There are several free spreadsheet programs that have the capabilities of Microsoft Excel, but without the price tag. These apps have all the spreadsheet features you would expect, plus features like Excel file compatibility, clean interfaces, automatic spell checking, macro creation, and autosave.

Although not a desktop application like the others mentioned here, Google Sheets is a popular alternative to Microsoft Excel, both in its online and offline versions. It also works via a mobile app.

Sheets works just like any other spreadsheet. However, since it’s a cloud-based service, it saves your work in near real-time by default, saving your files to your Google Drive. You’ll need to sign in with a Google account to create new spreadsheets, but once you’re signed in, the tool is free to use and has enough robust features to make it suitable for all my spreadsheet needs.

Sheets is a cloud-based service that supports real-time collaboration and document sharing features that desktop solutions typically cannot match.