Choosing tools18 October 20262 min read
Use Google Sheets when several people edit together and your data comes from Google tools. Use Excel for heavier calculations, large files and finance models. Move to a dashboard when you spend more time rebuilding the report than reading it.
When Google Sheets is the better fit
- Several people need to edit the same file at the same time.
- Your numbers come from Google Ads, Google Analytics or other Google tools.
- You want a file that works in a browser on any device with no installs.
- You want a data source that a dashboard in Looker Studio can read directly.
When Excel is the better fit
- You work with large files. An Excel sheet holds more than a million rows, while a Google Sheets file is capped at around ten million cells in total. Limits change, so check the current figures.
- You need advanced formulas, pivot tables, Power Query or detailed financial models.
- Your team already works in Microsoft 365 and shares files through OneDrive or SharePoint.
Signs a spreadsheet has reached its limit
- Someone copies and pastes numbers from several platforms every week or month.
- The file is slow to open, or crashes.
- You have files named "final", "final v2" and "final v2 (new)".
- Two people report two different totals and nobody knows which is right.
- Only one person understands how the file works.
- Reports are late because the data has to be collected first.
What a dashboard changes
A dashboard pulls the numbers in automatically, applies the same calculations every time and shows the result in one place. People stop arguing about the data and start talking about what to do.
You do not have to throw your spreadsheets away. Budgets, targets and manual lists often stay in Google Sheets or Excel and feed the dashboard, while the platform data comes in automatically.
Not sure where you stand? Tell us what you report on today and we will say whether a spreadsheet is still enough.