templates that can be downloaded without any limits unless you want to change the design. The paid versions include more worksheets, rows, and customization options. Ragic Builder is available for mobile devices (Android, iOS).

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