For one, it’s not meant to be used as a database, so it lacks the tools needed for security, access control, audit trails, and more. Why you need an alternative to Microsoft ExcelĮven though Excel has some great features for organizing, analyzing, and reporting data on spreadsheets, it also has its fair share of downsides.

Alternatives to Excel for large data sets.Alternatives to Excel for data analysis.Why you need an alternative to Microsoft Excel.So, whether you’re new to spreadsheets or you think you might have outgrown Excel, check out our list of the best Excel alternatives. But despite its popularity, Excel has some disadvantages, and you might feel you’d be better off using an alternative provider. With more than 750 million users, it’s the traditional tool for presenting and analyzing data for all kinds of purposes. Excel has been the prominent spreadsheet software for homes and businesses since Microsoft started bundling it in 1985.