Different versions have version compatibility difficulties.Extensive range of formulae and functions.No need for internet (Excel 2016 and prior versions).Extensive range of options for data visualization.The following image represents the primary interface of an MS Excel worksheet, which is the typical screen we see for the first time when creating a new Excel sheet: Despite this, finding any information is easy with the interactive support of data sorting and filtering, allowing users to apply rules on data set by various criteria. MS Excel is a handy program for various data-related tasks and reports, such as making payslips or salary slips, calculating weekly expenses, accounting, and many more. The applied formulae or functions are displayed on the formula bar. Additionally, users can also apply built-in formulae or functions on the stored data to get the desired output/ result. Excel mainly stores the data in tables, formed by several rows and columns. MS Excel or Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet program that is installed with the MS Office package. Let us first understand both with the definitions: What is MS Excel?
Furthermore, this will help us choose the right spreadsheet software for our purposes between Excel and Spreadsheets. This article discusses essential differences between Excel and Google sheets, which will help us know the values of each software.
Even though many features are similar in these spreadsheet programs, there are significant differences between Excel and Google Sheets. Although numerous software claims to organize the information in neat and clean spreadsheets, MS Excel and Google Sheets are the two most popular programs/ tools.Įxcel and Google sheets are both powerful spreadsheet tools and have distinct features. It's also receiving rapid updates, with new tools like infographics now in its bow, so if you work with data on a regular basis performing complex tasks then it's still the leader by a wide margin.Organizing the data or keeping track of data and lists is one of the most common tasks in many businesses, companies, and organizations. Things have come an awfully long way since then, and it now boasts many of Excel's most powerful and useful features (such as pivot tables), but it's still not caught up completely.Įxcel has an enormous head start, and features a formula for pretty much every data-driven task you can think of. When Google Sheets first arrived on the scene, it was a very simple tool that was little more than a calculator app. Spreadsheets from Google Sheets can be transferred easily between Google's other apps, but if you want to work with third-party software (accounting software, for example) then you'll be better off with Microsoft Excel. You can collaborate on spreadsheets easily using Microsoft Office Online (Image credit: Microsoft) Compatibilityīear in mind which other software you're going to be using for your day-to-day work. Don't rule Excel out before taking a look at the options. Google might be handier for the time being, but it's not as clear-cut as it once was.
Microsoft Excel is primarily a one-man show, but you can work on Excel documents together via Microsoft Excel Online, which is essentially a pared-back version of the full desktop software, or get more options if you and your teammates have Microsoft Office 365 Business (opens in new tab) subscriptions. You can simply email colleagues a link allowing them to join in making (or just suggesting) changes and adding comments, all of which will be visible in real time. If you want to collaborate with other people, Google Sheets is the natural first choice. The best choice here really depends on your priorities: convenience or sheer storage space.
Microsoft Excel can sync your files with Microsoft OneDrive, which takes a little extra effort, but if you've invested in an Office 365 subscription you'll have an impressive 1TB of cloud storage at your disposal. Google Sheets will save your spreadsheets to your Google Drive account, enabling you to access them anywhere. Excel will give you a warning if you try to close the program without saving your work, and if you do shut it down by mistake, you stand a good chance of restoring some of your work using Microsoft's built-in recovery tool, but there are no guarantees. Google Sheets will save your work automatically, so you don't need to worry about accidentally closing the window while you're working. It's possible to import and export spreadsheets in Google Sheets, but they may not appear exactly the same in Microsoft Excel (Image credit: Microsoft) Saving and syncing