Excel vs. Google Sheets - which is more effective for complex data analytics tasks?

1. Data Capacity

Excel:

Handles up to 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns per sheet—great for huge datasets.
(Example: If your data is like a sprawling city, Excel is the metropolis built for it.)

Advanced tools like Power Query and Power Pivot are perfect for crunching massive data volumes.

Google Sheets:

Limits data to 10 million cells per file, making it better for moderate datasets.
(Example: Imagine a cozy town—great for small communities but not ideal for skyscrapers.)

2. Advanced Functions and Analytics

Excel:

Offers advanced analytics tools like Solver, What-If Analysis, and Macros.

Built-in support for complex statistical models and data visualization (e.g., pivot tables, dashboards).
(Example: Excel is like a Swiss Army knife—ready for any analytical challenge.)

Google Sheets:

Supports essential formulas and basic pivot tables but lacks some of Excel’s advanced capabilities.

Great for cloud-based collaboration but not as powerful for heavy computations.
(Example: Google Sheets is a trusty toolbox—solid but not as versatile.)

3. Collaboration Features

Google Sheets:

Real-time collaboration: Multiple users can work on the same sheet simultaneously.

Version history makes it easy to track changes.
(Example: It’s like a live jam session—everyone contributes, and it works seamlessly.)

Excel:

Collaboration is available but requires OneDrive or SharePoint.

Better suited for individual use unless shared via the cloud.
(Example: It’s like a well-rehearsed solo performance—great for one person but needs extra setup for a duet.)

4. Automation and Integration

Excel:

Macros and VBA offer robust automation for repetitive tasks.

Integrates well with Microsoft’s ecosystem, including Power BI for advanced reporting.
(Example: Excel’s automation is like a skilled butler—it handles everything you need with precision.)

Google Sheets:

Apps Script allows automation, but it’s less powerful than Excel’s VBA.

Easily integrates with Google Workspace tools and third-party apps like Zapier.
(Example: Google Sheets is like a friendly robot—good at routine tasks, but don’t ask it to juggle too much.)

5. Pricing

Excel:

Part of Microsoft 365, starting at $6/month per user (with cloud features).
(Example: Excel is a premium coffee—you pay for the quality and richness.)

Google Sheets:

Free for personal use; business plans start at $6/month per user with Google Workspace.
(Example: Google Sheets is your free neighborhood café—great value for casual use.)

6. Accessibility

Google Sheets:

Cloud-native, accessible anywhere with an internet connection.
(Example: It’s like a bicycle—light, mobile, and great for quick trips.)

Excel:

Available both offline and online, offering flexibility for desktop power users.
(Example: It’s like a sturdy car—ideal for long, demanding journeys.)

7. Use Cases for Complex Analytics

Excel:

Financial modeling, statistical analysis, and large-scale reporting.
(Example: Excel is your financial analyst wearing a sharp suit, ready to tackle complex challenges.)

Google Sheets:

Ideal for collaborative budgeting, quick data sharing, and simpler dashboards.
(Example: Google Sheets is your friendly teammate with a knack for teamwork.)

Great question! Luckily, Excel and Google Sheets have few significant differences. Both are built to handle large data sets, complex formulas, and data visualization (i.e. charts and dashboards). In my experience, both are well-equipped to handle most data analytics tasks you throw at them.

A few key differences:

1. Since Google Sheets is hosted on the internet, they have multiple formulas that allow you to import data directly from the internet into a Google Sheet. Excel has some functionality for this, but I feel like Google is easier to work with. You would also need Microsoft 365 to access some of the Excel formulas for data analytics (FILTER, SORT, UNIQUE, etc.) that are already available on Google Sheets.
2. Excel seems to handle very large data sets better than Google (I'm talking 500k+ lines of data, but it will depend on your computer's processing abilities. If you have an older computer or have less than 8GB of RAM, very large data sets will slow down considerably on Excel since it relies on your computer. Google Sheets, on the other hand, is hosted online by Google's servers. So while it might start slowing down with very large data sets or a lot of complex formulas, it can still handle a lot.
3. When it comes to building automation scripts to handle things that formulas cannot do, I'm leaning toward Google here. I have many years of experience building Excel macros and know that their potential is almost limitless, but since Microsoft stopped supporting VBA (the language that Excel macros are written in), I imagine it will just stop working properly in a few years. I've been switching more of my clients onto Google App Scripts (which is how you build macros/scripts for Google Sheets). Google App Scripts are also written in JavaScript language, so it'll be much easier to developers to troubleshoot since JavaScript is more popular than VBA.

Overall, Excel is not going anywhere and it's still the powerhouse staple of the analytics world that it always was. That said, I am transitioning more of my clients and work over to Google since I believe it has the best chance for future-proofing the development and maintenance of data projects.

Hope this helps, and feel free to message me about your Google Sheets/Excel projects in the future!