Google Sheets vs Microsoft Excel, or Excel Vs Google Spreadsheets, has been a topic of debate among spreadsheet users for years. Both Google Spreadsheets and Microsoft Excel are powerful spreadsheet software that is widely used in business, education, and personal life. While both programs have similar features, they also have distinct differences in terms of cost, functionality, collaboration, and accessibility.
I’ve already written a post on this topic but there are plenty of queries and questions on Why Google Sheets are better than MS Excel and vice versa.
In this blog post, I am going to cover FAQs on Google Spreadsheets and Microsoft Excel.
Frankly speaking, I am not an Excel expert but I love Google Sheets because of various reasons. I know most of the features Google Sheets provide are already available in Microsoft Excel but there are some advanced features like Google Finance, Google Translate, Data Studio Connectivity, Sheet Synchronisation, Collaboration, Etc which makes Google Sheets the best multitasking application for data management, data visualization and plenty of other things.
I know there are some areas where Google Sheets lacks especially when it comes to handling large files, complex formulas, internet availability, etc which makes Google Sheets not a first preference for some of us but Google Workplace (formerly known as Google G suite) has been introducing new features to improve the overall performance.
Before getting started with our Microsoft Office Suite Vs Google Workplace war, we are going to segment our questions into different segments.
So let’s get started with some Frequenty Ask Questions about Google Sheets and Microsoft Office’s Excel
So the first question is,
Is Microsoft Office better than Google’s G Suite (formerly Google Apps)? Why? Why not?
Or
Are Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets better or worse than Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel?
The answer is no and yes.
It totally depends on your requirements. There are some areas where Microsoft Excel is required, especially when you need advanced features and when you are working with large data in spreadsheets or any other Office program.
Google Apps is a minimalistic online office suite, it’s free and collaborative. It also seamlessly connects with other Google services such as Gmail and Calendar which makes it an overall productivity app set.
Do you like using Excel or Google Sheets?
It’s up to your job nature. I need to collaborate with a lot of people and have multiple interlinked sheets that make my job a lot easier, that’s why I like Google Sheets.
With Google Sheets, it’s very easy to collaborate and work with a remote team as well.
For some users, MS Excel would be the first preference because of Macros, Add-Ins, graphing, and other heavy-duty stuff.
Are Google Sheets better than MS Excel? Why are people using Google Sheets except for MS Excel in 2020?
There is not much difference between MS Excel and Google Sheets when it comes to core features, functions, and formulas. That’s why Google Sheets is better than MS Excel because most people don’t require advanced Excel and Sheets formulas. But people who are into data analysis, visualization, and number crunching prefer MS Excel.
Google Sheets are free, easy, and convenient, that’s why everyone uses Google Sheets.
With Google Sheets being so far behind Excel on so many levels beyond just functionality diversity and compatibility just to name a few why would anyone even choose Google Sheets
There are many reasons,
1 – It’s free and convenient
2 – Most of the users don’t use Excel’s advanced functions and Google Sheets covers all basic functions and features that an average spreadsheet user requires.
There are many more reasons which I’ve covered in one of my blog posts.
Are Google Sheets better than MS Excel in terms of performing data analysis?
Yes and No.
Google Sheets have limits. That’s why it depends on how much data you want to analyze.
If data is less, data analysis can be performed within Google Sheets.
Features, like explore and column stats, are quite handy for analyzing data.
Are Google Sheets really terrible compared to Excel?
Not at all, both suites have some pros and cons and they are best in their own way.
Microsoft Office Which do you think is better Google Sheets or Excel
It depends on your requirements. If you require spreadsheet software to crunch numbers, do data analysis, charting, and advanced customization with large volumes then Excel is best and if you want to use real-time collaborative, core spreadsheet functionalities and data volume less then Google Sheets is best.
I’ve written a blog on this topic and I am in favor of Google Sheets, in fact not only in favor of Google Sheets but I love Google G Suite (Workplace) because it gives so much power to individuals and small and medium-scale businesses.
Personally, I like Google Sheets but there are many people out there who prefer Excel over Google Sheets.
What are the differences between a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and a Google spreadsheet?
Very little.
It’s a matter of preferences and priorities. For someone being online is important, that’s why they prefer Google Sheets and for someone, it’s not much important that’s why they prefer Excel and it goes on and on with each and every feature.
What are the similarities and differences between Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel?
They are very similar, both have the same functionalities for moderate users. Both are spreadsheet software so both have spreadsheet essentials.
Apart from that, Google Sheets can easily integrate with Google Analytics, Data Studio, and other Google services.
Excel can easily be integrated with Power BI and other Office services.
What is stopping everyone from moving from Excel to Google Sheets?
Or
What is stopping you from moving from Excel to Google Sheets?
I think many people are moving from MS Excel to Google Spreadsheets.
There would be some reasons why some Excel users are not moving to Google Spreadsheets.
1 – VBA
VBAs are not compatible with Google Sheets, that’s why people who rely on VBAs are still using MS Excel.
2 – Expertise, Learning Curve, and Comfort Zone
Many Excel power users are experts in handling data in Excel and that’s why they prefer it over Google Sheets. Another reason could be the learning curve and comfort zone, users are comfortable with Excel and they don’t need or like to move to Google Sheets.
3 – Powerful Offline Application
Excel is more powerful and has the flexibility to work offline.
What is the difference between Excel and spreadsheets?
Spreadsheets are digital ledgers where data is maintained in a tabular form (rows and columns). MS Excel is just a name given by Microsoft for their own version of it.
There are multiple companies that have various versions of spreadsheets with similar features and functionalities.
Which is better Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel?
Depends on your requirements and how you use spreadsheets.
If you are an Excel expert and have VBAs and hundreds of sheets that you don’t want to share with Google and don’t want to rely on the Internet then Excel would be the best fit for you.
Nowadays everyone is using Google Spreadsheets because it can be shared, multiple users can collaborate and it has all functions which an average spreadsheet user wants. If you fit in this group then Google Sheets is perfect for you.
We can’t compare two spreadsheet programs but we can compare two features or requirements like if you judge Excel or Google Spreadsheets on security parameters Excel can be more secure and better. You need to figure out what those parameters are and on what basis you are going to decide which is better.
The software which fulfills your requirement is the best.
Which one is better Microsoft products Word Excel Presentation etc or Google products Docs Slides Sheets etc?
The answer is whichever meets your needs. Google Workplace is best for collaborative and productivity apps and MS Office Suite is the best office suite for advanced and complex document creation and processing.
“Better” is a subjective term, it depends on what you want.
Which spreadsheet program is better Google Sheets Microsoft Excel or LibreOffice Calc?
If budget is the concern and you have basic functionalities requirements then go with Google Sheets or LibreOffice. If you are going to share and collaborate then Google Sheets.
If you need spreadsheet software for data analysis go with MS Office, if you want some basic functionalities and are okay with being online and want to share and collaborate online then go with Google Sheets.
Use LibreOffice if Excel and Google Sheets are not your preference.
Why do people prefer to use Excel more than Google Sheets Which is best for me?
Office Suite is a standard just like Photoshop, There are tonnes of features and there are tonnes of tools out there that provide a specific feature. For example, there are plenty of background remover and face swap applications out there but it can be done in Photoshop, similarly, MS Excel has many advanced features and Google Sheets lacks these features.
Almost each and every software or SAAS provides export as an Excel or CSV function, which conveys Excel is industry standard and it’s compatible with many online/offline applications.
Excel has features like Power View, we can also perform advanced mathematical calculations for serious number crunching. On the other hand, VBAs can add new dimensions of automation.
So if Google Sheets is best for you doesn’t mean it’s best for everyone.
Why do people still use Microsoft Excel instead of Google Sheets?
Excel is older, faster, and industry standard. People have invested a lot of time and that’s why they don’t want to switch.
It doesn’t require an internet connection and Google Sheets’ performance depends on how constant and reliable your internet connection is.
Some people don’t want to share data with Google and like the confidentiality and security Microsoft Excel offers.
Excel’s new BI (Business Intelligence) features like Powerview, and PowerPivot is required for data analysts. Analyzing large data with pivot tables is easy in Excel.
Why do you use Google Sheets over Excel?
Google Sheets have features that 90% of the users require other than that. It’s free, it’s online and you can export it as an Excel file. It’s excellent if you want to collaborate with some people (co-workers and colleagues).
It has some advanced features like query, Regexmatch/Replace, finance, and Translate.
You can create additional features with JavaScript rather than VBA. In my opinion, JS is easier to learn, more powerful, and more useful due to its widespread use across many platforms.
Why is Google Sheets not as popular as MS Excel?
I don’t think Google Sheets is not as popular as MS Excel. I would say MS Excel is widely used but that doesn’t make it popular. MS Excel has been in existence since long before Gsheets, that’s why it has more users than Excel.
There is a difference between being popular and being famous and I think MS Excel is more famous than Google Sheets.
Which is easier Excel or Google Sheets?
I would suggest Google Sheets because it’s minimalistic, intuitive, and simpler than Excel.
There is a getting started guide you can refer to, Google formula suggestions help you understand formulas and how they should be nested with an example.
Why is Google Sheets so laggy and underpowered compared to Microsoft Excel if web technologies are so powerful today?
Google Sheets can be slower compared to offline Excel because Excel is an offline native app and Google is a browser-based collaborative platform. When we consider an online application there are a lot of things happening in the background.
If you have a stable and high-speed internet connection then Google Sheets don’t lag.
Excel Online and Google Sheets can be laggy and sluggish because both are online applications.
Will Google Sheets ever become as popular as Microsoft Excel?
Yes!
If we consider 90% of the consumer segment they use basic functions and Google Sheets have all these features. It is free and if we consider Android and Google users, I think most people would be using Google Sheets.
The remaining 10% of power users will rely on Excel if Google Sheets fails to make large files and functions functional online.
Will Google Sheets ever win the war against MS Excel?
Google Sheets and MS Excel are spreadsheet software, both have similar features, functions, and formulas but both have different approaches. Google Sheets is a collaborative spreadsheet and Excel is an offline/online data analysis spreadsheet program.
Both software complements each other, so whenever we need to do some online stuff we can use Google Sheets and whenever we want to do some number crunching and analysis we can switch to Excel.
I think both are going to win in their specialized areas.
Are Google Docs and Google Sheets sufficient for the casual user? Is it necessary to buy Microsoft Office?
G Suite/ Workspace is sufficient for casual and basic document creation, in fact, it comes free with your Gmail account and you can start using it immediately.
If you know you will use basic to moderate functions and features go with Google Suite. You don’t need to buy MS Office Suite.
If you are looking for an offline free office suite try LibreOffice or OpenOffice.
What should a startup company use: Google Apps or MS Office web apps?
I recommend Google Apps because it’s best for collaboration, communication, and email functionalities. Google has been improving its products and services which makes its products more reliable.
MS Office could be faster than Google Apps but Google Apps are good for start-ups.
How does using Google Sheets compare with Microsoft Excel + Dropbox when collaborating with coworkers
If you are not an analyst, Google Sheets as an online spreadsheet is better than MS Excel. If you are looking for Dropbox/Skydrive storage option you can save/download your spreadsheet as Excel to store in Dropbox/Skydrive.
Is it better for a company to use Google Sheets or MS Excel for spreadsheets?
If you are a startup or small medium scale business and security is not a major concern Google Sheets is best because you can store your information and collaborate with your teamwork for free.
If you need to handle large files, data crunching, and data analysis then go with MS Excel. It’s more secure than Google Sheets. It has more formulas and functions as compared to Google Spreadsheets.
Paid Vs Free
Why do people pay for Microsoft Office rather than using Google for free?
Microsoft Excel is everywhere. It has more functions and formulas that’s why professional users (statisticians, financial analysts, accountants, and other power users) prefer MS Excel over Google Spreadsheets though it’s paid. Also, desktop applications perform better than online applications.
Microsoft Excel is the oldest spreadsheet program and industry standard used by the old generation. They are used MS Excel that’s why they pay for it.
Should I purchase Microsoft Office or just use Google Docs for free?
If you are a basic user, go with Google Docs. At some point, if you feel Google Docs is unable to serve your requirement you can switch to Microsoft Office.
Should I use LibreOffice or Google Docs, slides, and Sheets instead of buying Microsoft Office?
If money is an issue use Google Docs which is best for free online collaboration and storage. If being online is an issue then use LibreOffice and if it fails to match your requirements then move to MS Office Suite.
Is Microsoft Office Excel worth buying I have been using Google Sheets in high school but many jobs require Excel knowledge
Jobs require Excel’s core feature skillset and if you ask what specific skillset they want and if you are able to do those tasks/things in Google Sheets then it shouldn’t be a problem.
Excel is a spreadsheet standard that’s why many people use “Excel” in their job specifications but what they mean is a spreadsheet.
There are some areas like VBA where you only rely on MS Excel then MS Excel knowledge is a must and you must buy Microsoft Office Excel to get proficient at it.
Alternatives
What are some alternatives to Microsoft Excel?
Or
Are there any spreadsheet programs that are as good as MS Excel but cheaper?
Or
What are some good Microsoft Excel alternatives that are free or very inexpensive?
Libre Office Calc, Open Office Calc, WPS Office Spreadsheets, FreeOffice, and Grumeric are some alternatives for the MS Excel programs. (Numbers for Mac)
Google Sheets and Zoho Sheets are online Excel alternatives.
If you want to use spreadsheets as simple databases and not for heavy financial calculations then the above alternatives are best.
Google Sheets are cheaper and as good as Excel for average and above-average users.
There are also some trial/limited versions of the application available like Hancom Office and Quattro Pro.
What is Google’s equivalent of Excel?
Google Sheets.
Limitation
Are spreadsheets like Excel or Google Sheets infinite?
No, both programs have limits.
Excel – 1,048,576 rows, 16,384 columns, and 17,179,869,184 total cells.
Google – Ten million cells. To calculate rows and columns do your own math.
https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2022/03/ten-million-cells-google-sheets.html#:~:text=We’ve%20increased%20the%20cell,%2C%20existing%2C%20and%20imported%20files.
Can Google Sheets perform the same operations as Microsoft Excel?
Yes!
Google Sheets absolutely perform Microsoft Excel functions performed by 95% of average to above-average users.
What cant I do with Google Sheets that I can do with Microsoft Excel?
Google Sheets can perform almost each and every function and feature of MS Excel but being an online application it has some limits.
Microsoft Office has more keyword shortcuts, more charting options, advanced conditional formatting, more add-ins, more templates, and VBAs as compared to Google Sheets.
I think Table and What If are features not available in Google Sheets as of 7 June 2022.
Features, Functionality, and Formulas
Does Excel have a way to create named filter views like Google Sheets If so how?
Yes, they are called custom views.
Does Excel have the same functionality as Google Sheets?
The question should be “Does Google Sheets have the same functionality as Google Sheets?” because Excel is the industry standard.
Google Sheets is best as an online collaborative platform and Excel is best for data crunching and processing.
Sheets have features like Google Finance and Google Translate. Excel has tables and other benefits. Both are different platforms on various aspects, you need to determine what you require and which fulfills your requirements.
I also feel it’s quite unfair to compare an offline program with an online program.
Does Google Sheets have the same benefits as the new version of Excel?
Yes, Google Sheets have almost all the benefits which the latest MS Excel application has.
It’s a spreadsheet war and both are trying to provide the same benefits to users. MS Excel and Google Spreadsheets are improving daily, they have been putting efforts into research and development to introduce new features and fulfill future demands.
Do Google Spreadsheets work as well as Microsoft Excel?
If you are a modest user then Yes!
If you are an advanced Excel user then No!
Google Spreadsheets is quite a stripped-down application and it’s an online application so it has some limitations but it performs all essential spreadsheet features.
On the other hand, Microsoft Excel is the industry standard and has more features and data processing capacity along with formatting options.
What Excel features do people switching from Microsoft Excel to Google Sheets miss the most?
Google Sheets and MS Excel adapting and coming up with new features and ideas to win the spreadsheet war.
Here are some features which might not be available in Google Sheets and an Excel user going to miss
Tables, Flash Fill, Power Query, Power Pivot, Xlookup, and Spill Feature
What features are Google Sheets missing that keeps it from being a good replacement for MS Excel for business use?
There is no doubt MS Excel is much more powerful than Google Sheets but it does have all the basic functions and features an average user requires.
Some businesses that handle a lot of data and don’t require collaboration might feel Google isn’t a good replacement for Excel.
What features does Excel have that Google Sheets doesn’t?
Excel has more data handling capacity and there various chart and conditional formatting features which are not available in Google Sheets.
Where is Google Sheets Name Box which is the Excel box where you can type the exact cell you wish to jump to?
What is the equivalent of VBA for Google Sheets, or do you use VBA there too?
You can use Google App Script to create your own apps and scripts. It can do what VBA does in MS Excel.
Is there anything Google Apps Script can do with spreadsheets that VBA can’t do?
Google App Script can sync with other Google platforms such as Calendar, Gmail, etc. It can also connect with other platforms like Whatsapp.
VBA is more effective on desktop applications.
Can Google Sheets be programmed like MS Excel with VBA?
Yes, you can create scripts with Google App Script and can make it public as an add-on.
Pros and Cons
What are the benefits of Google Sheets over Excel?
In Google Sheets, you can collaborate in real-time and there are some advanced functions provided by Google such as GoogleFinance and GoogleTranslate.
However, if you don’t require real-time collaboration and other Google features MS Excel could be beneficial for you.
What are the pros and cons of Google Sheets versus Microsoft Excel?
We can compare both of these on various factors
Pricing, Collaboration, and Version History are some of the areas where Google Spreadsheets Excel.
On the other hand, Offline and Online Functionality, Statistical Analysis, Visualization, Filters, Macros, and Charts are areas where MS Excel has more features and is capable of handling more data.
What advantages does Microsoft Excel offer over Google Sheets for a small business using spreadsheets for inventory financial management and the creation of custom forms?
Inventory Management, Finance Management, and Custom Forms could be managed on Microsoft Excel but not as effectively as any CRM or Business Management Software.
Google Sheets are much more effective than Office because of the collaboration facility and there are plenty of add-ons that you can use for business automation and management.
Excel is an amazing program for crunching numbers. It’s very effective when you need to create charts and speed up work with Macros.
Learn
How can I use Excel more efficiently?
There are plenty of ways to get efficient at MS Excel, first of all, you need to automate repetitive tasks with Macros, need to learn reporting and charts in order to get insights from the data. If you learn Keyboard Shortcuts you can have more speed to perform tasks.
Learn best practices to use MS Excel or Google Sheets.
How much Excel spreadsheet experience practice and knowledge helps and transfers over into using and working with Google Sheets?
I think if you are efficient in MS Excel then Google Sheets are easy to adapt because of its simple interface and other features. If you are working with VBAs in Excel then it would be problematic as Google Spreadsheet has Appscript based on JavaScript.
Template
How can you offer certain Excel spreadsheets that you have created for consumers to purchase
There are multiple ways you can offer your Excel or Google Spreadsheet Templates to consumers to purchase. A few of the options are creating listings on eBay, Craigslist, Etsy, and your own website/blog.
Where can I find good examples of marketing templates for reporting and planning that I can use in Excel or Google Sheets?
A simple Google search can give you lots of Google and Excel Templates and add-ons which would be helpful for marketing, reporting, and planning.
You can find Google Spreadsheets Templates on our site as well.
Is Google Sheets 100% compatible with an Excel file import?
Google Spreadsheets are compatible with simple things or stuff. If Excel files have formulas like XLOOKUP which are not available in G Spreadsheets or have VBA codes, it won’t work on file import.
Conclusion
Spreadsheet software is a very competitive space, Google Spreadsheet and MS Excel are the most popular spreadsheet applications in the spreadsheet world. Which application is best among Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets is very subjective and depends on requirements.