Microsoft Excel alternatives: where to go, and what happens to your macros
Six destinations, one per reason for leaving, and a seven-step plan that keeps your workbooks intact.
The short answer: LibreOffice Calc if you want a free desktop spreadsheet that runs part of your VBA, ONLYOFFICE if your files have to stay native .xlsx, Google Sheets if what you really need is real-time teamwork, and Excel for the web if you just want to stop paying without leaving Microsoft. Airtable and Smartsheet take over when your workbook is really a customer database or a project tracker. One warning up front: none of these is guaranteed to run your VBA macros as they are. We compared all six and checked their prices and limits in 2026.
Some links are affiliate links. The ranking is editorial: a sponsored placement is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why people leave Excel, and why it's hard
Nobody argues that Excel isn't the most complete spreadsheet out there. People leave over the bill, over its ties to Microsoft's cloud, or because it doesn't run on the machines their team uses. And three very concrete things keep them stuck. Here are the three reasons to go, then the three blockers.
You pay every year for a few workbooks
Microsoft 365 Personal costs $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month, Family $129.99 a year for up to six people, and Premium $199.99. Copilot now ships inside those plans whether you use it or not. If you open three spreadsheets a week, that's a lot of money for a grid.
Up-to-date desktop Excel means a subscription
The only way to own desktop Excel without a yearly fee is the one-time purchase: Office Home 2024 at $179.99 for one PC or Mac. It doesn't get new features and doesn't include Copilot. Everything else is a subscription.
Copilot wants your files on OneDrive
Copilot in Excel only works with AutoSave on, which means the file lives on OneDrive. Co-editing in Excel for the web works the same way. If your company won't keep its numbers in Microsoft's cloud, half the new features are off the table.
What keeps you: VBA
Your VBA macros are the number one blocker. Google Sheets and ONLYOFFICE don't run VBA, LibreOffice runs only part of it, and even Excel for the web opens .xlsm files without running their macros. A VBA function called inside a cell breaks the whole formula, not just a button.
What keeps you: Power Query
Power Query and Power Pivot have no real match in the free spreadsheets. For LibreOffice and OpenOffice, a community extension (Decroise) can unpivot a table, but it stops at 65,535 rows. If your dashboards refresh from queries every morning, this is where a move costs the most.
What keeps you: everyone else
Clients, accountants and vendors send you .xlsx. A tool that converts everything into its own format makes you export on every exchange. Failed migrations usually trip over those outside files, not your own.
You're leaving Excel because… go to…
The right Excel alternative depends on what your workbooks actually do. Usually one card fits. Each one jumps to the full write-up.
Free on Windows, Mac and Linux, and part of your VBA runs.
Your files have to stay .xlsx for clientsONLYOFFICE.xlsx is its native format, and the desktop editors are free.
You need several people in the same file at onceGoogle SheetsFree with a Google account, real-time co-editing in the browser.
You want to stop paying without changing toolsExcel for the webFree with a Microsoft account, but no macros.
Your workbook is really a customer or inventory databaseAirtableLinked records, forms and filtered views.
Your workbook is a project scheduleSmartsheetGantt charts, dependencies and automations on a grid.
Excel alternatives, tool by tool
For each one: why you'd move there, who it's for, its main limit, how to bring your workbooks over, and what it costs. Prices are the ones shown in 2026, in US dollars, before tax for business plans.
LibreOffice Calc: the free desktop spreadsheet that runs part of your VBA
Free, on your desktopWhy move to LibreOffice. It's the closest thing to desktop Excel without a subscription: real installed software, files on your own drive, no cloud required. It's free under the open source MPL 2.0 license and runs on Windows (ARM included), macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Linux. The current stable release is 26.8.
Who it's for. Freelancers and small teams who work on their own machines, email files around and want to keep their data local. Linux users, since Excel doesn't exist there.
Who it's not for. Teams co-editing one file all day, or finance teams that live in Power Query.
The catch. VBA support is partial. The official help says it "is not complete, but it covers a large portion of the common usage patterns." Forum users report the same thing: simple sheets open fine, complicated macros don't work, and heavy formatting converts badly. There's no Power Query or Power Pivot equivalent.
How to move. Calc opens and saves .xlsx, but its native format is ODS, so decide up front which one you'll keep. For macros, go to Tools, Options, Load/Save, VBA Properties and tick "Executable code". Without it, the code is kept but commented out, so nothing runs. Then add Option VBASupport 1 at the top of each module and check each macro one at a time, starting with the ones that write to files.
- Price
- free (MPL 2.0)
- VBA macros
- partly, after a setting
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Catch
- no Power Query
ONLYOFFICE: keep your files in .xlsx without converting them
Native .xlsxWhy move to ONLYOFFICE. It works directly in .xlsx. No conversion into a house format, so fewer surprises when a file goes back and forth with a client still on Excel. The desktop editors are free for personal and business use on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
Who it's for. Accounting firms, agencies and small businesses that trade lots of files with outsiders and want an interface that feels like Excel's ribbon.
Who it's not for. A workbook run by dozens of VBA macros nobody has time to rewrite.
The catch. No VBA at all: macros are written in JavaScript. On its community forum, the team long said it had no plans for VBA support; it now points users to its conversion guide. Macros can't reach the operating system or an outside database.
How to move. Your files open as they are. For macros there are two official paths: the built-in AI converter that turns VBA into JavaScript, which ONLYOFFICE recommends, or a manual rewrite. Read every converted macro before running it on real data. If you want the online version, the DocSpace Startup plan is free for 3 admins and 2 GB of storage.
- Price
- free desktop editors
- Macros
- JavaScript, VBA converter
- Format
- native .xlsx
- Catch
- no VBA runs
Google Sheets: when what you really need is working together
TeamworkWhy move to Google Sheets. If you email workbooks around so people can fill them in, Sheets fixes that: everyone types in the same file, at the same time, in the browser. It's free with a Google account. At work it comes with Google Workspace: Business Starter at $7 per user per month on an annual plan ($8.40 flexible), Business Standard at $14 ($16.80).
Who it's for. Sales, marketing and ops teams filling in shared trackers, and anyone already on Gmail.
Who it's not for. Heavy financial models. Google itself says to stay on Excel past 20 million cells, with certain add-ons like Hyperion, or for rare charts like 3D pyramids.
The catch. A file tops out at 20 million cells or 100 MB. No VBA: macros are written in Apps Script. No Power Query. And when an Excel file is converted, cells over 50,000 characters are dropped.
How to move. You don't have to convert: in Chrome, Sheets edits an .xlsx and saves your changes back in the original Excel format. For macros, Google's Macro Converter add-on turns Excel files into Apps Script, fewer than 2,000 files at a time. Skip it for macros that touch a database or your local drive, and read the ReadMe files it generates. If you ever need the opposite move, our guide to switching from Google Sheets covers the way back.
- Price
- free, Workspace from $7
- Macros
- Apps Script, Macro Converter
- Max size
- 20 million cells
- Catch
- no Power Query
Excel for the web: stop paying without changing habits
Stay with MicrosoftWhy stay with Microsoft. If you pay $99.99 a year to open a few workbooks, the web version of Excel is free with a Microsoft account. Same look, same formulas, same .xlsx files. It's the lowest-risk exit for personal or light use.
Who it's for. Individuals and freelancers running a budget, simple invoicing or a tracker, without macros.
Who it's not for. Regular business use, or anyone with macros.
The catch. An .xlsm workbook opens in the browser, but its macros don't run there. Old Excel 4.0 macros don't even display. On the Power Query side, refreshing queries loaded into the Data Model isn't supported on the web. And to share and co-edit, your files have to sit on OneDrive.
How to move. There's nothing to convert. Before your subscription ends, open each workbook in the browser and flag the ones that show a macro warning: those need another plan. If you want desktop Excel without a subscription, Office Home 2024 is a one-time $179.99.
- Price
- free, Microsoft account
- Macros
- don't run
- Storage
- OneDrive to share
- Catch
- limited Power Query
Airtable: when your workbook has become a database
Workbook turned databaseWhy move to Airtable. Plenty of Excel files are databases in disguise: a customers tab, an orders tab, VLOOKUPs tying them together. Airtable does that properly, with linked records, filtered views, a form for data entry and simple automations. Our score: 4.1/5.
Who it's for. Small businesses tracking customers, inventory, hiring or production in a workbook that ten people edit.
Who it's not for. Financial models, heavy pivot tables, anything that's mainly math. Airtable isn't a spreadsheet.
The catch. The Free plan caps at 1,000 records and 1 GB per base, with 5 editors. Team is $20 per seat a month billed yearly ($24 monthly), Business $45 ($54). No VBA, no Power Query.
How to move. Import takes an Excel file up to 5 MB (100 MB as CSV). Watch out: Airtable's own help says the formula itself is not converted. Only the calculated values come across, so you rebuild formulas as Airtable fields. Import one sheet per table, then turn your VLOOKUPs into links between tables. Our Airtable review covers its limits in detail.
- Score
- 4.1/5
- Price
- free, Team $20/seat
- Excel import
- 5 MB, values only
- Catch
- formulas rebuilt
Smartsheet: when your workbook runs projects
Project trackingWhy move to Smartsheet. It keeps a spreadsheet grid but adds what Excel does badly: Gantt charts, task dependencies, reminders and automations. If your workbook is a schedule you update by hand, it's a real step up.
Who it's for. Project teams, operations and agencies tracking dated deliverables.
Who it's not for. Calculations, analysis, tight budgets: there's no free plan, only a 30-day trial.
The catch. Pro costs $9 per member a month billed yearly ($12 monthly), for 1 to 10 members, and only for new customers. Business costs $19 ($24) with a 3-member minimum. A standard sheet stops at 20,000 rows, 400 columns or 500,000 cells.
How to move. Import takes an Excel file up to 50 MB, but only the leftmost tab comes in: reorder your tabs and unhide hidden ones first. Excel formulas may not work. Smartsheet's own tip: strip the "=" before import, then put it back and fix the syntax. If you're already second-guessing Smartsheet, our page on switching from Smartsheet covers the other side.
- Price
- Pro $9/member yearly
- Free plan
- no, 30-day trial
- Excel import
- 50 MB, first tab
- Catch
- formulas need checking
6 Excel alternatives side by side
Our default pick: LibreOffice Calc if you work alone on your machine, ONLYOFFICE if your files travel as .xlsx, Google Sheets if you work as a team. For reference, Microsoft 365 Personal costs $99.99 a year. One row per tool: cost on the left, what happens to your files and macros on the right.
| Starting price | .xlsx files and macros | |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft ExcelWhere you start | Personal $99.99/yr or $9.99/mo; one-time $179.99 | Native format, VBA and Power Query on desktop |
| LibreOffice CalcFree, desktop | Free | Opens and saves .xlsx; partial VBA after a setting |
| ONLYOFFICENative .xlsx | Free desktop editors | Native .xlsx; JavaScript macros, VBA converter |
| Google SheetsTeamwork | Free; Workspace from $7/user | Edits .xlsx; Apps Script instead of VBA |
| Excel for the webStay with Microsoft | Free with a Microsoft account | Native format; macros don't run |
| AirtableWorkbook turned database | Free; Team $20/seat yearly | 5 MB import, values without formulas |
| SmartsheetProject tracking | Pro $9/member yearly, no free plan | 50 MB import, leftmost tab only |
Starting prices in 2026, before tax for business plans, subject to change. Always check against your own usage.
Leave Excel in seven steps
Order matters. Most workbooks move without effort; the real work sits in a handful of files. These steps find them before they break.
List your workbooks and rate their risk
Day 1Make a sheet with one row per workbook you actually use: who uses it, how often, and whether it holds macros (.xlsm), Power Query, pivot tables or links to other files. Then tag each row green (simple), orange (formulas or pivots) or red (VBA, Power Query).
Red is usually a small minority. That's where the decision lives.
- Time
- half a day
- Tell
- .xlsm files
Weigh macro rewrites against license costs
DecisionFor each macro, estimate the rewrite time and compare it with the subscription you'll save. On LibreOffice forums the pattern is consistent: simple macros carry over, while ones that drive files or other apps get rewritten or stay on an Excel machine.
Flag VBA functions called inside cells: they break the whole formula, not just a button.
- Key question
- keep one Excel seat?
Try the destination on three real files
Week 1Take one green, one orange and one red file and open them in your chosen tool. Compare totals, conditional formatting, charts and pivot tables with the original, which you keep untouched.
If the red file breaks, you know right away whether you need a rewrite or a kept Excel seat.
- Compare
- totals, charts, filters
Pick one working format for good
Team ruleLibreOffice works in ODS, Sheets in its own format, ONLYOFFICE in .xlsx. Decide which format is the master copy, and when you export to .xlsx for outsiders. Bouncing one file between two formats is the most common cause of breakage.
- Rule
- one master format
Convert or rewrite the macros
Per toolEach tool has its path. LibreOffice: turn on "Executable code" and Option VBASupport 1. ONLYOFFICE: its VBA to JavaScript converter. Google Sheets: Macro Converter to Apps Script, checked trigger by trigger. Airtable and Smartsheet: replace the macro with a built-in automation.
Always on a copy, never on the live file.
- Rule
- work on a copy
Archive old files as PDF
Time saverWorkbooks nobody edits anymore don't need converting. Export them to PDF for reading, keep the original .xlsx in an archive, and migrate only what's still alive. It's the advice that comes up most from people who moved a whole organization.
- Gain
- fewer files to check
Switch everyone at once, then cancel
FinishPick a date and move the whole team together: most people who did it say running both for months is painful. Keep one Excel seat for red files if you need to. Only cancel the subscription after a full month-end close with no surprises.
- Cancel
- after a clean month-end
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes an Excel exit fail
The same mistakes show up on forums whatever the destination. None of them is really technical: they're oversights you notice a week too late.
Assuming a file that opens is a file that works
A workbook can open with no error and still show a wrong total. Always check three or four key numbers against the original before signing off on a file.
Forgetting your partners' files
Your accountant or client sends a template full of macros. You don't control it. Keep an Excel seat or Excel for the web for those.
Losing password protection
Some conversions don't carry sheet or workbook passwords over. Check every protected file after import and reapply protection by hand.
Canceling too early
A Power Query dashboard that only runs once a month shows up at month-end. Wait a full cycle before you cancel.
Using a database tool as a spreadsheet
Airtable and Smartsheet are great for records and projects, not for a financial model. If your workbook is mostly math, stay on a spreadsheet.
Letting everyone pick a format
A file saved sometimes as ODS and sometimes as .xlsx ends up losing its formatting. Set a team rule on day one.
- Inventory done, files tagged green, orange, red
- Three real files tried in the destination
- Master format decided
- Macros converted on a copy, then checked
- One Excel seat kept for red files if needed
- One month-end close done before canceling
Microsoft Excel alternatives: FAQ
Is there a free version of Excel?
Yes: Excel for the web, free with a Microsoft account. It opens your .xlsx files with the same formulas, but it doesn't run macros, and sharing goes through OneDrive. For desktop Excel without a subscription, Office Home 2024 is a one-time $179.99.
What is the best free alternative to Excel?
LibreOffice Calc for working on your own machine, Google Sheets for working as a team. Calc is free on Windows, macOS and Linux and runs part of your VBA once set up. Sheets is free with a Google account but swaps VBA for Apps Script. ONLYOFFICE is the free pick if you need native .xlsx.
Can LibreOffice run Excel macros?
Partly. You have to tick "Executable code" in the VBA properties, or the code stays commented out. The documentation admits support is incomplete but covers common use. Complex macros often need a rewrite in Basic.
Can Google Sheets replace Excel?
For most office work, yes; for big models, no. A Sheets file stops at 20 million cells, and Google itself recommends staying on Excel past that. If Sheets stops fitting one day, our guide to switching from Google Sheets covers the reverse move.
Is there a Power Query equivalent elsewhere?
Not in the free spreadsheets compared here. LibreOffice only has a community unpivot extension capped at 65,535 rows. If your dashboards rely on Power Query, keep at least one desktop Excel seat, or move data prep into an automation tool.
Will my .xlsx files still work with clients?
Yes with ONLYOFFICE, which works in native .xlsx, and with Google Sheets, which can edit an .xlsx without converting it. LibreOffice saves .xlsx but works in ODS, so set an export rule. Always recheck conditional formatting after a round trip.
Can I automate Excel without VBA?
Yes, with an automation tool that reads and writes workbooks stored in Microsoft 365. Our page on the Microsoft 365 Excel integration in Make shows what you can connect, like adding rows from a form.
How much does Microsoft 365 with Excel cost in 2026?
Microsoft 365 Personal is $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month, Family $129.99 a year or $12.99 a month for up to six people, and Premium $199.99 a year. Office Home 2024 is the one-time option at $179.99.
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