Google Sheets
What it is: Free cloud-based spreadsheet tool from Google. Like Excel, but web-based with real-time collaboration.
What It Does Best
Real-time collaboration. Multiple people editing simultaneously. Changes saved automatically. Perfect for team projects.
Accessibility. Works anywhere with internet. No software to install. Share with a link. Mobile apps available.
Integration with Google ecosystem. Connect to Google Forms, Drive, Analytics. Import data from web. Apps Script for automation.
Key Features
Formulas: 400+ functions (VLOOKUP, SUMIF, INDEX/MATCH, etc.)
Pivot tables: Drag-and-drop data analysis
Charts: 20+ chart types with customization
Add-ons: Thousands of free extensions
Apps Script: JavaScript-based automation
Pricing
Personal: Free (15GB storage across Google account)
Google Workspace: $6-18/user/month (business features, more storage)
When to Use It
✅ Team collaboration is priority
✅ Need cloud access from anywhere
✅ Working with Google services (Forms, Analytics)
✅ Budget-conscious (free is hard to beat)
✅ Light to medium data analysis needs
When NOT to Use It
❌ Very large datasets (>5M cells get slow)
❌ Need advanced Excel features (Power Query, Power Pivot)
❌ Complex VBA macros (Apps Script different)
❌ Offline work required (limited offline mode)
❌ Handling sensitive data (security concerns)
Common Use Cases
Team budgets: Collaborative financial planning and tracking
Project tracking: Task lists, timelines, resource allocation
Data collection: Connected to Google Forms for surveys
Quick analysis: Ad-hoc reporting and pivot tables
Dashboards: Real-time data visualization for teams
Google Sheets vs Alternatives
vs Excel: Sheets better for collaboration, Excel better for power features
vs Airtable: Airtable better for relational data, Sheets simpler for calculations
vs Notion: Notion better for docs+data, Sheets better for pure spreadsheet work
Unique Strengths
IMPORTDATA(): Pull data directly from web URLs
QUERY(): SQL-like queries inside spreadsheet
GOOGLEFINANCE(): Live stock market data
Version history: See all changes, restore any version
Bottom line: Best free spreadsheet tool. Perfect for collaboration and cloud-based work. Choose Excel if you need advanced features or work with massive datasets. Choose Sheets if collaboration and accessibility matter most.