EtherCalc vs Google Sheets (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Google Sheets: it is first in our ranking of spreadsheet and database tools, and it grades higher too, 3.4 against 3.2.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Google Sheets grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Google Sheets
Browser-based spreadsheet, free with a Google Account
Which one is for you
Pick EtherCalc if
- Fits if you need a quick shared sheet for a meeting without making accounts
- Works for developers who want to host a shared sheet on their own server
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if the data is private, as anyone who knows a sheet's URL can read and write it unless a key is set
- Skip it if you want a full spreadsheet, since it is a basic shared grid
- Watch out: self-hosting on the internet needs a reverse proxy for TLS and rate limits
- Watch out: the docs list only Safari, Chrome and Firefox as tested, and there are no phone or desktop apps
Pick Google Sheets if
- Fits if a few of you need to be in the same spreadsheet at once, each seeing the others' edits
- Works for budgets, rotas and sign-up lists shared with a link, and Excel files you edit without converting
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a spreadsheet app on your Mac or PC: Sheets lives in the browser, and offline needs Chrome or Edge with an extension
- Not for you if your work hangs on old Excel macros, which commenters say don't run in Sheets
- Too light for giant data sets, as a file is capped at 20 million cells or 100 MB
- Tight if you do real work on an iPhone or iPad, where reviewers miss conditional formatting, pivot tables and scripts
- Pricey if you want Gemini in Sheets, which starts on Workspace Business Standard at $14 a head; a business can't buy Sheets alone
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAEtherCalcVery good | 3.4GPAGoogle SheetsVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree at ethercalc.net with no account, and free to self-host. Nobody charges for it, so it is free and substantial. | AFor a person it's free, and there's no paid tier to buy for yourself, in a category whose middle plan is $9.99 a month. A business can't buy Sheets on its own: it comes inside Google Workspace from $7 a head on a one-year deal, with Gmail, Drive and Meet. Gemini in Sheets needs the $14 plan. |
| Free plan and trial | ANo plan and no cap on record: open a sheet and start. Self-hosting is optional. | AFree with a Google Account: create, edit and share files, work in one with other people, go back to old versions, edit offline. A file stops at 20 million cells or 100 MB, and some Gemini features are kept for paid plans. |
| Features | CShared editing by URL and a REST API. It is a basic shared sheet, and the listing shows no apps and nothing beyond the grid. | CThe everyday spreadsheet job in a browser: editing together, version history, pivot tables, charts, Excel files edited as they are. The gaps: a file stops at 20 million cells, old Excel macros don't carry over, and reviewers say the phone app drops pivot tables and conditional formatting. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. Open a page and type; there is nothing to set up on the hosted site. | A4.8 from 1,859,427 App Store ratings, the highest in this category. On a computer you open a link and you're in the spreadsheet, with nothing to install, and the formulas follow the usual spreadsheet ones. Most of the written App Store reviews complain about the phone app. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with a documented REST API and a Drupal link. No desktop or phone app is listed. | BAny computer browser, iPhone, iPad and Android, plus an API and data connectors. But there's no Windows or Mac app, offline on a computer needs Chrome or Edge with an extension, and reviewers say the phone app does far less than the browser. |
| Best for | a spreadsheet you share by link with no sign-up | spreadsheets several people edit at once |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: EtherCalc and Google Sheets. How we grade
Price against what you get
EtherCalc has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Google Sheets starts at $7 a month for each person and scores 3.0.
Google Sheets scores higher, and starts $7 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other spreadsheet and database tools on the chart, none scores higher than EtherCalc for less, and 1 scores higher than Google Sheets for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- EtherCalc is self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| EtherCalc | Google Sheets | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter) |
| Free plan | No plans or prices are published; the hosted site describes itself as needing no sign-up and no install. | Free with a personal Google Account: anyone signed in can create, edit and share spreadsheets. Some Gemini in Sheets features are available only on Google Workspace plans. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day Google Workspace trial |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | audreyt | |
| Price read from | github.com | workspace.google.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
EtherCalc
- Access is anonymous by design: anyone who knows a sheet's URL can read and write unless a key is configured.
- Internet-facing self-hosting needs a reverse proxy for TLS and rate limits, per the README.
- The documentation lists browsers tested as Safari, Chrome and Firefox only.
- It has no desktop or mobile apps.
Google Sheets
- There is no standalone paid Sheets plan; the business version comes only as part of Google Workspace, with Gmail, Drive and Meet.
- Gemini in Sheets is not in Business Starter; it starts at Business Standard, $14 per user / month on a 1-year commitment.
- A spreadsheet created in or converted to Google Sheets is capped at 20 million cells or 100 MB.
- Google's help lists Sheets for computer browsers, Android, iPhone and iPad; no Windows or Mac desktop app is listed.
Key features
EtherCalc
- Shared editing by URL
- Anyone with a sheet's address can edit at the same time as others, per the site title.
- No account needed
- The repository describes it as a web spreadsheet with no sign-up and no install.
- REST API
- A documented API creates and reads sheets over HTTP.
- Self-hosting
- Runs with docker compose or an npm install, with no Cloudflare account required.
Google Sheets
- Co-editing and revision history
- Several people can work in one spreadsheet at the same time. Sharing settings control who can view, comment or edit, and revision history restores earlier versions.
- Gemini in Sheets
- Builds and edits spreadsheets from a prompt, writes and repairs formulas, and fills table columns with summarized or categorized data. Among Business editions it starts at Business Standard.
- Sheets canvas
- Turns the data in a sheet into interactive mini-apps such as dashboards, heat maps and Kanban boards from a text prompt, without writing code.
- Connected Sheets and data connectors
- Connected Sheets analyzes BigQuery or Looker data from the grid without SQL, and connectors bring in data from sources such as Asana, HubSpot, QuickBooks and Salesforce.
- Excel files
- Microsoft Excel files can be edited directly without making a copy, or converted to Sheets format. Gemini features such as Sheets canvas need the file converted first.
- Offline editing
- Spreadsheets can be created, viewed and edited without a connection. On a computer this requires Chrome or Microsoft Edge with the Google Docs Offline extension.
Plans
EtherCalc
Free$0
Hosted at ethercalc.net with no account, or self-hosted with Docker or npm.
Google Sheets
Personal Google Account$0
Create, edit and share spreadsheets in a browser or the mobile apps, with co-editing, revision history and offline access.
Business Starter$7
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($8.40 flexible)
Google Workspace with Sheets and 30 GB of pooled storage per user. Gemini in Sheets is not included.
Business Standard$14
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($16.80 flexible)
2 TB of pooled storage per user. The lowest Business edition that includes Gemini in Sheets.
Business Plus$22
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($26.40 flexible)
Everything in Standard with 5 TB of pooled storage per user, plus Vault, eDiscovery and advanced endpoint management.
EnterpriseCustom
No minimum or maximum user count, with data loss prevention, context-aware access and data regions; priced through Google sales.
Ways to pay less
EtherCalc
No public discounts listed.
Google Sheets
- Other savings
Up to 50% off the first 3 months
New Google Workspace customers get up to 50% off their first 3 months, for a limited time with no end date given. Which plan gets 50%, 30% or 20% differed between two reads of the US page on 9 November 2026.
- Annual discount
Save 16% with a 1-year commitment
Business Starter is $7 per user per month on the Annual/Fixed-Term Plan against $8.40 on the Flexible Plan. Standard drops from $16.80 to $14 and Plus from $26.40 to $22.
- Nonprofit
Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0
Eligible nonprofits get Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0, or Business Standard at $3.50 and Business Plus at $6.16 per user per month on a 1-year commitment.
- Education
Education Fundamentals at no charge
Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals, which includes Sheets, is available at no charge to qualifying institutions.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, EtherCalc or Google Sheets?
As of Nov 12, 2026, EtherCalc is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $7 a month for each person for Google Sheets. EtherCalc is free, and Google Sheets starts at $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter).
Which has a free plan, EtherCalc or Google Sheets?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both EtherCalc and Google Sheets have a free plan.
Which platforms do EtherCalc and Google Sheets run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Google Sheets lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.