9 Best Microsoft Excel Alternatives for MAC and Windows Users

microsoft excel alternatives for mac os
 

Microsoft Excel is one of the most popular and commonly used business tools. There is probably no other program that is used today for as many different purposes as Microsoft Excel. Using this application, you can create and edit simple reports, complex financial reviews with graphs and diagrams, and even summaries with vivid illustrations. The only problem with the Microsoft software is its cost and subscription model.

If you are a Mac user, looking for an affordable Excel alternative that could perform the most common operations might be challenging. Don’t waste your time viewing tens of web pages and forums in search of the best spreadsheet software for your Apple computer. In this article, you will find everything you need to know about some Excel alternatives that easily install and run on macOS. If you want to become an Excel Expert then you must check out the ways to use excel like a professional.

So let’s have a look at the excel alternatives for your MAC computer to complete your tasks:

9 Best Alternatives of Microsoft Excel in 2021

 

1 – Zoho Sheets

zoho sheets a microsoft excel alternative

 

Zoho a reputed name in the software industry. It is a set of applications that provides operational support for small and medium-sized businesses. Zoho sheet is available with free account signup, and the working and features of Zoho sheets are way similar to Microsoft excel.

You can import your existing files from your computer to Zoho sheets, or import a sheet from a URL. Switch between .xls, xlsx, .csv and .ods very easily.

The storage and application are cloud-based as Google sheets are, so you can access the data and files from anywhere. Only you need a device with an internet connection that’s it.

 

2 – Google Sheets

google sheets an excel alternative

 

Google sheets are very popular if you are in the field of digital marketing and accounting then you already know it. It is the most popular excel alternative available in the market.

It offers the same features as Microsoft excel offers such as – charts, tables, formulas, etc. Google sheet is free for anyone who has a Google account(Gmail account).

The service is also cloud-based so you don’t need to worry about taking the backup of the files. You can access any of your files from anywhere in the world(except China) with an active internet connection.

Google sheets come with predesigned templates which you can use to set your spreadsheet faster. The application is also available you can download the Google sheets app from the app store or play store, edit and save Microsoft Excel files as well convert them to Google sheets very easily at your fingertips.

 

3 – Apple Numbers

 

Apple Numbers is a spreadsheet program developed by Apple as part of the iWork suite for iCloud. It’s a browser-based app optimized especially for Mac, iPhone, and iPad that comes included with most Apple devices. Numbers allow you to create stunning spreadsheets with colorful illustrations and diagrams and can be conveniently used on a variety of mobile devices and even on a PC regardless of your location. However, this requires registration and access to the iCloud platform.

Unlike Microsoft Excel, a new spreadsheet in Numbers starts with a blank canvas instead of an endless grid. This means that so you can choose fonts, style cell borders, and move everything around the canvas organizing your data the way you want. Numbers make it easier to create beautifully visualized presentations with small amounts of data because it offers a library of over 700 customizable shapes, a lot of built-in templates, and hundreds of functions. Moreover, the app can import tables and save files in Excel format. 

If you use an iPhone or iPad, you can access your Numbers documents from everywhere. You are also allowed to collaborate on spreadsheets with other team members. You can see your team’s edits as they make them — and they can watch as you make yours, too. Numbers’ icon-based user interface that is more oriented towards visual presentation than data processing makes crediting as simple as possible.

 

4 – Apache OpenOffice Calc

Apache OpenOffice, formerly known as OpenOffice.org, is one of the most widely used alternatives to Microsoft Office. It’s an open-source office suite that contains a spreadsheet editor called Calc alongside tools for word, presentation, formula, drawing, and database processing. This package is easy to use, and experienced Microsoft users will find it pretty convenient and powerful.

Calc is quite similar to Excel in both appearance and functions. However, it is not an imitation of the modern Microsoft interface. Like Excel, Calc offers a wide range of features, including cell formatting, pivot tables, templates, backgrounds, frames, and simple shortcuts. Besides, Calc also encourages collaborative work on spreadsheets and allows multiple users to access documents simultaneously. By sharing a spreadsheet, other users can easily add their data to the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet owner can then integrate the new data with a few clicks.

Calc saves spreadsheets in OpenDocument format. This XML-based format allows you to access your spreadsheets from any OpenDocument compliant software, for example, LibreOffice Calc. You can also import your old Microsoft Excel spreadsheets or save your work in Excel format. However, Calc’s compatibility with XLSX files is not perfect sometimes. 

 

5 – Hancom Office Cell

The cell is a spreadsheet application that forms a part of the Hancom Office, formerly known as ThinkFree Office. It’s a proprietary office suite with an intuitive interface and powerful features that also include a word processor, presentation software, and a PDF editor. Developed by a company based in South Korea, this solution is primarily designed for the home market but English-speaking users can take advantage of it, too. 

Cell offers all the features you would probably like to see in a spreadsheet program. It allows you to organize, reformat and rearrange your data for analysis and modeling. For better visualization, you can choose from 73 popular chart types, each with a variety of style options. Smart tags, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and plenty of available functions and formulas make it easier to analyze and gain insights from your data. Moreover, the app helps build, run and edit Excel-compatible macros.

Cell’s native compatibility with Excel enables you to open and update your existing Excel spreadsheets without any problems. It can also work with ODF files and other popular formats.

 

6 – LibreOffice

LibreOffice was introduced in the year 2010 and it is a successor of Openoffice.org(also known as OpenOffice). It is free and open-source software that is derived from the original Openoffice.org like other Softwares – Apache OpenOffice and other tools and has almost similar features. LibreOffice is available for different computing platforms which include, Windows, MAC, and Linux. LibreOffice is also available in the form of an online office tool. The latest version of LibreOffice is available to download with lots of new features, improvements, and performance boost at LibreOffice 7.2.

This tool offers the exact same features such as a pivot table and text to columns but lacks extensive formatting capabilities. If you are looking for an excel alternative then you can give a try LibreOffice.

 

7 – TableEdit

TableEdit is a simple spreadsheet application designed specifically for the Mac. Its minimalistic yet intuitive interface is easy to master, and the app has all the traditional features like formulas, charts, cell styling, and import & export options.

Unlike other cross-platform alternatives, TableEdit natively supports different Mac technologies like autosave, document versioning, iCloud and more. The key element of the interface is the toolbar which shows the most commonly used options as well as the main cell editor. The editor provides easy access for inserting common functions.

TableEdit supports different charts and graphs to help you visualize your data. You can choose from pie charts, bar charts, and line graphs and define colors, styles, and various options. Moreover, TableEdit has many options for controlling how cell content should be displayed in the table. You can opt for customizable date and time formats. Apart from built-in formulas, you can write Python scripts to define custom functions that can do anything you want.

 

8 – ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor

Another open-source solution on our list, ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor, is part of the office suite created and developed by Ascensio System SIA based in Latvia. Initially, the ONLYOFFICE project focused on online editors and productivity tools, but eventually, the developers released a free desktop version for Windows, Linux, and macOS.

ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor uses XLSX as its native format, so it’s fully compatible with Microsoft Excel files. Other popular formats, such as XLS, ODS, and CSV, are also supported by the app. ONLYOFFICE’s tabbed interface looks intuitive and offers a familiar user experience. 

When it comes to editing and formatting, ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor has a good set of features. You can visualize and sort data as you like, make complex calculations and use various functions and formulas. Pivot tables, slicers, data validation, and custom number formats make your work with spreadsheets as easy as possible. You can also run JavaScript macros and use third-party plugins (e.g. Google Translator, Image Editor, or YouTube videos).

If you want to enable real-time collaboration, you can connect the ONLYOFFICE desktop app to the cloud (for example, ONLYOFFICE Cloud, Nextcloud, ownCloud, or Seafile). By sharing a spreadsheet, you will be able to edit it with other team members and see their edits as they make them.

 

9 – ThinkFree or HanCom

hancom office an microsoft excel alternative

 

ThinkFree is now HanCom Office. ThinkFree Office Online is a web-based word processing tool, spreadsheet, and presentation software similar to Google drive apps and Microsoft office apps. ThinkFree is compatible with Microsoft office and it allows you to create and edit your documents(in any format) within the web application and you can also collaborate with other users(your team working on a specific project) in real-time. ThinkFree also offers you a mobile service that allows you to create, edit and view documents on mobile devices. The features of this software are similar to Google sheets.

 

Conclusion

If you are a Mac user and need a decent Microsoft Excel alternative, you can choose any of the options described above. Some of them are absolutely free and some are paid but they all allow you to perform various operations with your spreadsheets. You just need to decide which solution suits your tasks best. 

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