Best of all, these alternatives to Excel are free. If you don’t have that kind of money, or don’t need all of Excel’s features, or simply want to save cash, there are plenty of viable alternatives to Microsoft Excel that are available in the cloud and installed on your computer. You’re looking at paying at least $5 per month for one business license, paid in full for a year up front, $6.99 a month for home use, or $149.99 for an Office Home and Student 2019 license. The kinds of features you need from your spreadsheet application can vary, though, with many users never coming close to needing the robust features of Microsoft Office’s Excel.įor those of us who aren’t accountants crunching numbers every day, Microsoft Office, which includes Excel, can be prohibitively expensive. Not to be outdone by Google, Microsoft has created its own online version of Office, which includes a stripped-down version of Excel that is. Spreadsheets are part of the modern business world, and that means someday you’re going to have to look at one. Best of all, these alternatives to Excel are free. Image: BrianAJackson, Getty Images/iStockphoto If you don't want to pay for an expensive Microsoft Office subscription, here are free alternatives to Excel that you can get for free today.