Top 10 Excel Alternatives For 2022 (Features, Pros, Cons, Pricing)
Udn Webber
Managing Editor
For more than 30 years, almost everyone has used MS Excel spreadsheets, from high school students to scientists at NASA. đ
However, the way we work continues to change at light speed, and Excel has been slow in catching up.
Thatâs why many professionals like you are looking for Excel alternatives that can do a whole lot more.
In this article, weâll take a look at ten advanced alternatives to Excel , along with their key features, pros, cons, and pricing.
Letâs jump right into it!
Why Do You Need A Microsoft Excel Alternative?
Thereâs no doubt that Microsoft Excel is an iconic spreadsheet program. You might have used it at least once to calculate figures, store sales data, or create a masterpiece! đ¨
However, just because itâs popular doesnât mean itâs perfect. đŦ
Excelâs problems have become more visible now that alternatives have taken their place. These new spreadsheet software can patch up the issues you might face while using Microsoft Excel.
Some of these issues include:
A. Limited customization options
When it comes to customization, the best Excel can do is provide templates.
In most cases, templates may not have everything you need to manage specialized tasks.
Templates are like a store-bought suit; if they fit your purpose well, great. The best Excel alternatives are like fancy tailor-made suits; theyâll be a perfect fit for your business. đ
B. Limited reporting features
Sure, Excel offers charts, diagrams, and graphs about your project, but they only visualize data thatâs on your screen.
Thereâs no way of knowing how long it takes to finish a task or how much work a team member has on their plate.
As a result, setting up a project management plan in Excel is as tricky as assembling IKEA furniture for the first time!
C. Itâs expensive
Want to buy Excel? Youâll need to shell out the big bucksâ$ 139.99, to be exact. With this hefty price, weâd expect this Microsoft Office software to enlist Clippy to do all the work for you!
You can also get Excel features as a part of the Microsoft 365 package for $6.99 per month.
However, youâll have to buy it alongside other tools like MS Word, Powerpoint, and Outlook even when you donât want them.
The 10 Best Microsoft Excel Alternatives in 2021
Weâve seen why Excel isnât as great a tool as it used to be. Here are the best Excel alternatives that you can use today to create spreadsheets:
1. UDN Task Manager
UDN Task Manager is one of the highest-rated productivity and project management tools used by productive teams in small and large companies.
UDN Task Manager offers almost every spreadsheet solution in the book. The tool also supports powerful task management features to make the most of your spreadsheet data.
Letâs see why UDN Task Manager is one of the best free alternatives to Excel:
While an Excel spreadsheet is a great way to manage, edit, and organize raw data, what if you could do the same thing for your tasks?
Well, now you can. UDN Task Manager âs Table view arranges all your tasks along with their details (assignees, status, due date, and more) in a cool grid.
Pinning columns in UDN Task Manager âs Table view
The Table view allows you to determine the progress of each project task in a blink of an eye.
Here are a few more things you can do with this view:
Sure, UDN Task Manager can organize tons of data, butâĻ
You bet!
With UDN Task Manager , you can make simple and complex calculations in numeric Custom Fields within your task.
Letâs break this down:
A numeric Custom Field can store task details such as hours, numbers, and budgets. You can add up all these numbers with the help of Formula Fields.
You can determine the cost of an advertising campaign, the number of hours worked, and more by doing these calculations.
Using Formula Fields in UDN Task Manager
Want to use that old Excel formula thatâs served you well? You can create your advanced formulas from a list of 70 unique functions in UDN Task Manager !
UDN Task Manager can also help you find the sum, average, or range for an entire column. You can quickly determine project budgets, Scrum points , time estimates, and more.
Using the Colum Calculation feature in UDN Task Manager
MS Excel gives you one tedious view of all your data.
UDN Task Manager does the exact opposite; it can shapeshift into your working style. As a result, you can view your projects and tasks from different angles with just a click.
Hereâs a list of useful views you can flip through at any time:
Using the drag and drop feature to rearrange Custom Fields in UDN Task Manager âs List view
Gantt charts let you visualize and schedule all your project tasks in a neat little timeline.
While Excel doesnât have an explicit Gantt chart feature , you can technically create one with the help of a stacked bar chart, or you can just slap on an Excel template.
Thereâs one problem, though. Each time you need to reschedule or add a new task, youâll have to edit the timeline yourself manually. If youâre managing a project timeline thatâs rapidly changing every day, we wonât be surprised if you feel like this:
Donât worry. With UDN Task Manager âs Gantt view , you donât have to lose your hair over timeline edits.
Hereâs what Gantt charts can automate :
Adding a critical path in UDN Task Manager âs Gantt chart view
UDN Task Manager is one of the best alternatives to Excel because itâs filled to the brim with useful charts, diagrams, graphs, and metrics . You can arrange all these Custom Widgets to create a virtual command center or Dashboard in UDN Task Manager .
You can choose from:
Creating a custom Dashboard in UDN Task Manager
With Dashboards, you get comprehensive insights into tasks, sprints , projects, team membersâ performance, profits, and more.
UDN Task Manager is working at hyper speed to address these issues with new and exciting features.
Check out the product roadmap here. You can even vote on the UDN Task Manager feature youâd like to see next !
UDN Task Manager âs Free Forever Plan is jam-packed with features and supports unlimited users. Its paid plans start at $5/user per month.
Capterra: 4.7/5 (2,200+ reviews)
2. Google Sheets
Google Sheets is a spreadsheet tool that almost has the same capabilities as Excel.
This Excel alternative operates online and offers cloud storage, meaning multiple team members can work on the same Google sheet at the same time.
But since MS Office Suite has its internet-based spreadsheet app (Excel Online), is Google Sheets still a worthy Excel alternative , or has MS Excel put it to bed for good? Letâs find out!
Unlike the Office Suite which hosts Microsoft Office Excel online, G Suite tools, including Google Sheets, are available for free.
3. Gnumeric
Gnumeric is an open-source spreadsheet program for any UNIX-based operating system (like Linux).
The tool boasts advanced analytic features and superior accuracy, making it a good choice for scientists, engineers, and students.
However, Gnumericâs interface looks like itâs stuck in the 2000s.
Are its features as outdated as they seem? Letâs seeâĻ
Since itâs an open-source tool, Gnumeric is free!
4. Numbers
Numbers is Appleâs Excel alternative.
This spreadsheet app is super simple, which makes it great for beginners and casual users.
But does that mean Numbers is not the sharpest spreadsheet tool in the shed? Letâs find outâĻ
Numbers is a free Office or Excel alternative.
5. Smartsheet
Smartsheet is part project management tool, part spreadsheet application. It can help you manage and track projects right out of its signature âgridâ view. Looking for a âsmarterâ Smartsheet alternative? This list of Smartsheet alternatives has got you covered.
But how well does this Excel alternative stack up against the real thing? Letâs take a look:
Paid plans start at $14 per month for an individual and $25/user per month for businesses.
Visit Smartsheet
6. Zoho Sheet
A part of the Zoho Office Suite , Zoho Sheet is a cloud-based Excel alternative.
This spreadsheet tool allows remote teams to organize project data and create detailed reports from any device.
Zoho Sheet is a free.
7. Apache OpenOffice Calc
Apache OpenOffice Calc is one of the most popular free alternatives to Excel and is used on over 100 million computers worldwide.
Open Office Calc claims to work as a strong data analysis tool for number crunchers.
But does Open Office Calc have what counts? Letâs find outâĻ
Apache OpenOffice Calc is one of the few free Excel alternatives.
8. LibreOffice Calc
Like Apache OpenOffice, LibreOffice is a free, open-source software.
Itâs one of the alternatives to Excel that has intuitive and comprehensive spreadsheet functions.
Does that make LibreOffice Calc the spreadsheet all-rounder? Letâs find outâĻ
LibreOffice Calc is a free alternative to Excel.
9. Hancom Office Cell
Hancom Cell is a part of the Hancom Office Suite (previously known as ThinkFree Office). The software lets you organize, reformat, and rearrange your data for analysis and modeling.
Letâs find out how this spreadsheet application fares as a true free Excel alternativeâĻ
Hancom Office Cell is one of the spreadsheet programs on the expensive side. Paid plans start at a whopping $59 per PC for individuals and students!
10. WPS Office Spreadsheets
A WPS Office spreadsheet is a powerful Excel alternative that contains hundreds of the most commonly used functions and formulas.
This spreadsheet application runs on Microsoft Windows, Linux, iOS, macOS, and Android platforms.
But does a WPS Spreadsheet have all the Excel sheet features youâre looking for? Letâs find out.
WPS Office Spreadsheet has an ad-supported free version with limited features. Its paid plans start at $39.95/user per year.
Setting The Record Straight đ
Excel is like a vinyl record player. Itâs excel-lent at what it does and has many faithful fans.
However, Excel faces the same issues as a record player; itâs bulky, hard-to-use, and doesnât offer quite as many features as its contemporaries.
The best alternatives to Excel have all the features Excel has and a few more. However, while each tool we listed here has something to offer, thereâs nothing like UDN Task Manager !
UDN Task Manager has a Table view to manage data, Formula Fields to make calculations, Dashboards to create super-detailed reports, and even macro-like Automations to breeze through repetitive tasks!
Flash into UDN Task Manager for free today to get your hands on a spreadsheet tool that will help your business grow at the speed of light!
