Is there a free version of Excel online?
Yes, Microsoft's Excel for the web is a free version of Excel that runs in a browser; you sign in with a Microsoft account and files are stored in OneDrive. It has fewer features than desktop Excel. Google Sheets is a no-cost alternative with a Google account, and Publish Media Software opens Excel files without any Microsoft account.
When is PublishMedia a better fit than Excel for the web?
Excel for the web is a good tool at no cost. PublishMedia is for the jobs it isn't designed around: opening files from anyone and producing clean printed pages.
No Microsoft account
Open a workbook a volunteer, client or teacher sent with just a PublishMedia sign-up, and skip setting up OneDrive.
Straight from your Downloads
Drag the attachment in from your Downloads folder; there's no cloud drive to move it into first.
The printout comes first
Each sheet opens as the pages it will print, so cut-off columns and stray blank pages show up before you waste paper.
Old and unusual formats
Excel 2–4 files, Excel 2003 XML, .xlsb, .ods and the web-page .xls files that banks export open in the same place.
Templates beside your sheet
Hundreds of print-ready templates, from newsletters to certificates, sit next to your workbook when a sheet needs to become a flyer or program.
Open a workbook free
Open an Excel file in my browserExcel online options compared: PublishMedia vs Excel for the web vs Google Sheets vs desktop Excel
Three of these run in a browser and one is installed. They differ most in the account they ask for, where your file ends up, and how far they go beyond the basics.
| Feature | Publish Media Software | Excel for the web | Google Sheets | Microsoft Excel (desktop) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runs in a browser | ✓Any modern browser | ✓Any modern browser | ✓Any modern browser | ✗Installed app |
| Price | –Free to view; paid plans for changes | ✓No cost | ✓No cost | ✗Paid |
| Account needed | –PublishMedia sign-up | –Microsoft account | –Google account | –Microsoft account |
| Where your file is kept | –PublishMedia (7 days on free plan) | –OneDrive | –Google Drive | ✓Your computer or OneDrive |
| Change cells and formulas | –Paid plan | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Real-time co-editing | ✗No | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes, with OneDrive files |
| Pivot tables | ✗No | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Runs VBA macros | ✗Never | ✗No | ✗No | ✓Yes |
| Design the printout (logo, notes, layout) | ✓Page editor (paid) | –Print settings | –Print settings | –Page Layout tab |
6 ways to use Excel files online, ranked by what you need
Most people searching for Excel online want one of three things: real Excel without paying, a sheet to share with others, or a quick way to open and print a file someone sent. Each option below fits one of those best.
- 1
Publish Media Software
Browser-based (Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux, iPad)✓ Opens .xlsxFree to view; paid plans from $9.99/monthFits when a workbook arrives from someone else and you need to read or print it without a Microsoft account. It has no co-editing or pivot tables, and free-plan files are deleted after 7 days.
Open an Excel file in my browser - 2
Excel for the web
Browser-based✓ Opens .xlsxFree with a Microsoft accountThe real answer if you want Microsoft's own Excel in a browser: no cost, familiar menus, and good for working on a sheet with others. Files live in OneDrive, and some desktop features are missing.
- 3
Google Sheets
Browser-based; Android and iPhone apps✓ Opens .xlsxFree with a Google accountA popular online spreadsheet for group sign-ups, shared budgets and class lists. An .xlsx brought in from Google Drive can lose some Excel formatting, and VBA macros won't run.
- 4
Microsoft Excel (desktop)
Desktop (Windows / Mac)✓ Opens .xlsxPaid (Microsoft 365 or Office Home 2024)When the browser version runs out of road, desktop Excel has the full feature set, including VBA macros and Power Query. It has to be installed and paid for.
- 5
LibreOffice Calc
Desktop (Windows / Mac / Linux)✓ Opens .xlsxFree (open source)Not online, but worth knowing: an installed spreadsheet at no cost that opens and saves .xlsx and .xls and needs no account. It works without internet once it is installed.
- 6
Apple Numbers
Mac, iPad & iPhone✓ Opens .xlsxFreeOn Apple devices, Numbers opens Excel workbooks and exports them back to .xlsx. The Numbers app is made for Apple devices only, and advanced Excel features may not come across.
What is Excel for the web, and how does it differ from desktop Excel?
Excel for the web is Microsoft's browser-based edition of Excel, earlier marketed as Excel Online. It opens and edits .xlsx workbooks stored in OneDrive at no cost with a Microsoft account, and several people can work in the same file. It has fewer features than desktop Excel for Windows and Mac, which is paid through Microsoft 365 or a one-time purchase such as Office Home 2024; for example, VBA macros don't run in the browser version.
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 online questions, answered honestly
Is Excel for the web really free?
Yes, Excel for the web costs nothing to use in a browser once you sign in with a Microsoft account, and your workbooks are saved to OneDrive. The catch is features: it does less than desktop Excel, and power tools such as VBA macros need the paid desktop app through Microsoft 365 or a one-time Office purchase.
What can desktop Excel do that Excel for the web can't?
Desktop Excel can run VBA macros and offers the full feature set, while Excel for the web has fewer features. For everyday sums, sorting, filtering, charts and sharing, the web version is usually enough. If a workbook depends on macros or other advanced tools, open it in desktop Excel for Windows or Mac.
Do I need a Microsoft account to use Excel online?
Yes, Microsoft's Excel for the web requires a Microsoft account, and files are stored in its OneDrive cloud storage. Google Sheets needs a Google account instead. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) opens Excel files in a browser with only a PublishMedia sign-up, using any email address, and needs no Microsoft or Google account.
Is PublishMedia the same as Excel for the web?
No, Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) is not made by Microsoft and has no affiliation with it. Excel for the web is Microsoft's own browser edition of Excel. PublishMedia opens Excel files as printable pages and in a spreadsheet view, which suits reading, laying out and printing sheets rather than everyday spreadsheet work.
Can I open an Excel attachment online without putting it in OneDrive?
Yes, you can open an Excel attachment online without OneDrive by using a tool that takes the file directly. Publish Media Software accepts the .xlsx from your Downloads folder by drag and drop, with free-plan files kept 7 days. Google Sheets opens it from Google Drive instead, while Microsoft's own Excel for the web works with files in OneDrive.
Which is better for printing a sheet, Excel for the web or PublishMedia?
Publish Media Software is better for printing a sheet as a designed page, because each worksheet opens as the pages it will print and, on a paid plan, you can add a logo or notes and export a print-ready PDF. Excel for the web is better if you still need to change the numbers together with other people first.
Which online spreadsheet is best for a group that updates the same list?
Google Sheets and Excel for the web are the best online spreadsheets for a group, because both let several people work on the same sheet at the same time at no cost. Choose Sheets if your group uses Google accounts and Excel for the web if it uses Microsoft accounts. Publish Media Software has no co-editing, so it isn't the tool for that job.
Can I use Excel files online on an iPad?
Yes, Publish Media Software opens Excel files in Safari on an iPad and shows each sheet as printable pages, with nothing to install. Microsoft also offers an Excel app for iPad, and Apple Numbers, which costs nothing on iPad, opens .xlsx files too. Pick Numbers or the Excel app for number work and PublishMedia for checking a printout.
Can I use Excel formulas online without Excel?
Yes, Google Sheets uses many of the same formulas as Excel, such as SUM, IF and VLOOKUP, at no cost with a Google account, and LibreOffice Calc offers them on the desktop. Publish Media Software keeps a workbook's formulas and recalculates them in its spreadsheet view, where changing cells is part of a paid plan.
Got an Excel file to open or print online?
Use Excel for the web if you already live in Microsoft's world. If you just need to open a workbook from someone else and print it neatly, sign up at publishmediasoftware.com and drag it in; viewing costs nothing.
No install · No credit card to start · Works in your browser
Accurate facts — October 2026
As of October 2026, Excel for the web (formerly Excel Online) is Microsoft's browser edition of Excel. It costs nothing with a Microsoft account, stores workbooks in OneDrive and has fewer features than desktop Excel, which is paid through Microsoft 365 or a one-time Office purchase such as Office Home 2024. Google Sheets is a no-cost online spreadsheet with a Google account; it opens .xlsx files from Google Drive, but VBA macros don't run and some Excel formatting doesn't carry over. Excel's .xlsx format has been the default since Excel 2007 and is standardized as ECMA-376 and ISO/IEC 29500. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) is an independent browser-based tool, not made by Microsoft, that opens Excel workbooks as printable pages and in a spreadsheet view; viewing costs nothing, and its paid plans are $99 a year or $9.99 a month.
More about Excel files
Other files you can open
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.