Free Microsoft Excel alternative
Free spreadsheets with the formulas you know.
SUM, IF, VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP and 400+ more functions, cell formatting, filters and several sheets per workbook, saved as .xlsx files in your own folder.
What you can do with openWorkstand
| If you use Microsoft Excel for… | In openWorkstand, use |
|---|---|
| Formulas and functions | 400+ Excel-compatible functions |
| Formatting and number formats | Fonts, colors, borders, currency, percent and dates |
| Opening .xlsx and .csv files | Opens and saves .xlsx and .csv |
| Turning sheets into PDFs | Excel to PDF converter |
| Quick calculations | 21 free calculators (loan, percentage, GPA…) |
openWorkstand vs Microsoft Excel: an honest comparison
Where each one is stronger. Last reviewed October 2026; products change, so check Microsoft Excel’s own site for current details.
| Topic | Microsoft Excel | openWorkstand |
|---|---|---|
| Account | A Microsoft account for Excel on the web; desktop Excel needs a Microsoft 365 subscription or licence. | Not needed.Stronger here |
| Where your files are kept | On your computer and/or OneDrive. | In a folder on your computer (or private storage in your browser). Nothing is uploaded. |
| Offline | Desktop app: yes. Excel on the web needs a connection. | Yes, once the page has loaded. |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes, co-authoring with OneDrive or SharePoint.Stronger here | No real-time co-editing. You can share the folder with OneDrive, Dropbox or Google Drive, but one person should edit a file at a time. |
| Power features | Pivot tables, Power Query, macros (VBA), advanced charts and very large data sets.Stronger here | 400+ formulas, formatting, filters, sorting and several sheets; no pivot tables or macros. |
| Price | Free web version with an account; desktop Excel is paid. | Free. Public tool pages may show a few ads; the workspace has none.Stronger here |
| Connected workspace | Part of Microsoft 365. | Documents, spreadsheets, calendar, notes, tasks, projects, tables and whiteboards in one app, linked together. |
Why people choose openWorkstand
- Free forever, no Microsoft account needed.
- Files are saved in a folder on your own computer, never uploaded.
- Starts in seconds in your browser.
- Files stay compatible with Excel and Google Sheets.
When Microsoft Excel is the better choice
Excel is the better choice for very large data sets, pivot tables, Power Query, macros (VBA) and advanced charting.
Microsoft Excel is a trademark of its owner. openWorkstand is an independent project and is not affiliated with it.