App Like Excel Software Isnt Quite

While this open source software isnt quite as full-featured nor as beautifully polished as Microsofts apps, you cant beat free.

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Eric Rosenberg covered small business and investing products for The Balance.

Microsoft Office is the longtime leader in office productivity software.

If you are looking for an alternative due to cost, performance, or just a dislike of Microsoft products, you have many alternatives available.

Not all office suites are created equal, so we sifted through more than a dozen competitors to find the best Microsoft Office alternative for your needs.

App Like Excel For Free To Consumers

Known as G Suite for business users and available for free to consumers, the combination of Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Google Forms come together around online storage solution Google Drive as a top-notch productivity offering.

These free apps integrate with a free Google Drive account, which also integrates with a free Gmail account.

It works great on Windows, Mac, Linux, and any other computer with a modern web browser.

You can easily collaborate and share without downloading anything, add missing features with plugin integrations, and work with files from a variety of formats including Microsoft Office files.

While Google offers offline versions through plugins with the Chrome browser, they are not always consistent or reliable.

But if you do have a connection, youll be happy to know it works well on Android devices as well with native apps for Googles mobile operating system.

You dont have to pay unless you need more storage space in your online Google Drive.

While it doesnt quite do everything power users look for in programs like Excel, and there is no alternative for database program Access, there is a lot more to like than dislike and the price is right.

If you own a Mac, you get an office suite included with your purchase.

While they are not as popular as the Microsoft and Google suites, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are great for occasional use and solo needs, particularly if you are entrenched in Apples ecosystem including iCloud and devices like the iPad.

Apple also offers a web-based version compatible with the latest versions of Safari, Chrome, and Internet Explorer that integrates fully with iCloud.

Like others on this list, it works with its own file formats and easily imports and exports files in the popular Microsoft Office formats like.docx,.xlsx, and.pptx.

Mac users dont have to pay; the only cost is for additional iCloud storage space if you run out of room and want to store your files there.

The only really big downside is that it is not widely used, so support and online tutorials are far fewer.

You may also run into angry colleagues if you send over a Keynote file when they were expecting PowerPowerpoint, as compatibility isnt always great between formats, particularly when it comes to things like fonts, layouts, and image sizing.

But if you want something that just works and you are a dedicated Mac user, you should find everything you need with iWork.

If your primary complaint about Office is the cost, you should consider Open Office.

App Like Excel For Mac