What is the best alternative to Excel?
The best alternative to Excel depends on the job. For real spreadsheet work, Google Sheets (browser), LibreOffice Calc (Windows, Mac, Linux) and Apple Numbers (Mac, iPad, iPhone) cost nothing. For opening Excel files from other people and printing them as tidy pages without a Microsoft account, Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) is free to view.
Why choose PublishMedia as your Excel alternative for printed sheets?
PublishMedia doesn't try to be Excel. It is built for people who are handed a workbook and need to read it, tidy it and print it.
No Microsoft account required
Sign up with any email and open workbooks from a treasurer, a coach or a supplier without signing in to OneDrive.
Every sheet becomes a page
Worksheets open the way Excel prints them, following print areas and page setup, so you see the printout before you print.
Room for a logo and notes
On a paid plan, put your logo, a heading or a short note on a budget or roster before it goes out.
Opens the odd files too
Old Excel 2–4 files, Excel 2003 XML, .xlsb and the web-page .xls exports from bank and donor sites all open.
Macros stay switched off
Macro-enabled .xlsm and .xltm workbooks open with values and formatting only, because PublishMedia never runs macros.
Open your first workbook free
Start free — open a workbookExcel alternatives compared: PublishMedia vs Google Sheets vs LibreOffice Calc vs Numbers
All four open .xlsx files. They differ in where they run, how much real spreadsheet work they can do, and what happens when you need a printout.
| Feature | Publish Media Software | Google Sheets | LibreOffice Calc | Apple Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | ✓Any modern browser | ✓Any modern browser | –Windows, Mac, Linux desktop | –Mac, iPad, iPhone |
| Cost to open an .xlsx | ✓Free | ✓Free | ✓Free | ✓Free |
| Account needed | –PublishMedia sign-up | –Google account | ✓None | ✓None to open files |
| Formulas that recalculate | –Spreadsheet view; changes are paid | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Pivot tables and data analysis | ✗No | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Real-time co-editing | ✗No | ✓Yes | ✗No | ✓Yes, via iCloud |
| Design the printed page (logo, notes, layout) | ✓Page editor (paid) | –Print settings | –Page styles | –Print settings |
| Print-ready PDF | ✓Paid plan | ✓Download as PDF | ✓Export as PDF | ✓Export to PDF |
| Saves back to .xlsx | ✓Paid, from the spreadsheet view | ✓Download as .xlsx | ✓Yes | ✓Export to Excel |
The 7 best Excel alternatives in 2026, by job
No single program beats Excel at everything it does. Choose by the job in front of you: crunching numbers, sharing a live sheet with a group, or opening and printing workbooks other people send.
- 1
Publish Media Software
Browser-based (Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux, iPad)✓ Opens .xlsxFree to view; $99/year or $9.99/month for editingBest when you receive Excel files and need to read them, dress them up with a logo or notes, and print them. It can't build pivot tables, run macros or connect to data sources.
Start free — open a workbook - 2
Google Sheets
Browser-based✓ Opens .xlsxFree with a Google accountThe strongest no-cost pick for shared lists, budgets and sign-up sheets that several people update at the same time. Excel macros don't run, and some formatting changes when an .xlsx comes in.
- 3
LibreOffice Calc
Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux)✓ Opens .xlsxFree (open source)The closest no-cost desktop match for Excel, with formulas, charts and pivot tables, and it opens and saves both .xlsx and .xls. It must be installed on each computer, and its menus are laid out differently from Excel's.
- 4
Apple Numbers
Mac, iPad, iPhone✓ Opens .xlsxFreeA clean, friendly spreadsheet app for Apple users that opens .xlsx and exports back to Excel. The app itself runs only on Apple devices.
- 5
Excel for the web
Browser-based✓ Opens .xlsxFree with a Microsoft accountMicrosoft's own browser edition is a no-cost way to keep working on real Excel files stored in OneDrive. You need a Microsoft account, and power features such as macros stay in the desktop app.
- 6
WPS Office
Windows, Mac, Linux, phones✓ Opens .xlsxFree version with adsAn office suite with an Excel-like spreadsheet that opens .xlsx files. The free version carries ads and has to be installed.
- 7
Microsoft Excel (desktop)
Desktop (Windows / Mac)✓ Opens .xlsxPaid (Microsoft 365 or Office Home 2024)If you build models, pivot tables, Power Query steps or macros every week, Excel itself is still the right tool. You pay for it by subscription or with a one-time purchase.
What is an Excel workbook, and what must an alternative read?
An Excel workbook is a file made in Microsoft Excel that holds one or more worksheets of cells, formulas, formatting and charts. Since Excel 2007 it is usually saved as .xlsx, the Office Open XML spreadsheet format (ECMA-376, ISO/IEC 29500); older files use the binary .xls of Excel 97–2003, and macro-enabled ones use .xlsm. Because .xlsx is an open standard, other programs can read it, but macros, data connections and advanced features are where alternatives most often fall short.
Open your Excel workbook — or start from a template
Hundreds of print-ready templates sit right next to the files you open.
What it costs
Opening and viewing your files is free. Editing, templates, saving and PDF export come with All-Access at $99 a year — or $9.99 a month, cancel anytime.
Excel alternative FAQs
What is the best free Excel alternative?
Google Sheets is the best-known free Excel alternative, because it runs in any browser and lets a group work on one sheet at the same time. LibreOffice Calc is the strongest no-cost desktop option on Windows, Mac and Linux, and Apple Numbers costs nothing on Apple devices. To open and print workbooks other people send, Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) is free to view.
Is PublishMedia a spreadsheet program like Excel?
No, Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) is a page editor that opens Excel workbooks, not a full spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel. It shows each sheet as printable pages and offers a spreadsheet view where formulas recalculate, but it does not build pivot tables, run macros, use Power Query or connect to data sources. For that kind of work, keep Excel or use Google Sheets or LibreOffice Calc.
Is Google Sheets as good as Excel?
Google Sheets is as good as Excel for everyday lists, budgets and shared trackers, and better when several people edit at once, but it is not as deep for large models and advanced features. Excel VBA macros don't run in Sheets, and some Excel features and formatting don't carry over when you open an .xlsx there.
Is LibreOffice Calc compatible with Excel files?
Yes, LibreOffice Calc opens and saves both .xlsx and .xls, so you can work on Excel files and send them back in Excel format. Calc is free and open-source for Windows, Mac and Linux. Very complex workbooks can look or behave a little differently, so check important files after saving them.
Does Apple Numbers work with Excel files?
Yes, Apple Numbers opens .xlsx files and can export a spreadsheet back to Excel format with File › Export To › Excel. Numbers costs nothing on Mac, iPad and iPhone. It handles everyday sheets well, but the app isn't available for Windows or Chromebook, and some Excel-only features may not survive the round trip.
Will my Excel macros work in an Excel alternative?
Usually not: Excel VBA macros don't run in Google Sheets or Excel for the web, and Publish Media Software never runs macros at all, for safety. If a workbook depends on macros, open it in desktop Microsoft Excel. In PublishMedia a macro-enabled .xlsm or .xltm still opens, showing its sheets with their values and formatting.
Which Excel alternative is best for printing a budget or schedule?
Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) is built for printing Excel sheets: each worksheet opens as pages that follow its print area and page setup, and on a paid plan you can add a logo, a title or notes and export a print-ready PDF. Excel, Google Sheets and Calc print too, but they treat printing as a settings dialog rather than a page you design.
Do I need Microsoft 365 to work with Excel files?
No, you don't need Microsoft 365 to work with Excel files. Excel for the web costs nothing with a Microsoft account; Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc and Apple Numbers open .xlsx at no cost; and Publish Media Software is free to view. Desktop Excel, paid through Microsoft 365 or a one-time purchase such as Office Home 2024, is still the fullest option.
What do PublishMedia's paid plans add for Excel files?
Publish Media Software's paid plans add changing cells in the spreadsheet view, downloading the edited .xlsx, laying out sheets in the page editor, every template, saved projects, unlimited storage and print-ready PDF export. All-Access costs $99 a year (recommended) and Monthly costs $9.99, cancel anytime. Opening and viewing workbooks stays free, with free-plan files kept 7 days.
Need an Excel alternative for opening and printing sheets?
Open your .xlsx, .xls or .csv in your browser at no cost and see each sheet as pages. When you want to add a logo, change cells or print a clean PDF, a paid plan is $99 a year or $9.99 a month.
No install · No credit card to start · Works in your browser
Accurate facts — October 2026
As of October 2026, Microsoft Excel is sold for Windows and Mac through Microsoft 365 or as a one-time Office purchase such as Office Home 2024, and Excel for the web costs nothing with a Microsoft account. Excel's default format, .xlsx, is Office Open XML (ECMA-376, ISO/IEC 29500), so other programs can open it. The main no-cost alternatives are Google Sheets (browser, Google account; VBA macros don't run), LibreOffice Calc (open-source desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux that opens and saves .xlsx and .xls), Apple Numbers (Mac, iPad and iPhone, with export to Excel) and WPS Office (free version with ads). Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) is a browser-based alternative for opening, viewing, printing and lightly editing Excel files; it does not build pivot tables or run macros. Viewing is free, and paid plans cost $99 a year or $9.99 a month.
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Publish Media Software is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the makers of the programs named on this page. Microsoft and Excel are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.