Google Sheets vs Excel

[Katrina]

For those of you who use Google Sheets and also know Excel, what are some of the differences that you've come across? Are they a little bit compatible or no?

 

[Page]

If I need to use Google Sheets, which is rare, I'll use that. And I prefer it to Excel. However, I do work in Excel, ever ever ever. So it's more just a way to store raw data for me then anything else, ALso Google is free

 

[Dismal_Bliss]

I pay for Office 365 so I use Excel. I've never even touched Google Sheets

 

[zappaDPJ]

I guess it depends on your requirements. I also subscribe to Office 365 and use Excel regularly. I have used Google Sheets in the past but functionally they are quite limited in comparison.

 

[Kross]

The good thing about Google Sheets is that you can login anywhere and access your work. With Excel, you most likely have to install a software.

 

[....]

I find Google Sheets far more intuitive than Excel, personally. I did a ton of spreadsheet work in one of my old jobs, and it was always on Google Sheets.

 

[Page]

easy just to use word

 

[Nomad]

I use both, depending on necessity and convenience.

 

[Naza]

I find Google Sheets far more intuitive than Excel, personally. I did a ton of spreadsheet work in one of my old jobs, and it was always on Google Sheets.

Google Sheet has made my work easier. I've never thought of making use of Excel since I discovered that I can do much more with Sheets.

 

[cpvr]

I personally prefer Google sheets. I've only used Excel a couple of times.

 

[Katrina]

What are some limitations of Google Sheets?

 

[Uncrowned Guard]

I find Excel to be a much more powerful tool overall, but Google Sheets is definitely better for group work. For most people, both platforms cover 100% of what they’ll ever need, so it really does come down to personal preference; and they’re different enough that those preferences show pretty clearly.

Google Sheets absolutely wins when it comes to sharing and multi‑user workflows. Real‑time editing, easy permissions, and simple collaboration make it ideal for anything involving a team. Excel can do shared work, but it’s nowhere near as smooth or intuitive.

On the power‑user side, though, Excel still holds the edge. Its macro automation is more mature, and it has stronger formula tools like indexing, queries, and advanced lookups. Plus, Excel integrates tightly with the rest of the Microsoft Office ecosystem, so you can link data across Word, Access, Power BI, and other tools in ways Sheets just can’t match.

So for me, Sheets is the collaboration king, but Excel is still the heavyweight when you need deeper functionality.

 

[Felly]

Maybe it's because I don't do too much with either Google Sheets or Excel, but on a basic level, I feel like both are about the same. I've used both, but I more regularly use Google Sheets since it's free and I no longer have access to the Microsoft set of applications through school. I think at the end of the day, it also depends on what you're using it for, but on a basic level, either would be fine to use with Google Sheets probably taking the edge since it's free.