Google Sheets VS MS Excel: Which Suits Your Needs Best?

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Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel are the two most popular choices for spreadsheet tools. Both are popular for a reason, but which one suits your needs the best? This article provides a Google Sheets VS MS Excel comparison, exploring their strengths, limitations, and ideal use cases.

• Data analysis
• Data visualisation
• Which is best for collaboration?
• Advanced tools
• Lagging and speed

Data analysis

The main function of spreadsheets is to provide rapid data calculation and analysis. It doesn’t matter how many columns you have, your spreadsheet does all the tedious mathematical work for you.

A feature of both Excel and Sheets is they have formula creation tools that show you how it’s all done. In Excel, click on the fx icon. In Sheets, select the ∑ icon. Guidance that’s simple to follow appears onscreen.

Both programs offer loads of formulas, but Excel is the best for this function. For instance, whether you’re using the web or desktop app, Excel has a dedicated Formulas tab. This tab allows you to view the different functions, a feature Sheets doesn’t yet offer.

Other advanced functions in Excel that Sheets doesn’t have are the TAKE function (lookup and reference), the STOCKHISTORY function, and the GROUPBY and PIVOTBY functions (for data aggregation).

Google Sheets does offer some advanced data analysis tools such as Google’s Connected Sheets, where you can analyse data via BigQuery with no need to export .csv files.

MS Excel is a clear winner when it comes to the analysis of basic and complex data. Dedicated and advanced formulas enable you to analyse and automate data comprehensively.

Data visualisation

Data visualisation is about displaying your data in chart form. Both programs have a Chart option for this under Insert. Excel offers a selection of recommended charts. After evaluating your data, Excel presents the best suggestions for displaying it visually.

Pivot tables are available in both Sheets and Excel. These tables allow you to choose what to display in the rows and columns, apply filters, and what totals you wish to include. On both platforms, you can reorder your data, reformat your table, and add further information. However, to get the most out of a pivot table, you’ll need the Excel desktop app, as it offers more options and functionality.

Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel for the web are very similar regarding data visualisation. They offer similar charts and options. However, the Excel desktop app has more choices and variants of its charts, allowing you to create a more visual spreadsheet and comprehensive dashboard.

Excel for the web and Sheets are equal if you want to visually represent your data for free. For superior chart options though, a paid subscription to the Excel desktop app is the way to go.

Which is best for collaboration?

Google Sheets is all about collaboration. In fact, Google created Sheets with this purpose in mind. Share a spreadsheet with a coworker and you can both work on that sheet at the same time. You can also see who’s editing or viewing a sheet in the top right corner, and when you add others to your worksheet, you can chat in real-time inside the Sheets workbook. Changes instantly update on the worksheet too.

While it also has real-time collaboration, Excel is way less intuitive. It’s slow at letting you know when someone else opens your shared workbook, and changes take some time to sync with your copy. Excel does allow you to email your collaborators directly. However, the program chat function is unavailable unless you subscribe to the Microsoft 365 Business package.

Google Sheets is a clear victor when it comes to spreadsheet collaboration.

Advanced tools

Both are great for general use, but Excel offers advanced features for power users that Sheets does not. There are more menus, ribbon tabs, groups within tabs, and more functions overall. The result is you can do far more in Excel than you can in Sheets. While this sounds like Excel must be the better spreadsheet program, to take advantage of these advanced features, you need to become an expert.

Google Sheets is better for simplicity, while Excel is best for more complex spreadsheets. Sheets is easy to navigate and understand. It has fewer functions, menus and tabs, which means you can get your head around it quicker than with Excel.

Excel is the best for power users, whereas Sheets is the winner for those who want spreadsheet simplicity.

Lagging and speed

Google Sheets and Excel for the web are quite similar regarding speed and lag times. If you use the desktop app for Excel, you’ll have a faster experience as it’s using the processing power of your computer and not relying on internet speed. Large data slows down web-based apps, but has little impact when using a desktop app.

If you’re working on heavy spreadsheets, you may want the Excel desktop app. If your spreadsheets are more basic, then either Google Sheets or Excel for the web will do just fine.