5 Spreadsheets Software That'll Actually Make You Want to Work with Data

Let's be honest—when someone says "spreadsheet," most people's eyes glaze over faster than a donut in a bakery window. But here's the thing: spreadsheets are only boring when you're using boring tools.

The spreadsheet game has completely transformed over the past few years. We're not just talking about rows, columns, and the occasional pivot table anymore. Today's spreadsheets software comes packed with AI assistants that write formulas for you, real-time collaboration features that actually work, and automation capabilities that'll make you wonder why you ever spent three hours updating the same cells manually.

Whether you're managing a small business budget, tracking a massive project, analyzing customer data, or just trying to organize your life, the right spreadsheet tool can be the difference between "I hate my job" and "Wow, that was actually... easy?"

But here's where it gets interesting: you don't need to default to the usual suspects. Sure, everyone knows Excel and Google Sheets, but there's a whole universe of spreadsheet software out there that might actually fit your workflow better. Some are built for teams who live in their spreadsheets. Others are designed for people who need database-level power without the database-level headaches.

In this guide, we're diving into five spreadsheets software tools that deserve your attention in 2025. We're skipping the predictable choices and focusing on tools that bring something genuinely different to the table—whether that's insane automation, collaborative superpowers, or the ability to handle datasets so massive they'd make Excel weep.

Ready to find a spreadsheet tool that doesn't make you want to throw your laptop out the window? Let's go.

Before we jump into the tools, let's talk about what actually matters when you're choosing spreadsheet software. Because spoiler alert: it's not just about how many functions it has.

Gone are the days of emailing "Budget_Final_v7_ACTUAL_FINAL.xlsx" back and forth. Real-time collaboration has become essential for remote and hybrid teams. Cloud-based spreadsheet tools allow multiple users to edit documents simultaneously, track changes and maintain version control without conflicts.

If your spreadsheet tool doesn't let you and your team work together seamlessly, it's already behind the curve.

AI-powered features are revolutionizing spreadsheet workflows, enabling users to generate formulas through natural language, automate data cleaning and uncover insights without complex programming. These intelligent capabilities make advanced data analysis accessible to users regardless of their technical expertise.

Translation? You can literally ask your spreadsheet to create complex formulas in plain English, and it'll do it. Wild.

If you're still manually copying data from one place to another or updating the same cells every week, you're wasting precious hours. Spreadsheet software helps businesses boost productivity by streamlining data management, enabling real-time collaboration, and automating repetitive tasks. Whether it's financial analysis, project tracking, or team reporting, modern spreadsheet tools provide the flexibility and integrations that organizations need to operate more efficiently.

Some spreadsheets choke on 10,000 rows. Others can handle a billion. Know your needs. Gigasheet supports spreadsheet files with up to 1 billion rows in a single sheet. This makes it one of the best options for the kind of big, unwieldy datasets that other software simply can't handle.

Think of Rows as what would happen if a traditional spreadsheet had a baby with every app you use daily—and that baby turned out to be brilliant. Rows is a comprehensive spreadsheet for modern teams that offers better UX for data ingestion and has native AI capabilities (AI analyst, AI-generated subtitles, native AI functions). The software makes it super easy for you to import data directly from tools like databases and ad platforms to a spreadsheet.

What Makes It Special?

The killer feature here is native data connectivity. It integrates with 50 data sources, so you can pull data from all major sources. The good thing about Rows data connectors is that all of them are built-in native features.

No more exporting CSVs, downloading files, or dealing with broken API connections. You can pull data from Google Analytics, LinkedIn Ads, your CRM, or basically anywhere else you store information.

And the AI? It's not just a gimmick. You don't need an external add-on to use AI in your analysis.

You can ask it to clean messy data, generate insights, or even create visualizations—all in plain language.

• Marketing teams who need to pull data from multiple platforms (Facebook Ads, Google Analytics, HubSpot, etc.)

• Startups that want spreadsheet simplicity with database-like power

• Anyone who's tired of manually importing and exporting data

Rows won't replace Excel for hardcore financial modeling, but for teams that live between different apps and need their data to talk to each other? It's a game-changer. The learning curve is minimal, and the time you'll save on data imports alone makes it worth exploring.

Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start around $59/month for teams

If you use spreadsheets to keep track of projects or manage progress reports, then Smartsheet is likely your best option. It's the most spreadsheet-like project management software out there.

This isn't your grandfather's spreadsheet—it's what happens when spreadsheets and project management tools have a very productive collaboration.

What Makes It Different?

Smartsheet takes the familiar grid format you know and love, then turbos charges it with features that make project managers weep with joy. Say you were planning a product launch: you could take the existing project management template and customize it to your needs, add tasks and due dates in Gantt view, and then monitor task assignments using the card view. You could even use the calendar view to see your important launch dates in a calendar-like interface. And you can create a dashboard full of charts without having to look at any raw data.

The workflow automation is where Smartsheet really flexes. You can set up automated approval processes, send notifications when tasks hit certain criteria, and create dependencies between different pieces of work—all without writing a single line of code.

• Project managers who need more than a basic to-do list

• Operations teams managing complex workflows

• Companies that want spreadsheet familiarity with project management power

Of course, you can use Smartsheet like a regular spreadsheet app—but its potential feels wasted when used in this manner.

If all you need is basic spreadsheet functions, you're probably better off with something simpler (and cheaper). But if you're managing projects? This is gold.

Smartsheet pricing: Premium plans start from $9/user/month for up to 10 members and unlimited viewers.

Zoho Sheet is like that incredibly talented person who never brags about themselves—which means most people have no idea how good it actually is. In this regard, it's similar to Google Sheets, but it's also an incredibly powerful spreadsheet app, with more than 350 different functions, giving even Excel a run for its money.

What's Under the Hood?

First off, the AI-powered data cleaning is phenomenal. Got a messy CSV with inconsistent formatting, duplicate entries, and weird characters? Zoho Sheet's AI can clean it up automatically. Zoho Sheet is a part of the broader Zoho ecosystem, offering a familiar spreadsheet experience with some unique touches — AI-powered data cleaning, audit trails, user-level locks, and support for real-time collaboration. It supports Excel file formats, multiple languages, and integrates well with other Zoho products.

The collaboration features are smooth, with built-in chat so you don't have to jump between Slack and your spreadsheet constantly. Plus, you get granular permission controls—you can literally lock individual cells if you want, which is perfect when you have that one team member who... let's just say... "thinks outside the spreadsheet."

• Small to medium businesses already using Zoho's ecosystem

• Teams needing advanced collaboration without the Microsoft price tag

• International teams (it supports multiple languages natively)

Honestly? Zoho doesn't have the marketing budget of Microsoft or Google. But don't let that fool you—this is serious spreadsheet software. The layout is similar to Google Sheets and quite spartan, so you'll have to dig through menus to find more advanced features. However, the app does sport a basic formula builder with function descriptions, which Google Sheets lacks. The ability to link external data, like a CSV file or RSS feed, is a handy feature for businesses.

Pricing: Free for up to 25 users; paid plans start at around $3/user/month

Ever tried opening a CSV with 500,000 rows in Excel and watched your computer have an existential crisis? Yeah, that's where Gigasheet comes in. Gigasheet is a cloud-based spreadsheet software application best suited for handling large datasets. The platform is available only as a web application on desktop.

The Mind-Blowing Part:

Gigasheet supports spreadsheet files with up to 1 billion rows in a single sheet.

Let me repeat that: ONE. BILLION. ROWS. If your datasets are so big that normal spreadsheets just laugh and crash, Gigasheet is your new best friend.

Gigasheet supports all of the most popular spreadsheet file formats, including XLSX, CSV, and TXT files. You can also import data from complex file formats like JSON, XML, PCAP, and SQLite at the click of a button.

This is huge for data analysts, researchers, or anyone dealing with log files, scientific data, or massive exports from databases.

• Data analysts working with massive datasets

• Cybersecurity professionals analyzing log files

• Researchers dealing with big data

• Anyone who's ever seen "Not enough memory" error messages

While the platform does offer editing capabilities, they're fairly basic. For instance, you can't delete data from multiple cells at once. You need to do it one by one, which may prove too tedious for some.

Gigasheet is built for analyzing big data, not necessarily for complex data manipulation. But for its specific use case? It's unbeatable.

Pricing: Free tier available; paid plans for advanced features

Quip is a productivity tool from Salesforce, a company best known for its CRM software. And just like Salesforce isn't only a CRM, Quip isn't only a spreadsheet tool; it's also a collaborative document editor like Google Docs. Plus, you can use it to create presentations, host chats in channels like Slack, and bring your team closer together with features like @mentions.

What's the Big Deal?

Imagine you're writing a project proposal. Instead of saying "see attached spreadsheet," you can embed a live, editable spreadsheet directly in your document. Quip: Best for combining spreadsheets with documents and chat For teams who want to embed live data tables directly within documents and collaborate instantly using built-in chat and project feeds.

Your team can discuss the document, edit the spreadsheet, and keep all the conversation in one place. No more tab-switching madness.

The built-in chat means you're not just collaborating on data—you're having conversations around the data, all in context. It's like having Slack, Google Docs, and Google Sheets in one place, except it actually works smoothly.

• Sales teams (especially if you're already in the Salesforce ecosystem)

• Teams that hate switching between tools

• Anyone creating documents that need live data

• Companies wanting to reduce their SaaS sprawl

Quip won't replace your heavy-duty spreadsheet work. But for collaborative projects where spreadsheets and documents need to live together? It's brilliantly designed. The integration with Salesforce is seamless if you're already using their CRM, which makes it even more powerful for sales and customer success teams.

Pricing: Starts at $10/user/month; part of Salesforce suites

Alright, so you've seen five solid options. Now what? Here's how to actually decide:

1. What's your primary use case?

• Basic number crunching → Zoho Sheet or Google Sheets

• Project management → Smartsheet

• Massive datasets → Gigasheet

• Integrated workflows → Rows

• Document + data collaboration → Quip

2. How big is your team? Solo users have different needs than teams of 50. Consider pricing models and collaboration features accordingly.

3. What's your budget? Applications with more advanced features can cost anywhere from $4-$25 per month. Yearly rates vary but may fall between $70 to $150 a year.

Know what you're willing to spend per user.

4. What tools do you already use? If you're deep in the Salesforce ecosystem, Quip makes sense. Already using Zoho CRM? Zoho Sheet is a no-brainer. Integration matters.

5. How much data are you dealing with? Excel is the best choice for large datasets, capable of handling millions of rows without lag, especially when combined with Power Query.

But if you need even more? Gigasheet is your answer.

Just because everyone uses Excel doesn't mean it's the right tool for your specific workflow. In recent years, many businesses have found themselves outgrowing Excel's capabilities, turning instead to more modern, collaborative, and scalable spreadsheet tools. Whether you're a startup overwhelmed by Excel's complexity, a growing team in need of more flexibility, or an enterprise requiring enhanced security and automation, there's likely a better fit for your business needs.

The best spreadsheet apps have one thing in common: easy multi-access and real-time collaboration options. Any spreadsheet can store your data in cells and columns, but only the best ones can help you and your team access all the data at the same time, and work together.

If your team still emails spreadsheets around, you're living in 2005.

Most apps listed here come with a free version, so you can get a feel for what they offer before investing in the premium version. Whichever you choose, make sure to explore it in depth so you don't miss out on any of the features.

There's literally no reason not to try before you buy.

Manual data entry in 2025? Really? Look for tools that automate repetitive tasks, connect to your other apps, and save you from soul-crushing busywork.

Spreadsheets aren't dying—they're evolving. Here's what the next generation looks like:

We're moving beyond "smart suggestions" to actual AI analysts that can interrogate your data, spot trends, and even recommend business decisions. Tools like Rows are already doing this with their AI analyst feature.

With the AI revolution, the spreadsheet software you choose must integrate with AI natively so that artificial intelligence can help you with data analysis, cleaning, and visualization.

The spreadsheet of tomorrow isn't just a calculation tool—it's a no-code platform for building workflows.

Cloud-based, real-time collaboration is becoming table stakes. The days of downloaded files are numbered (except for those paranoid about security, which... fair).

Baserow is a powerful, open-source alternative to Excel that blends the simplicity of a spreadsheet with the structure of a database. It's ideal for businesses that have outgrown traditional spreadsheets and need more control, automation, and scalability.

This trend toward spreadsheet-database combinations is only accelerating.

Here's the truth: there's no single "best" spreadsheet software. There's only the best one for your specific needs.

If you're pulling data from multiple marketing platforms daily, Rows might save you hours every week. If you're managing complex projects, Smartsheet's workflow features could be transformative. If your datasets are massive, Gigasheet is probably your only option. If collaboration across documents and data matters most, Quip's integrated approach is brilliant. And if you want solid features with great AI at a reasonable price, Zoho Sheet is quietly excellent.

Remember that there's no one best spreadsheet software for everyone; different businesses have different needs and thus require different solutions. But how do you find out which spreadsheet software is right for you? Well, there's no better way than signing up for free trials and judging products for yourself.

The good news? Most of these tools have free trials or free tiers. You don't have to commit to anything immediately. Play around. Import your real data. See which interface makes you think "oh, this is nice" instead of "ugh, spreadsheets."

Your spreadsheet should work for you, not against you. It should save you time, not waste it. And it definitely shouldn't make you want to throw your computer out the window.

So pick one from this list, give it a shot, and see if it might just make your work life a little bit better. Because in 2025, your spreadsheet experience doesn't have to suck.

Now go forth and spreadsheet like you mean it. 📊✨