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For a while, Google Sheets managed to lure me away from Excel. But I had to go back after noticing Google Sheets has a long way to go to beat Excel.
1Excel Works Better Offline
Microsoft built Excel to primarily be used offline. That means I can create, edit, and save files, as well as access all of its advanced features—from PivotTables to Macros—without needing an internet connection. While Excel does have some cloud-based features, those feel like add-ons to an offline-first approach in a good way.
Google Sheets, on the other hand, cannot be used offline unless you install the Google Docs Offline extension. Even then, you don’t have access to all the features.
For instance, you may’t import files, access settings, create a table, a drawing, or a macro. Also, the offline extension is only available for Chromium browsers like Google Chrome and Edge, meaning you can’t go offline if you’re using something like Firefox or Safari.
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2Excel Has Better Performance
One thing that gives Excel an edge in performance is that it leverages the full processing power of your device. This means it can access files faster and process large datasets—over 1 million rows and 16,000 columns—more efficiently. Google Sheets can run into issues much quicker, especially as the spreadsheet grows, due to factors like browser limitations (e.g., Chrome’s memory usage limit).
This is not to say Excel does not have its fair share of issues, but you are unlikely to run into those that are browser-related. For instance, Chrome is notorious for consuming large amounts of memory. This issue becomes even worse when running Google Sheets and the Google Docs Offline extension.
There have been moments when I was using Google Sheets andran into the “Aw, Snap!” erroror noticed a significant drop in overall system performance becauseChrome is using so much RAM.
3Excel is More Advanced
Excel has a technical edge over Sheets in that its built-in features allow it to handle a wide range of tasks. Excel can be used for anything from budgeting and accounting to complex financial modeling and data analysis. The latter two are thanks to features unique to Excel like Power Query and Power Pivot.
Excel also offers better customization with VBA, which allows you to create macros, custom functions, and user-friendly interfaces in your sheets. Furthermore, theconditional formatting in Excelis more advanced, with Google Sheets missing options like data bars, icon sets, and several complex rules.
4Copilot Integration Is Part of the Microsoft 365 Subscription
Even though theCopilot integration in Microsoft 365 came with a small price increase, it’s worth it compared to paying for Copilot Pro separately. It can help you create formulas, summarize Pivot Tables and charts, or analyze your data to understand some insights.
WhileGoogle Sheets and its Gemini integrationare free, they’re much more limited than Excel and Copilot.Gemini in Google Sheets feels more like a gimmickthan an actually useful feature.
5Excel Is the Industry Standard
Excel has existed since 1985, and Google Sheets since 2006. Because Excel is two decades older, it has a long history and established presence in the business world. It’s a universally recognized tool and is so deeply ingrained in many business workflows that it’s hard to abandon.
Even organizations that use other software like Tableau might require it to interact with Excel to, for instance, take advantage of its advanced data analysis and reporting capabilities. Excel’s widespread use is also one reason it has many add-ins—the demand for them is high.
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6Excel Has More Add-Ins
Since Excel has been around for much longer than Google Sheets, developers have had more time to develop a wide range of add-ins. With various add-ins, Excel can make you more productive, whether you’re performing complex calculations, analyzing advanced analytics, or creating automations and visualizations. That means if you want added functionality in your spreadsheets, you’re more likely to find it with Excel than with Google Sheets.
Google Sheets has its merits since it’s quite user-friendly, has better real-time collaboration, and is seamlessly integrated with Google Workspace applications. But Excel just brings more to the table when it comes to offline capabilities, performance, advanced features, Copilot integrations, and add-ins.
When you also consider that it is an industry standard that will not be dethroned anytime soon, my choice to return to it was much easier.
