Google Sheets

Google Sheets is the spreadsheet most of the internet learned collaboration on. It runs entirely in the browser and in mobile apps, is free with a personal Google account, and is included in every Google Workspace business plan. Real-time co-editing, comments, suggestions and version history are built in, and the current version adds Gemini AI features for building spreadsheets from prompts, auto-populating tables and turning data into interactive mini-apps.

The core spreadsheet is genuinely capable: hundreds of functions, pivot tables, charts, conditional formatting, data validation, filter views and Apps Script for automation in JavaScript. Connected Sheets links to big data sources for teams that outgrow cell limits, and the grid now extends beyond tables with Sheets canvas – custom dashboards, heat maps and Kanban boards without code. Import and export of Excel files is native, so mixed environments work fine.

Gemini in Sheets is the current headline: generate a spreadsheet structure from a prompt, fill columns of data automatically, ask questions about trends in plain language and visualize answers as mini-apps. For business plans, the Workspace wrapper adds the admin pieces – custom business email, pooled storage, security controls, eDiscovery and Vault on higher tiers.

Pricing is simple. Personal use is free. For business, Sheets comes inside Google Workspace: Starter at $7 per user per month, Standard at $14 and Plus at $22 (annual commitment rates; a 50%-off first-3-months promotion was running at research time), with Enterprise quoted by sales. Google offers a 14-day Workspace trial, so teams can evaluate the whole suite – Sheets, Docs, Gmail, Meet, Drive – together.

Watch-outs: Sheets is weaker than desktop Excel for very large or calculation-heavy models, and power users will miss some advanced charting and analysis depth. Offline work exists but is best effort. And teams that need governed, app-like databases rather than spreadsheets may outgrow it into tools like Airtable.

The ecosystem around the grid is a real advantage: AppSheet turns a spreadsheet into a no-code internal app, Google Forms feeds responses straight into Sheets, and Looker Studio connects for live dashboards. Zapier and the Google Workspace Marketplace extend it to thousands of third-party tools when native hooks are not enough. Support runs through Google’s help center and community forums for free users, while paid Workspace plans include direct support through the admin console.

For almost any team that needs a shared spreadsheet, Google Sheets is the default answer for a reason: frictionless sharing, a familiar grid, AI assistance that is actually shipping inside the product, and a free tier that makes adoption a non-decision.