Google Sheets is one of the most used spreadsheet applications that has gained popularity around the world for its simplicity and user-friendliness. Google Sheets is used to tabulate different types of data and analyze them later just like what people do in Microsoft Excel. But when you’ll want to compare the basic features between Excel & Google Sheets, you’ll find Google Sheets far ahead in terms of real-time collaborations with others!
Since Google Sheets is a cloud based spreadsheet application, you don’t need to use a pen-drive to store the data and use it later in another device for your work. You’ll just need an active internet connection in your device anywhere and then you’re all set to login to your Google Sheets with a few clicks.
In this article, we’ll know about the features, uses, advantages and limitations of Google Sheets. We’ll also compare Google Sheets with another most popular spreadsheet tool Microsoft Excel to see how they’re slightly different in terms of uses and collaborations although most of the features are found common in both applications.
What Is Google Sheets and How to Access It?
Google Sheets is a free online spreadsheet application created by Google that helps you organize and manage different types of data. You can think of it like a digital version of a paper spreadsheet you might use to track expenses, make lists, or analyze data.
You can access Google Sheets with a Google account, which is also free. You can just go to the Google Sheets website, sign in with your account, and start creating and editing spreadsheets without any cost.
The following image is an overall representation of a Google Sheets interface after opening a new spreadsheet. If you’re already logged in with a Google account in the Chrome browser, just type “sheets.new” in the URL and then you’re all set to work with your new spreadsheet.
Different Parts of a Spreadsheet in Google Sheets
A spreadsheet in a Google Sheets window has almost similar interface like Excel. You’ll find rows, columns, menu bar, toolbar, sharing options, version history, spreadsheet title, sheets tab all at once in a single window.
The main parts of a Google Sheets spreadsheet are:
● Spreadsheet Title: You can title your spreadsheet with a name by editing the default title. You’ll find it on the top left corner of the screen, right beside the Google Sheets icon.
● Menu Bar: The menu bar in Google Sheets is a horizontal bar located at the top of the screen. It contains various menus such as File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Data, and more.
● Toolbar: The toolbar in Google Sheets is another row of icons just below the menu bar/ It offers quick access to commonly used functions such as formatting, alignment, and inserting charts. It provides efficient tools for editing and formatting spreadsheet content without navigating through menus.
● Rows: Rows are the horizontal lines of cells in Google Sheets. The rows are denoted with numbers starting from 1.
● Columns: Columns are the vertical lines of cells in Google Sheets. The columns are denoted with letters starting from A.
● Cell: A cell is a single rectangular box where you can enter, manipulate, and display data. It is identified by a unique combination of its column letter and row number, such as “A1” or “B2”.
● Active Cell: The active cell is the currently selected cell that is ready to receive input or perform actions. It is highlighted with a border, and any data entry or editing will occur in this cell.
● Sheets Tab: The Sheets tab in Google Sheets refers to the individual tabs located at the bottom of the spreadsheet interface. It represents different sheets within the same document. You can navigate from one sheet to another by simply clicking your mouse cursor on the destination sheet name.
● Insert Sheet Button: You’ll find a plus icon (+) at the left bottom corner of the Google Sheets window, through which you can insert a new spreadsheet easily in the same document.
● Sheets Navigator: Just right to the Insert Sheet button, you’ll find the Sheets Navigator icon with three small horizontal bars. By clicking on it, you can see all active sheets in your document and navigate to any sheet from here.
● Version History Button: On the right top corner, you’ll find a clock-like icon and by clicking here, you find when and who made the last changes in your spreadsheet.
● Comments Button: Next to the Version History button, you’ll find a speech bubble icon. By clicking on this button, you can see all the comments that are present in your spreadsheet.
● Share Button: You can click on this button to share your spreadsheet with other people. You can also modify or restrict the access later for the users by using this option.
What Is Google Sheets Used for?
Google Sheets is used for several purposes including storing & managing data. Here are some common uses:
● Making Lists: You can use Google Sheets to make all sorts of lists, like to-do lists, shopping lists, or lists of contact information.
● Tracking Expenses: It’s great for tracking your spending and income. You can create categories like groceries, bills, entertainment, etc. and then enter how much you spend or earn in each category.
● Managing Projects: Google Sheets is helpful for organizing tasks, deadlines, and responsibilities when you’re working on a project with others. You can create columns for tasks, deadlines, and who’s responsible for each task.
● Analyzing Data: If you have a lot of data, like sales figures or survey responses, Google Sheets can help you analyze it. You can use formulas and functions to calculate totals, averages, or other statistics, and then create charts and graphs to visualize the results.
● Budgeting: You can use Google Sheets to create a budget for yourself or your household. You can list your income, expenses, and savings goals, and then see how everything adds up. Later you can customize them unlimited times you want.
● Collaborating with Others: One of the best things about Google Sheets is that multiple people can work on the same spreadsheet at the same time. This makes it perfect for group projects, team tasks, or planning events together. This is where Google Sheets is far ahead useful among all other spreadsheets when it comes to real-time collaborations. It doesn’t matter if you and your partner are 10000 miles away from each other. If you both have just uninterrupted internet connections then you are ready to work together in a single spreadsheet application!
What Are the Main Features of Google Sheets?
The key features of Google Sheets include:
● Cloud-Based Storage: While working in Google Sheets, your spreadsheets are stored in the cloud, which means you can access them later from anywhere with an internet connection. You don’t need to worry about saving your work or losing it if your computer crashes because everything is automatically saved online.
● Automatic Saving and Version History: Google Sheets automatically saves your work when you’re online, so you never have to worry about losing data. Besides, it keeps a history of all the changes made to the spreadsheet, so you can go back and see who made what changes and when. If you make a mistake or accidentally delete something, you can easily revert to a previous version.
● Integration with Google Services: You can integrate Google Sheets seamlessly with other Google services like Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Calendar. This means you can easily attach spreadsheets to emails, share them with others, and even collaborate on them directly from your Gmail inbox.
● Useful Formulas and Functions: Google Sheets offers a wide range of built-in formulas and functions for performing calculations and data analysis. Whether you need to sum up a column of numbers, calculate averages, or perform complex statistical analysis, Google Sheets is a handy application here for you.
● Add-Ons and Extensions: Google Sheets allows you to enhance its functionality by installing add-ons and extensions. These are like mini-programs that add new features and capabilities to Google Sheets, such as data visualization tools, workflow automation, and integration with other third-party services.
● Customization Options: Google Sheets offers a variety of customization options that allow you to personalize your spreadsheets to suit your needs. You can customize the appearance and formatting of your data, create charts and graphs to visualize it, and even build interactive dashboards for easy data analysis.
● Offline Access & Syncing: Google Sheets allows users to enable offline access to specific documents. This means that you can access and edit these documents even when you’re not connected to the internet. Google Sheets will save everything locally on your device if you’re not online while working or making changes to the spreadsheets, and once the internet connection is back, Google Sheets will automatically sync the locally saved data.
● Printing and Downloading as Different File Formats: After finishing your tasks in Google Sheets, you can easily print your spreadsheets in different file formats like- PDF, MS Excel, CSV (Comma Separated Values) file, etc. This means you can share your spreadsheet with others who might not have Google Sheets or prefer a different file format.
● Data Visualization with Charts and Dashboard: In Google Sheets, you can easily turn your data into colorful charts and interactive dashboards with just a few steps. This helps you to understand and find different insights of your data. You can also customize these charts with different fonts and styles later. And the dashboard, combining multiple charts in a single interface, will provide you the best and all possible overview of your entire data.
● Input Data Validation: Google Sheets allows you to set rules for the data entered into cells, ensuring accuracy of the input data. With data validation, you can define criteria such as numerical ranges, text length limits, or selection from a dropdown list. This feature helps prevent errors by guiding users to input the correct type of data and within specified parameters.
● Making Custom Functions: In Google Sheets, you can also create your own custom functions using Google Apps Script. Custom functions enable you to perform specialized calculations that aren’t covered by built-in formulas. For example, you can develop a custom function to calculate shipping costs based on distance and package weight. By creating custom functions according to your specific requirements, you can streamline your workflow and make data analysis more efficient.
How Does Google Sheets Secure Your Data from Other Users?
Since Google Sheets lets you work online and collaborate with other users, you might ask if your data is public or if anyone can access your spreadsheet. But Google Sheets keeps your data safe from other users around the world in a few ways that you should find trustworthy:
● Access Controls: You get to decide who can see or change your spreadsheets. You can pick who gets to view, edit, or share your data. This means only the people you trust can access your information.
● Encryption: Encryption is a method of converting your data into a format that cannot be easily understood by unauthorized users. It’s like turning your data into a secret code that only you and Google can decode. So when you’re sending data back and forth to Google’s servers, it’s all encrypted, meaning it’s like putting your data in a secure lockbox before sending it out.
● Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): You can make your Google account even more secure with two-factor authentication. This means that even if someone gets your password, they still need another code from your phone or another device to get in.
● Regular Checks: Google is always looking out for any potential problems. They regularly check their systems to make sure everything is working as it should be and to catch any issues before they become big problems.
● Privacy Promises: Google follows strict rules and promises to keep your data safe. They comply with laws and regulations around the world to make sure they’re doing everything they can to protect your privacy.
Comparison Between Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel
Google Sheets and Excel are similar in many ways. They both let you create and edit spreadsheets, use formulas and functions for calculations, and make charts and graphs to visualize data. You can also format cells, sort and filter data, and collaborate with others in real-time. But there are some differences between Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel in terms of their uses and flexibility. Let’s dip into them now:
Cost and Accessibility
● Google Sheets is free to use with a Google account and accessible online through a web browser.
● Microsoft Excel requires purchasing a license or subscription to Microsoft Office, though it may come pre-installed on some devices. But for using the latest versions like Excel 2019, 2021 or Excel 365, you must go for the subscription plan.
Platform Compatibility
● Google Sheets is cloud-based and can be accessed from any device with internet connectivity and it doesn’t matter which operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux, etc.) you’re using on your device.
● Microsoft Excel is primarily desktop-based software, though it also offers online and mobile versions. Desktop versions are available for Windows and macOS, while online versions are accessible through a web browser.
Collaboration and Real-Time Editing
● Google Sheets offers real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to edit a spreadsheet simultaneously. Changes are instantly visible to all collaborators.
● Excel offers collaboration features, but they are not as seamless as Google Sheets. Users typically need to save and share Excel files manually, and real-time editing requires additional software or services like SharePoint.
Advanced Features and Add-Ons
● Excel offers a wide range of advanced features, functions, and tools for data analysis, financial modeling, and complex calculations. It also supports a larger library of third-party add-ins and extensions.
● While Google Sheets provides many basic features and functions, it may not offer the same depth of advanced capabilities as Excel. However, it does support add-ons and extensions to enhance functionality.
Operation Speed
● Google Sheets may experience slower performance when handling very large datasets or complex spreadsheets, particularly when multiple users are editing the same document simultaneously.
● Excel tends to perform better with large datasets, especially on powerful desktop computers with sufficient memory and processing resources. Since Excel runs locally on the user’s device, it’s able to grasp the full computing power of the machine.
A Few Limitations of Using Google Sheets
Though Google Sheets is a lot more user-friendly, it has some limitations that might bother you sometimes while working with it. But it mostly depends what type of work you need to perform in Google Sheets, sometimes it can be the issues with your internet connection or the processor speed of your device too! Let’s breakdown some limitations of using Google Sheets now:
● Limited Offline Functionality: Google Sheets relies on an internet connection to access and edit spreadsheets. While it does offer offline access through Google Chrome and the Google Docs Offline extension, the functionality is limited compared to working online. Without internet access, you may not be able to make updates, edit or access certain features.
● Less Advanced Features: While Google Sheets offers many basic spreadsheet features, it does not have some advanced functionalities found in Microsoft Excel. You cannot use tools like Power Query or Power Pivot here which are available in Microsoft Excel.
● Limited Customization Options: You may find Google Sheets with fewer customization options compared to MS Excel. While it offers basic formatting tools and the ability to create charts and graphs, users may find the absence of advanced customization options for visualizations and layouts.
● Performance Issues with Large Datasets: Google Sheets may experience performance issues, such as slowdowns or delays, when working with very large datasets or complex spreadsheets, especially when multiple users are collaborating simultaneously.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Why is Google Sheets important?
Google Sheets is important for analyzing different types of data in the spreadsheet format. It enables users to work in the same spreadsheets and make effective collaborations. The simplicity of the functionalities in Google Sheets allows users to understand its features fast and the users can obtain a higher rate of efficiency from the spreadsheet based data analysis.
Q2: Is Google Sheets free?
Google Sheets is free for personal use with limited cloud storage. The Business Standard plan costs differently and comes along with more cloud storage space and dedicated customer support.
Q3: Does Google Sheets use AI?
Yes, its Smart Fill option can detect the format of your cell inputs if they contain a particular pattern and relationships between them. Based on this, the Smart Fill option shows you suggestions to autofill all other inputs in the blank cells sequentially.
Q4: Does Google Sheets use Internet?
Yes, Google Sheets use the internet. But you can still work in Google Sheets offline and the data will be stored locally in your device. Once the internet connection is restored, your locally saved data will be synchronized automatically in the cloud storage.
Q5: Can I convert Google Sheets to Excel?
Yes, you can convert Google Sheets to Excel. To do this:
● Open the File option from the menu.
● Select Download > Microsoft Excel.
● Choose the folder where you want to save in your device.
Concluding Words
To summarize, Google Sheets is a versatile online spreadsheet tool offered by Google. It’s accessible through any web browser, making it easy to organize, analyze, and collaborate on data. We’ve explored its various uses, and discussed its key features, including real-time collaboration and integration with other Google services. Additionally, we’ve seen how Google Sheets prioritizes data security through encryption and access controls. Comparing it to Microsoft Excel, we’ve highlighted differences in cost, accessibility, and collaboration features. While Google Sheets may have some limitations, such as advanced features and offline functionality, it remains a popular choice for individuals and businesses seeking a convenient and efficient spreadsheet solution.