microsoft excel: 5 free alternatives to Microsoft Excel you can use – Times of India

Microsoft Excel is one of the widely used software. The spreadsheet tool helps perform tasks like maintaining data, creating charts, do mathematical calculations and lots more. However, similar to other Microsoft Office suite apps, Microsoft Excel is not free. Here’s a list of free and open-source alternatives to Microsoft Excel that you can use.
Google Sheets
One of the most-popular and common alternatives to Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets is a cloud-based tool. One needs to have a Gmail account to use Google Sheets. The tool comes with many features similar to MS Excel like charts and the capacity to build formulas. To start working on Google Sheets, one needs to have a working connection.
MS Excel Online
MS Excel Online free alternatives to the offline spreadsheet tool. MS Excel’s web application, like Google Sheets, is available for free on the internet. One needs a Microsoft account to use MS Excel Online. Unlike the offline Excel tool, the online tool does not support some features but is good enough for most basic tasks. Excel Online can open file formats like XLSX and XLSM.
Zoho Sheet
Another popular option Zoho Sheet is also a cloud-based alternative to Excel. It is a free-to-use tool and comes with over 350 functions to offer file formats for XLSX, XLSM, XLTX, XLS, besides others like TSV, CSV, and ODS.
Calc by Apache OpenOffice
Calc by Apache OpenOffice is another option. Unlike Google Sheets, the tool needs to be downloaded locally on your computer. It is compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Calc is very similar to MS Excel in functionality and appearance. Though one does not need internet connectivity to work on Calc, it lacks cloud support.
Lio: Available on Android and iOS
Lio app helps one simplify data management. The tool has an intuitive interface that enables users to create customizable intelligent tables. It allows users to work with images, formulas, contacts, dates, and locations. The app is available in 10 languages and offers over 60 templates to choose from.