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Best Free Alternatives to Microsoft Excel
Stop paying $69/yr (Office). Discover professional-grade tools that won't break your budget.
Category: ProductivityVerified for 2025
Top Recommended Replacements
Google Sheets
FREEBest for Real-Time Collaboration
Why we like it
Seamless multi-user editing, powerful Apps Script, and deep Google Workspace integration.
Keep in mind
Performance lags with 50,000+ rows; lacks advanced statistical modeling of Excel.
LibreOffice Calc
FREEBest Offline Desktop Alternative
Why we like it
Fully open-source, reads/writes .xlsx perfectly, handles large offline datasets well.
Keep in mind
User interface feels dated; no native real-time cloud collaboration.
Grist
FREEBest for Relational Data
Why we like it
Combines a spreadsheet with a database; uses Python for formulas; highly customizable views.
Keep in mind
Steeper learning curve if you are only used to traditional grid layouts.
Zoho Sheet
FREEBest Feature-Rich Free Cloud Tool
Why we like it
Includes 'Zia' AI for data cleaning and insights; excellent mobile app; 100% free for individuals.
Keep in mind
Occasional formatting glitches when importing complex Excel files.
OnlyOffice
FREEBest for Enterprise Self-Hosting
Why we like it
Highly compatible with MS Office formats; can be self-hosted for maximum data privacy.
Keep in mind
The free community version lacks some advanced 'Pro' features.
Airtable
FREEBest for Modern Project Workflows
Why we like it
Beautiful UI; integrates files and checkboxes directly into cells; powerful automation.
Keep in mind
Limited math/formula power compared to Excel; very expensive at scale.
CryptPad Sheet
FREEBest for Extreme Privacy
Why we like it
End-to-end encrypted; zero-knowledge platform; no account required to start.
Keep in mind
Fewer features than Sheets/Excel; slower performance due to encryption overhead.
Rows
FREEBest for Marketers and Data APIs
Why we like it
Built-in integrations with LinkedIn, Google Analytics, and Stripe; native AI assistant.
Keep in mind
Focuses more on web-integration than heavy offline financial modeling.
Gnumeric
FREEBest for High-Precision Statistics
Why we like it
Extremely lightweight; legendary accuracy for statistical calculations; fast on old hardware.
Keep in mind
Linux-first (harder to install on Windows); no cloud features at all.
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