No affiliate links or sponsorship. Limits, features, and US prices come from Microsoft and Google’s own documentation and pricing pages, checked October 27, 2026. We didn’t benchmark either app, and there are no screenshots.
Quick answer
Google Sheets vs Excel comes down to how your team works: Google Sheets is the simpler choice for free, browser-based collaboration, while Excel is stronger for large workbooks, advanced analysis (Power Pivot, Python in Excel), and VBA macros. Many teams use both: Sheets for shared trackers and forms, Excel for finance models and heavy data. If your company already pays for Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, start with the one you have.
Key takeaways
- Size: an Excel worksheet holds 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns; a Google Sheets file is capped at 20 million cells (or 100 MB).
- Collaboration: Sheets is real-time by default in the browser; Excel co-authoring works through OneDrive or SharePoint and, in the desktop app, needs Microsoft 365.
- Automation: Sheets uses macros and Apps Script; Excel uses VBA on the desktop and Office Scripts, and VBA can’t run in Excel for the web.
- Analysis: Excel adds Power Pivot data models and Python in Excel (with a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription).
- Price: both have free web versions; business plans start at $7 per user per month for both suites, but Microsoft’s $7 plan has only web and mobile Excel.
Our verdict
Choose Google Sheets if your team shares lots of lightweight spreadsheets (trackers, lists, form responses), works mostly in the browser, or already runs on Google Workspace.
Choose Excel if you build financial models, work with very large data sets, depend on VBA macros or Power Pivot, or exchange workbooks with clients who use Excel.
How we compared
We compared the two using Microsoft Support, Microsoft Learn, Google’s Docs Editors Help, and each company’s US pricing pages, all re-checked October 27, 2026 (PKT). We didn’t run speed or calculation tests, so there are no performance claims. Features can depend on your plan and your administrator’s settings.
Google Sheets vs Excel at a glance
| Google Sheets | Microsoft Excel | |
|---|---|---|
| Free version | Yes, with a Google Account | Yes, Excel for the web with a Microsoft account |
| Desktop app | No (browser, plus mobile apps) | Yes, with Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, or business plans that include desktop apps |
| Grid size | Up to 20 million cells or 100 MB per spreadsheet | 1,048,576 rows × 16,384 columns per worksheet |
| Real-time co-editing | Built in | Excel for the web; desktop co-authoring needs Microsoft 365 and OneDrive/SharePoint |
| Automation | Macros, Apps Script | VBA (desktop), Office Scripts |
| Advanced analysis | Gemini in Sheets on eligible plans | Power Pivot, Python in Excel, Copilot on eligible plans |
| Offline | Chrome or Edge with Google Docs Offline | Desktop app works offline |
Pricing (US)
Both have a free tier, so the real cost question is which suite you’d pay for anyway. Google Sheets is free with a Google Account, and Microsoft offers free Excel for the web through Microsoft 365 for the web (Microsoft).
| Plan | US price | What you get for spreadsheets |
|---|---|---|
| Google Workspace Business Starter | $7 per user/month (1-year commitment) | Sheets, 30 GB pooled storage per user |
| Google Workspace Business Standard | $14 per user/month (1-year commitment) | Sheets, 2 TB pooled per user, Gemini in Docs and more |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $7.00 per user/month, paid yearly | Excel for web and mobile only |
| Microsoft 365 Apps for business | $10.00 per user/month, paid yearly | Desktop and web Excel, 1 TB per user |
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot | $23.50 per user/month, paid yearly | Desktop Excel with Copilot, plus Teams |
| Microsoft 365 Personal (home) | $99.99/year | Desktop Excel for one person, 1 TB |
The suites include email, video calls, and storage, so compare them as a whole. Our Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace guide does that, and Google Docs vs Microsoft Word covers the document side.
Collaboration
Google Sheets was built for sharing in the browser: open a file, share it, and everyone edits at once. Google even recommends editing an Office file directly in Sheets if you want to work with others on it in real time (Google Docs Editors Help).
Excel supports co-authoring too. The workbook needs to be stored on OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, or SharePoint Online, in .xlsx, .xlsm, or .xlsb format. Anyone can co-author in Excel for the web, but co-authoring in the Excel desktop app requires a Microsoft 365 subscription and an up-to-date version (Microsoft Support).
Size limits and big data
Excel handles bigger grids. An Excel worksheet can have 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns, and a cell can hold 32,767 characters (Microsoft Support). Google Sheets files created in or converted to Sheets can have up to 20 million cells or be up to 100 MB, and when you convert from Excel, any cell with more than 50,000 characters is removed (Google Drive Help).
For most team spreadsheets neither limit matters. It becomes a real issue with exports from accounting systems, web analytics, or sales databases, where Excel (especially with Power Pivot) is the safer bet.
Formulas, analysis, and AI
Everyday formulas, pivot tables, charts, and conditional formatting work in both. The differences show up in advanced analysis:
- Power Pivot is Excel’s data modeling technology: it lets you build data models, create relationships between tables, and work with large data sets inside Excel. Microsoft lists it for Excel for Microsoft 365 and Excel 2016 through 2024 (Microsoft Support).
- Python in Excel lets you type Python into a cell; the code runs in the Microsoft cloud using Anaconda libraries and returns results to the sheet. It’s available in Excel for Windows, the web, and Mac (not iPad, iPhone, or Android), needs internet access, and requires a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription (Microsoft Support).
- Gemini in Google Sheets can create tables and formulas, analyze data, and build charts. It needs an eligible Google Workspace or Google AI plan and works best with native Sheets files (Google Docs Editors Help).
- Copilot in Excel comes with Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, and the business plans sold “with Copilot” (Microsoft, Microsoft business).
Macros and automation
Sheets automates with recorded macros and Apps Script; Excel with VBA and Office Scripts. In Sheets, you record a macro from Extensions › Macros › Record macro (Google Docs Editors Help), and Apps Script lets you add custom menus, dialogs, sidebars, and custom functions, and connect Sheets to Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and Forms (Google for Developers).
Excel’s classic automation is VBA, which runs in the desktop app. In Excel for the web you can’t create, run, or edit VBA macros, though you can open and edit a workbook that contains them (Microsoft Support). For browser-based automation, Office Scripts provide an action recorder and a code editor, and scripts can be shared with coworkers (Microsoft Learn).
Moving from Excel?
If your team relies on VBA macros, moving to Google Sheets means rewriting them; Sheets doesn’t run VBA. Check this before you switch.
File compatibility
Both read each other’s files, with some caveats. Google Sheets can import non-password-protected .xls, .xlsx, .xlsm, .xlt, .xltx, .xltm, .ods, .csv, .txt, .tsv, and .tab files (Google Docs Editors Help), and you can edit Office files directly or in Office Compatibility Mode (Google Docs Editors Help).
Excel for the web opens .xlsx, .xls, .csv, .xlsb, .ods, and .xlsm files, converting .xls and .csv to .xlsx, though macros in .xlsm workbooks don’t run in the browser (Microsoft Support). Complex workbooks may not convert perfectly in either direction, so check formulas after moving a file.
Offline use and version history
Excel’s desktop app works offline; Sheets needs a bit of setup. To use Sheets offline, Google says you need Chrome or Microsoft Edge (not private browsing) and the Google Docs Offline extension, and you must turn on offline access while connected (Google Docs Editors Help).
Both keep version history. In Sheets you need edit permission to browse earlier versions (Google Docs Editors Help). Excel files stored on OneDrive or SharePoint have version history through those services; see our OneDrive guide and Google Drive guide for how each stores files.
Which should your team use?
- Small team, mostly shared lists and trackers: Google Sheets.
- Finance, accounting, or heavy reporting: Excel desktop, for size limits, Power Pivot, and VBA.
- Data analysts who use Python: Excel with Python in Excel, on a qualifying Microsoft 365 plan.
- Already on Google Workspace: Sheets, and keep a few Excel licenses (Apps for business) for power users.
- Already on Microsoft 365: Excel, with files on OneDrive or SharePoint for co-authoring.
- Zero budget: either free web version works; Sheets has the more complete free collaboration experience.
Looking beyond these two? See our spreadsheet software roundup and the wider productivity software guide.
FAQ
Is Google Sheets as good as Excel?
For everyday spreadsheets and team collaboration, yes. Excel is still ahead for very large workbooks, Power Pivot data models, Python in Excel, and VBA macros.
Is Google Sheets free?
Yes, with a Google Account. Businesses usually pay for Google Workspace, from $7 per user per month with a one-year commitment.
Is Excel free?
Excel for the web is free with a Microsoft account. The desktop app comes with Microsoft 365 Personal ($99.99 a year) or business plans such as Microsoft 365 Apps for business ($10.00 per user per month, paid yearly).
Can Google Sheets open Excel files?
Yes. Sheets imports .xlsx, .xls, .xlsm, and other formats, and can edit Office files directly. Very complex workbooks and VBA macros may not carry over.
What is the row limit in Google Sheets vs Excel?
Excel allows 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns per worksheet. Google Sheets limits a spreadsheet to 20 million cells or 100 MB in total.
Do macros work in Google Sheets?
Sheets has its own macros and Apps Script, but it doesn’t run Excel’s VBA macros. Those need to be rewritten.
Sources
Official Microsoft and Google pages only. All checked October 27, 2026 (PKT); US prices.
Show all 19 sources
- Microsoft Support: Excel specifications and limits
- Google Drive Help: Files you can store in Google Drive
- Microsoft Support: Collaborate on Excel workbooks with co-authoring
- Google Docs Editors Help: Work with Office files
- Google Docs Editors Help: Import data sets in Google Sheets
- Microsoft Support: Differences between using a workbook in the browser and in Excel
- Microsoft Support: Work with VBA macros in Excel for the web
- Microsoft Learn: Office Scripts in Excel
- Google Docs Editors Help: Automate tasks in Google Sheets (macros)
- Google for Developers: Extend Google Sheets with Apps Script
- Microsoft Support: Introduction to Python in Excel
- Microsoft Support: Power Pivot overview
- Google Docs Editors Help: Collaborate with Gemini in Google Sheets
- Google Docs Editors Help: Work on Docs, Sheets, and Slides offline
- Google Docs Editors Help: See versions of a file
- Microsoft: Free Microsoft 365 for the web
- Microsoft: Compare Microsoft 365 home plans (US prices)
- Microsoft: Compare Microsoft 365 business plans (US prices)
- Google Workspace: Pricing
Changelog
- October 28, 2026: First published. Excel and Sheets size limits (Sheets is now 20 million cells), co-authoring rules, Python in Excel and Power Pivot availability, macros and scripting, file import formats, offline requirements, and US prices for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 checked against official pages on October 27, 2026. No hands-on testing or screenshots.
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