Gnumeric vs Microsoft Excel (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Microsoft Excel: it is second in our ranking of spreadsheet and database tools, and it grades higher too, 3.4 against 3.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Gnumeric grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Microsoft Excel grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Microsoft Excel
Spreadsheet app sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser
Which one is for you
Pick Gnumeric if
- Fits if you run Linux and open large spreadsheets
- Works for people who want a spreadsheet without a subscription or an account
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows, as the project does not release Windows binaries
- Not for you if you use a Mac, phone or browser, since none is listed
- Watch out: the newest Windows build the site links is 1.12.17, older than the current 1.12.62
- Watch out: no cloud sharing is described
Pick Microsoft Excel if
- Fits if you need a full desktop spreadsheet on Windows or Mac and will pay $9.99 a month
- Works for analysts who work in PivotTables, Power Query and Python
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want the desktop app without paying, as only the web and phone versions are free
- Not for you if your workbooks run on macros and you work in a browser, where they open but don't run
- Pricey if Excel is the only app you want, since $9.99 a month pays for Word, PowerPoint and Outlook too
- Watch out: Copilot needs a paid plan, has usage limits, and on shared plans works for the subscription owner only
- Watch out: Business Basic has only web and phone Excel, business trials need a card, and Office 2024 gets no upgrade
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAGnumericVery good | 3.4GPAMicrosoft ExcelVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree of charge, open source under the GPL. A program anyone can download and run counts as free and substantial. | CMicrosoft 365 Personal is $9.99 a month, which is exactly the middle price in this category, so an ordinary deal rather than a good one, although Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, 1 TB of storage and Copilot come along. Office Home 2024 is $179.99 once for one PC or Mac, with no upgrade to the next release. |
| Free plan and trial | ANo plan, no cap and no account: the whole program and its source are free. | BExcel for the web is free for one person, with sharing, real-time collaboration and 5 GB of cloud storage, and the free plan covers iOS and Android too. What's missing: some desktop features, and macros that open in a browser but won't run. |
| Features | BA full spreadsheet program with a manual and tested functions. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job. | AIt covers the whole job and then some things no rival here has: PivotTables with slicers and timelines, Power Query for pulling in and reshaping outside data, Python formulas running pandas and Matplotlib in the grid, co-authoring, templates in over 40 categories, and Copilot on paid plans. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. On Linux you install it from your distribution's packages and open it, with nothing to set up. | A4.75 from 1,468,663 App Store ratings, which clears our bar on both counts, and most people have met Excel somewhere already. Templates give you a ready-made start. Its own phone reviewers do grumble that the iPad app leaves out desktop features like data validation. |
| Platforms and integrations | DLinux and BSD only. The project does not release Windows binaries, and no Mac, phone or browser version is listed. | AThe full set: web, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, hooked into OneDrive, SharePoint, Power BI, SQL Server and Anaconda. The desktop apps go deepest, and Power Query on Mac and the web is newer than on Windows. |
| Best for | a free spreadsheet on Linux | serious number work on Windows or Mac |
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: Gnumeric and Microsoft Excel. How we grade
Price against what you get
Gnumeric has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Microsoft Excel starts at $8.33 a month when paid by the year and scores 4.0.
Microsoft Excel scores higher, and starts $8.33 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 Gnumeric for less, and none scores higher than Microsoft Excel 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
- Gnumeric is open source, according to its own site.
- Microsoft Excel also covers templates.
At a glance
| Gnumeric | Microsoft Excel | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $9.99 / month, or $99.99 / year (Microsoft 365 Personal) |
| Free plan | None | Excel for the web is free for 1 person, with sharing, real-time collaboration and 5 GB of cloud storage. Microsoft lists the free plan as working on web, iOS and Android. |
| Free trial | None listed | 1-month free trial of the Microsoft 365 home and business plans; business trials need a credit card. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Gnumeric | Microsoft |
| Price read from | gnome.pages.gitlab.gnome.org | microsoft.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Gnumeric
- The project does not release Windows binaries; the newest older build it links is 1.12.17.
- On Linux and BSD the site recommends installing from your distribution's packages.
- The site lists no macOS, mobile or browser versions.
Microsoft Excel
- The Windows and Mac apps need a Microsoft 365 subscription or a one-time Office purchase; only the web and mobile versions are free.
- Excel for the web and the mobile apps have many, but not all, desktop features; macro-enabled workbooks open in a browser but the macros do not run.
- Copilot needs a paid subscription, has usage limits, and on shared plans works for the subscription owner only.
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($7.00 per user / month paid yearly, or $5.40 without Teams) includes only the web and mobile versions of Excel.
Key features
Gnumeric
- Open source
- The program and its source code are free of charge under GPL version 2 or version 3.
- Fast with large files
- The site says Gnumeric starts quickly and stays responsive with large spreadsheets.
- Accuracy of functions
- The site points to research that found its built-in functions accurate.
- Tested functions
- The project aims to test every sheet function, preferably in its automated test suite; coverage is not complete.
- User's manual
- A user's manual and FAQ are published alongside the download page.
Microsoft Excel
- Copilot in Excel
- Edits formulas, tables and formatting from a written request and suggests formulas for the data. It needs a Microsoft 365 subscription and a workbook saved to OneDrive with AutoSave on.
- PivotTables and charts
- PivotTables calculate, summarize and analyze data to show comparisons, patterns and trends, and work with PivotCharts, slicers and timeline controls.
- Power Query
- Imports or connects to external data from files, databases, the web and Azure, then reshapes it before loading. It is available in Excel for Windows, Mac and the web; support on Mac and the web is newer than on Windows.
- Python in Excel
- Python formulas run in the grid using Anaconda libraries such as pandas and Matplotlib. It comes with eligible Microsoft 365 plans; a $24 per user / month add-on gives faster premium compute.
- Co-authoring
- Several people can work in one workbook stored in OneDrive or SharePoint Online and see each other's changes within seconds. In the Windows and Mac apps this requires a Microsoft 365 subscription.
- Templates
- Microsoft offers free Excel templates in more than 40 categories as ready-made starting points for common spreadsheets.
Plans
Gnumeric
Free$0
The full program and its source code, licensed under GPL version 2 or version 3.
Microsoft Excel
Free$0
Excel for the web for 1 person, with sharing and real-time collaboration and 5 GB of cloud storage. Works on web, iOS and Android.
Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99
per month, or $99.99 per year
1 person signed in on up to 5 devices, 1 TB of cloud storage, and the Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps with Copilot.
Microsoft 365 Apps for business$10.00
per user / month, paid yearly
Desktop versions of Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook for up to 300 employees, with 1 TB of cloud storage per user.
Microsoft 365 Family$12.99
per month, or $129.99 per year
Everything in Personal for 1 to 6 people, with 1 TB of storage per person. AI features are for the subscription owner only.
Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99
per month, or $199.99 per year
Everything in Family, plus extensive Copilot usage and agentic AI features such as advanced research and analytics.
Office Home 2024$179.99
one-time purchase for 1 PC or Mac
Classic 2024 desktop versions of Excel, Word, PowerPoint and OneNote, with no upgrade path to the next major release.
Ways to pay less
Gnumeric
No public discounts listed.
Microsoft Excel
- Annual discount
Save up to 17% by paying yearly
Microsoft 365 Personal is $99.99 a year against $9.99 a month, Family $129.99 against $12.99 and Premium $199.99 against $19.99.
- Education
Students save 50% on Microsoft 365 Personal
Verified college and university students get Microsoft 365 Personal at half price. Student status has to be re-verified each year to keep the discount.
- Education
Office 365 A1 free for eligible schools
Educators and students with an eligible education email address get Office 365 A1 at no cost, which includes the web versions of Excel and the other core apps.
- Nonprofit
Nonprofit staff pricing on Microsoft 365 E3
Eligible nonprofits can buy Microsoft 365 E3, with desktop, web and mobile versions of Excel, for $9.75 per user / month paid yearly.
- Lifetime license
Office Home 2024 one-time purchase
$179.99 buys the classic 2024 desktop versions of Excel, Word, PowerPoint and OneNote for 1 PC or Mac, with no subscription.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Gnumeric or Microsoft Excel?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Gnumeric is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $8.33 a month when paid by the year for Microsoft Excel. Gnumeric is free, and Microsoft Excel starts at $9.99 / month, or $99.99 / year (Microsoft 365 Personal).
Which has a free plan, Gnumeric or Microsoft Excel?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Gnumeric and Microsoft Excel have a free plan.
Which platforms do Gnumeric and Microsoft Excel run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Gnumeric lists a Linux app and only Microsoft Excel lists a web app and macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. 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.