Google Sheets vs Excel: Which is better for the job

Spreadsheets have accompanied us in our professional day-to-day for many years, exactly since 1978 with Visicalc, the first spreadsheet software. Since then, many other applications have passed. Among them, currently stand out Google Sheets of G Suite Y Excel Office. Do you want to know which one is more suitable for the job?

What do they both share?

Although they have many differences, certain characteristics are similar or the same. Some are:

• Aboth applications are compatible with Chrome OS, Windows, Android, iOS and Mac OS. Although some believe that Office cannot be opened on a Chrome device, it is fully supported thanks to the Office Online extension.
• Possibility of using formulas and auto-complete.
• Use of downloadable templates to work faster.
• autosave: in the case of Google Sheets, because it is based on the cloud and automatic synchronization. Excel does an autosave to your computer every few seconds.

What is the difference between them?

1. Price

One of the most significant differences for your business may be the price of each one. On the one hand, the prices of Excel revolve around the 100€, while  Google Sheets with a Gmail account is gratuitous. In the case of having a professional G Suite account, this will be included in the price of your plan.

2. Ease of use

If you are regular users of Google and their applications you will know that all of them are characterized by the Easy to use and for being intuitive. The fact that simplicity is intrinsic to its raison d'être makes the whole set very simple to use and easy to learn. This is why Google Sheets becomes a good option even if it is newer than Excel and has been used for fewer years.

3. Level of collaboration

In the professional field, having a good collaboration with your team is essential. This is why Google Sheets and the entire suite of professional applications G Suite are your best option if you want to improve it. Sheet is ideal for teamwork thanks to its automatic synchronization, possibility to work in remote and add comments. This way, you can work at the same time as other members of your team, and they can see the changes you add. Also, reviewing some content will be very easy by adding specific comments anywhere on the sheet.

This is one of the features you can't compete with Excel, which although it has a version in the Microsoft cloud that can be compared to Google sheets, does not reach the same level of collaboration.

4. Synchronization and versions

One of the things that facilitates synchronization automatic feature of Google Sheets is remote collaboration. As we have already said, at this point Sheets wins. However, you may think that working in sync and remotely causes versions to be lost, which in Excel it's basic. Still, if there is a version history in sheets, which you can use to retrieve or view previously edited data. This can make it easier for you to access changes without having to have multiple versions of the document.

5. Access from any device

To finish, it is important to highlight the possibilities of accessing a sheet from other devices. Both of them They have applications adapted to different devices. However, in the case of Excel You will only be able to access documents belonging to your user. Instead, as Google Sheets is integrated with Google Drive, you will also be able to access all the spreadsheets that have been shared with you or that they are in your team unit.

Google Sheets or Excel?

Now that we have compared both applications, which one do you prefer? If you have decided on Google Sheets, and want to go a step further, you can get a G Suite plan. If you want to know more, we explain it in this post.