Spreadsheet apps for desktop were always popular, mostly since first computers were basically oversized calculators anyway. And with the rise of smartphones, nobody really thought about using your phone on the same level as a desktop computer, since they were primarily phones after all. But as smartphones become larger, stronger, and more sophisticated, their uses expanded, which of course included the integration of spreadsheet applications.
Working and organizing on-the-go is an amazing feature that everyone should be able to utilize. From making a handy school schedule to managing your business, excel and spreadsheet apps can be used in just about any situation that requires organization. While some notable giants in the field dominate the market, especially back when only desktop versions were available, there are more than a few notable competitors that are viable alternatives.
There are some pros and cons when it comes to using a spreadsheet app on your phone. The largest pro is definitely being able to work on-the-go, wherever you are. Also, it is beneficial to have constant access to your files and data that you can literally pull out of your pocket at any time. That being said, there are some notable cons too. For example, a lot of excel apps can be clunky to work with via touchscreen, as constantly having to open your keyboard might mess with your workflow.
Not only that but having to share the same space for both the screen and the keyboard can be very annoying, especially when compared to the standard desktop + keyboard setup. Nevertheless, the pros do tend to outweigh the cons considering you can’t really lug your entire desktop computer or even a laptop with you at all times. So here are some great spreadsheet apps that you can utilize on your Android smartphones.
1. Google Sheets
Google Sheets is one of those apps which if you’re not using it, you really are missing out. It is absolutely free, with the only paid stuff being an entire package of Google Apps and extra storage space, which quite honestly isn’t even necessary for daily usage. You can create and edit spreadsheets, combine them, share them with your friends or clients. And to top it all off, it automatically syncs to your Google Drive, so you’ll never need to worry about losing the data you worked so hard for.
But that doesn’t mean it’s only available online but also has all the same capabilities offline, too, well apart from syncing, of course. It is important to note that the only reason you’d need to purchase the Google Drive package would be if you had exceeded the 15 GB of free storage, so there are no features hidden behind paywalls or anything of the sort. And with Sheets being an online tool too, you can collaborate with your colleagues by working on the same spreadsheet simultaneously as Google Sheets offers you to share the files in an editable form.
2. Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is THE spreadsheet app. It dominated the market ever since it came out back in 1985. It’s easy to use and has a wide variety of options for your every need such as the Excel calendar. But it does have some downsides, as the free version is only good for personal use and is rather simplistic. So to use Excel’s full potential, you would require a subscription that ranges from $6 to $10 a month for Microsoft 365 or purchase the desktop version.
But at least you get to sync to your OneDrive, which is nice. Although if you are a student or someone in your family is, do check if their school provides them with a free Microsoft 365 package as part of their academic privileges.
More tips on using Excel here.
3. OfficeSuite
Back before Microsoft and Google decided to make their spreadsheet apps available for the Android public, OfficeSuite was the preferred app of many. And it’s not only a spreadsheet app but an entire package that offers equivalents of Word, PowerPoint, PDF readers, and Excel.
The spreadsheet portion of the app itself is quite good, offering you strong editing abilities as well as support for excel files. And while it is free to use, it does have ads on it. You could easily get rid of those apps via a subscription of $5 a month, which does also unlock multiple features and more than 150 extra document formats to use.
4. Quip
If you’re running a business, Quip might be perfect for you. As it’s a relatively new competitor on the market, it features a wide variety of features that allow you to edit sheets as well as documents quickly and easily. And you can also share your workload with your co-workers as Quip allows you to edit and share documents between multiple users.
From office projects to grocery lists, Quip can handle it all, with the added benefit of having real-time responses so that you can check in on work progress too. It also offers chat and messaging options so you can always stay in contact with your co-workers about your ongoing projects.
5. WPS Office
WPS Office is an app that many consider being one of the best apps to use in an office setting. And the reason being is that it offers an entire suite that can integrate various standard file formats like PDF, Docs, and of course, spreadsheets. Not only that, but it also has integrations for Zoom and Google Classrooms, so it is extremely useful when it comes to working online.
You can install it for free from the Google Play Store, but it does come with ads and without some features, but you can make them available with a subscription of $4 a month.
6. Polaris Office
Polaris Office is yet another suite typed app that offers a broad range of compatible file formats, as well as support for multiple global languages. It is a very compact app that might be perfect for people who want to save space for their phones for other apps or files.
It offers an easy way to utilize graphs on your phones, and with its stylish user interface, you’ll have no trouble finding your way around the app. It is a free app, but it also offers premium payment plans that unlock many more functions. And to get rid of the ads, you will have to purchase the one-time option of Remove Ads for $5.
7. AndrOpen Office
With over 4 million downloads, AndrOpen Office is a great spreadsheet and office suite app that has the ability to not only do the standard spreadsheet and word processing work but it also offers an equation editor. Not to mention that it supports an insane amount of file types, including Adobe Photoshops PSD. The app’s quality and ease of use are definitely on par with its larger, more popular counterparts. There are a lot of languages to choose from as well and all that for free.
Conclusion
All in all, if you need a spreadsheet management app on your Android phone, these are definitely some of the strongest contenders, and they offer a wide variety of features that are worth checking out.
