The Best Excel Alternatives And Spreadsheet Apps

Microsoft Excel has been a top spreadsheet tool for companies of all sizes for a long time. Excel seemed like the logical choice whether you were analyzing data, tracking inventory, or creating financial models. However, a number of organizations are learning Excel’s limitations, such as slow sharing, version control issues, performance snags, and increasingly complex licensing, in this dynamic, modern world of remote teams, automations, and extensive collaboration.

If you’ve started to wonder, “Is there a better way than Excel?” you’re not alone. More companies are switching towards modern spreadsheet applications designed for workflow automation, cloud-based work, and real-time collaboration. We’ll go over some of the top spreadsheet and Excel substitutes for 2026 in this post, along with what to look for and how to choose the one that might work best for your team.

Why Businesses Are Looking Beyond Excel?

Although Excel remains extremely capable, here are some of the key points that lead companies to consider alternatives:

Scalability & Performance: When managing large datasets, complex formulas, or many concurrent users, Excel can slow down or hit performance limits.

Collaboration & Version Control: Excel’s file-based nature frequently forces sharing through email, drives or OneDrive. The result: versions everywhere, contradictory edits, and lost time.

Access Control & Audit Trails: Excel lacks strong built-in role-based access or audit logs (unless you layer on heavy infrastructure). For regulated industries, this becomes a liability.

Learning Curve & User Friendliness: For novice users, Excel’s interface can be intimidating with several hidden menus, formulas, and features, and if your team is not Excel-savvy, productivity may also suffer.

Licensing & Cost Complexity: Buying Excel/Office for many users, managing licenses, updates, and cloud vs. desktop versions increases overhead.

Modern Workflow Integration: Today’s workflows span forms, automations, dashboards, APIs and mobile access. Excel was built in a different era and doesn’t always plug in easily.

Due to all this, several newer tools have evolved that keep the ‘spreadsheet feel’ but add cloud-native collaboration, automation, database-style structure, and simpler user experiences.

Top Excel Alternatives and Spreadsheet Apps

Here are different strong contenders, each providing a different style of spreadsheet or hybrid tool, based on your requirements.

1. Smartsheet

Smartsheet is a cloud-based work management platform that feels like a familiar spreadsheet but comes packed with powerful project management features. It lets multiple team members work together in real time, with version history keeping everyone on the same page.

You can automate workflows—think alerts, reminders, and approval requests—while visually tracking progress through Gantt charts, Kanban boards, or calendar views. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Google Workspace.

Whether you’re a small team or a large enterprise, Smartsheet scales to fit your needs, making it ideal for teams that want structured workflows, clear project tracking, and smooth collaboration.

2. Google Sheets

One of the most popular alternatives, Google Sheets, is cloud-based, collaborative and integrated into Google Workspace. It allows several users to edit at the same time, comments and version history are native, and even access it from anywhere. It’s an ideal fit for many teams shifting from Excel for basic to moderately complex tasks.

However, Google Sheets can slow down when handling large datasets or complex formulas. For smaller projects or teams that value easy collaboration, though, it remains one of the best and most accessible options out there.

3. Zoho Sheet

If you are seeking something beyond just basic spreadsheets, Zoho Sheet is a powerful choice. According to the internet sources, Zoho Sheet supports more than 350 functions, offers advanced features including conditional formatting and pivot tables, and allows linking external data sources.

For teams asking for Excel-style experience but in the cloud, with collaboration built in and less licensing overhead, Zoho Sheet stands out.

4. Airtable

Moving into a hybrid world of spreadsheet + database, Airtable blends the familiar grid of rows/columns with rich field types (attachments, dropdowns, checkboxes), multiple views (Kanban, gallery, calendar) and automation. It’s ideal for teams managing structured workflows (content calendars, inventory, project tracking) where the spreadsheet is just the front-end to something more.

While not a pure “Excel replacement” for heavy-data work, it opens new possibilities for workflow thinking: spreadsheets that function more like applications.

5. Apache OpenOffice Calc

Another free, open-source desktop option. Apache OpenOffice Calc offers spreadsheet functionality akin to older versions of Excel and offers a cost-effective solution for smaller teams or organizations that don’t need cloud features. It lacks the modern collaborative layers, but for simple spreadsheet processing, it continuously serves.

6. LibreOffice Calc

For users prioritizing a desktop-installed app (offline-first) and wanting to sidestep cloud dependencies, LibreOffice Calc is an exceptional choice. It’s open source, supports Excel file formats, offers pivot tables and formulas, and gives you complete control of your environment.

While it doesn’t have the real-time cloud collaboration of some tools, for certain teams that value local control and cost-efficiency, it makes sense.

Other Significant Tools

There are several other tools worth consideration:

• SeaTable: Another hybrid spreadsheet-database tool with collaboration and automation built in.
• OnlyOffice: Offers an Excel-style interface with collaboration, real-time editing.
• Stackby: Focused on API-connected spreadsheets and automations for small/mid teams.

All offer unique value based on your use case for modern spreadsheet apps.

How to Choose the Right Spreadsheet Platform for Your Business

With so many options, choosing the right spreadsheet or spreadsheet-hybrid tool comes down to fit. Here are the key criteria to evaluate:

• Collaboration & accessibility: Do you need several users editing at once, across devices and locations?
• Role-based access & auditability: Does your organization need strict controls, audit trails, or compliance logging?
• Compatibility with existing files and formats: Can the tool open/save Excel files (.xls/.xlsx) and integrate with your workflows?
• Advanced features: Do you need pivot tables, conditional formatting, data validation, external data connection?
• Automation/integrations: Will you connect to other systems, trigger workflows, or use APIs?
• Scalability and performance: Can the tool manage your team size, data volume and growth over time?
• User experience and training: Is the interface intuitive for your team? What’s the learning curve?
• Cost and licensing model: Are there continuous costs? Cloud vs desktop? Free vs paid?
• Deployment model: Do you need cloud-based access, mobile apps, or offline installations?

As per your answers to these queries, you can match your business to the tool that suits it best.

Which Tool Fits Which Scenario?

Here’s a quick summary of good options:

• Smartsheet: Best suited for teams or mid-to-large enterprises that need structured workflows, robust project tracking, automation, and seamless collaboration across multiple teams. It’s a flexible, cloud-native platform that scales with your organization.
• Google Sheets or Zoho Sheet: Great for small teams or startups needing basic spreadsheet tracking, real-time collaboration, and a low-cost solution.
  
• LibreOffice Calc or Apache OpenOffice Calc: Ideal if you work offline, have simpler workflows, and want full control over your files.
  
• Airtable, SeaTable, or Stackby: Perfect for managing workflows, tasks, or structured operations (e.g., CRM, editorial calendars, product inventories) when you want richer views than just rows and columns.
  
• Zoho Sheet or other advanced platforms: Also strong choices for mid-to-large enterprises, especially if you require heavy data handling, high collaboration, and extensive integrations or automation.

Final Thoughts

There’s no one-size-fits-all “better than Excel” tool, but there is a right tool for your team and your workflows. The key is to match your requirements—team size, data volume, collaboration needs, workflow complexity, and budget—to a platform that aligns.

For lightweight, familiar spreadsheets with easy sharing, consider Google Sheets or Zoho Sheet.
For offline power and control, LibreOffice or OpenOffice could work.
For structured workflows, rich views, and database-style functionality, consider Airtable, Smartsheet, or similar hybrids. Smartsheet, in particular, is ideal for teams needing advanced project tracking, automation, and real-time collaboration across multiple users.

Whatever the choice, the smartest move is to select a platform that grows with your team instead of just replicating what Excel does.

Veridian Solutions: Your Smartsheet Partner

Veridian Solutions is a Smartsheet Gold-Certified Partner specializing in custom software solutions that simplify work and boost efficiency. We design tailored systems that align with your business objectives, ensuring smooth integration and user adoption.

Our services include:

• Smartsheet Consulting: Expert guidance on scalable process management and intelligent workflows
• Integration Services: Deploy Premium Apps and Connectors for smooth integration between Smartsheet and other enterprise systems.
• Training & Support: Equip your team with the skills and knowledge necessary to confidently manage their own environments.

Whether you’re new to Smartsheet or looking to optimize an existing setup, Veridian Solutions is here to help you leverage Smartsheet to its full potential.