The 5 Best Spreadsheet Apps for Android in 2023

Microsoft Excel is great but it's not the only game in town

By
Coletta Teske Whitehead
Coletta Teske
Coletta Teske Whitehead
Writer
  • Central Washington University
Coletta Teske is a Lifewire writer focusing on consumer electronics. She has 30 years' experience writing for Adobe, Boeing, Microsoft, and many others.
lifewire's editorial guidelines
Updated on January 14, 2023

When you’re looking for a spreadsheet app for Android, you’ll find plenty on the Google Play Store. We’ve tested the most popular ones and picked our favorites.

The spreadsheet apps reviewed below work on Android phones and tablets running Android 5.0 and higher. The information below should apply no matter who made your Android phone or tablet (Samsung, Google, etc.).

01
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Desktop Power in an Android Package: Microsoft Excel

Screenshot of the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet app for Android
What We Like

  • Tutorials and help pages can be found on Microsoft’s site and with a web search.

  • The app looks and works similarly across all devices, which makes it easier to go from desktop to mobile.

What We Don't Like

  • Some features, like SmartArt, are available on Android tablets, but not on Android phones.

  • It has the largest file size of all the apps we reviewed.

Excel may be the longest-running spreadsheet app and it certainly has the largest market share. If you’re familiar with Microsoft Excel 2019, 2016, or 2013, you’ll find it easy to make the switch to Microsoft Excel for Android. The Android app for Excel is free for non-business use and requires you to create a free Microsoft Outlook email account.

Excel for Android contains the most used features of Excel. But that doesn’t mean it’s a watered-down version. With the Excel app, your spreadsheets will come to life with: 

  • Basic tasks such as formatting text, inserting rows and columns, adding pictures, and applying cell styles. 
  • Complex tasks such as sorting and filtering data, writing formulas, and creating charts.
  • Sharing features that allow others to add comments and make changes to your Excel workbooks.
02
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Go From the Web to Your Device: Google Sheets

Screenshot of Google Sheets spreadsheet app for Android
What We Like

  • You can work offline.

  • Files are saved automatically.

  • The app provides insights and recommendations for charts and analysis.

What We Don't Like

  • It’s difficult to navigate the menus.

  • The menu structure on ​a smartphone is different than on a tablet.

If you’ve been using Google Sheets on the web, you’ll easily go from the web app to the Android app. Google Sheets for Android has most of the same features as the web version, and with the Google Sheets app, you can start working in the web app and continue your work from your mobile device.

Google Sheets is free for non-business use and works with a free Gmail email address. Sheets is also a part of Google Workspace, an integrated collaboration environment that merges Gmail, Chat, and Meet, as well as Google's other apps. Google Workspace is free to anyone with a Google Account, though there are paid subscriptions that offer additional capabilities.

Check out Google Sheets when you work on the go or with a team and need a basic set of spreadsheet tools. Here’s what you can do with Google Sheets:

  • Emphasize your data with text formatting, visually appealing charts, and rows that alternate colors. 
  • Organize data with filters, named ranges, conditional formatting, and pivot tables. 
  • Perform complex math calculations with functions and formulas.
  • Store your files in the cloud and access them from anywhere and on any device.
03
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Calculate and Collaborate: Zoho Sheet

Screenshot of Mobile Spreadsheet by Zoho spreadsheet app for Android
What We Like

  • Spreadsheets can be saved as PDF files.

  • It has a familiar look and feel.

  • Easy to get up and running.

  • The checkbox option makes it simple to create to-do lists and shopping lists.

What We Don't Like

  • When choosing the command to insert an image, the app may display a file window and the tablet screen might rotate from landscape to portrait.

Another spreadsheet app built for collaboration is Zoho Sheet, which is part of Zoho’s wide range of productivity apps for business. If you’ve worked with Google Sheets, you’ll find a familiar interface with this spreadsheet app. Zoho Sheet is free to download and works with a free Google Gmail account.

Here’s what you’ll get with Mobile Spreadsheet for Android:

  • Sort and filter data, apply conditional formatting, add images, freeze panes, and format text.
  • Over 350 basic and advanced functions along with formula suggestions.
  • Interactive checkboxes, smart links that call phone numbers, and fields that redirect to navigation apps.
04
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Keep It Basic: Simple Spreadsheet

Screenshot of Simple Screenshot by iku spreadsheet app for Android
What We Like

  • No need to create an account and sign in to use the app.

  • For a simple app, it has enough functions and formulas for common calculations.

What We Don't Like

  • Files can only be saved to your device.

  • It’s so simple, the app doesn’t include any templates.

If you’re looking for a spreadsheet that takes up a small amount of space on your device and asks for the fewest permissions, ​check out Simple Spreadsheet. As the name implies, it really is simple to use. Simple Spreadsheet is free and contains ads.

If you don’t know a lot about spreadsheets and want to get up and running quickly, this spreadsheet app gets you started with the basics. It contains features for text formatting, chart building, and cell sizing. You’ll also find a list of 51 functions to support your calculations.

05
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Find a Spreadsheet and Other Cool Apps: WPS Office

Screenshot of the WPS Office spreadsheet app for Android
What We Like

  • It’s compatible with Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.

  • When the app starts, the last file you worked on is opened automatically.

What We Don't Like

  • You'll have to search through the menus to find some commands.

There are many other spreadsheet apps available for Android, and some of them are tucked away inside an office productivity suite. The most popular office suite for Android is WPS Office. WPS Office is available for free, doesn’t contain ads, and works with a free Google Gmail account.

WPS Office is the one-stop spot to create documents, presentations, memos, and spreadsheets. If you’ve worked with Microsoft Excel in the past, you’ll get up to speed quickly with WPS Office.

The WPS Spreadsheet has a familiar look and it's a great alternative to Excel and Google Sheets. Working with this spreadsheet app gives you the ability to:

  • Work with multiple worksheets at the same time.
  • Set up your workspace the way you want by resizing cells, freezing panes, hiding gridlines.
  • Visualize data with a selection of chart types and styles.
  • Organize data with table and cell styles, sort options, filters, and pivot tables.
  • Save spreadsheets to any location, including a variety of cloud storage services.
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