Excel Online

Pros

• Same functionality of Microsoft Excel software, no need to learn new software
• Easily create, edit, share, and save sheets
• Saved externally to the OneDrive cloud, freeing up local storage space
• Free to download and use
• Interfaces easily with other Microsoft tools such as Word
• Makes any computer, tablet, or cellphone into a Windows Excel compatible device
• Great user interface

Cons

• Requires logging into a Microsoft account
• Does not have any offline capabilities for those looking to work on-the-go
• Requires Google Chrome

Excel Online has all the benefits of Excel without taking up any space on your computer's hard drive. Google Chrome users can log on and create, edit, read, share, and save Excel sheets easily. Excel Online boasts the same functionality, same design and feel, and the same integrations as other Microsoft tools such as Microsoft Word. Excel Online is run through the Microsoft OneDrive: a cloud based storage system meaning not only do users free up space by keeping their software online, they also free up space by keeping their files online. This tool also keeps files saved safely online so they don't become deleted, corrupted, or broken as easily as traditional files.

Everything about Excel Online looks and feels exactly like the local version of Excel. Not only does it maintain its original functionality and shortcut systems, but users can also send Excel Online sheets to any other users with Microsoft Excel or with Microsoft OneDrive. This Chrome-based tool enables users from any computer operating system to easily create, access, and share spreadsheets. For those who are familiar with the Microsoft OneDrive, Excel Online also allows for sheets to be saved to the cloud and then accessed from any computer, laptop, cellphone, or tablet regardless of brand or operating system. Working together with others has never been easier.

Excel Online is completely free. It runs on almost any computer, as long as users have Google Chrome installed. Excel Online requires a Windows account, but it is quite simple to create one, especially if the users have had a Microsoft computer in the past. One of the downsides of this extension is that it requires internet connectivity to work. For those who are looking to work on-the-go or in places without internet, Excel Online is not a direct replacement for the local software.

Overall, this is a great tool for professionals and students to use in order to create and share spreadsheets easily. It breaks down the barrier between operating systems and gives anyone access to some of the best spreadsheet creating software on the market. While it is not perfect, especially for those without Google Chrome, the ease of acquiring both Google Chrome and Excel Online mitigate any annoyances. Excel has always been the leader in spreadsheet creation and Excel Online simply brings it into the twenty-first century.

Pros

• Same functionality of Microsoft Excel software, no need to learn new software
• Easily create, edit, share, and save sheets
• Saved externally to the OneDrive cloud, freeing up local storage space
• Free to download and use
• Interfaces easily with other Microsoft tools such as Word
• Makes any computer, tablet, or cellphone into a Windows Excel compatible device
• Great user interface

Cons

• Requires logging into a Microsoft account
• Does not have any offline capabilities for those looking to work on-the-go
• Requires Google Chrome