Google Sheets vs Quadratic

Google Sheets

• Teams that edit and review the same spreadsheet together in a browser
• Organizations that already pay for Google Workspace
• Analysts pulling BigQuery or Looker data into a spreadsheet

Quadratic

• Analysts who want Python and SQL next to spreadsheet formulas
• Teams querying a database or data warehouse straight from a spreadsheet
• Students, teachers and researchers, who get the Education plan free

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.

Quadratic

• The free Personal plan limits AI messages, editable files, connections and sharing, and has no export to Excel, CSV or .grid.
• Paid plans include a set AI credit allowance per user each month; only Business can buy more usage on demand.
• Single sign-on is listed only on the Enterprise plan, which is priced on request.
• Chrome and other Chromium browsers get first-tier support; Safari and Firefox are second-tier and less performant.

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.

Quadratic

AI analysis in the sheet

Ask a question in plain English and the AI writes the formulas, Python or SQL cells and charts that answer it. Any generated cell can be opened and edited to check the work.

Python, SQL, JavaScript and formulas

Cells can run code as well as spreadsheet formulas, and the results are returned to the grid. The vendor says sorting, filtering and AI analysis stay fast at 100 million rows.

Live data connections

Connects to databases including Postgres, MySQL, Snowflake, BigQuery and MS SQL Server, and to QuickBooks, Plaid, Google Analytics and Mixpanel. CSV, Excel and PDF files can be imported.

Real-time collaboration

Teammates work in the same file at once and see each other's mouse movements. Sharing is limited on the Personal plan and unlimited from Pro.

MCP and developer API

MCP-enabled agents such as Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT can read and write a live sheet, and an API triggers AI runs and reads and writes cells from your own code.

Desktop app and self-hosting

A desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux stays in sync with the web app. Quadratic can also be self-hosted with Docker or on AWS under a license key that is free for individuals.

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.

Quadratic

• Personal$0

  For individuals: a monthly AI message limit on the default model, limited sharing, editable files and connections, and limited support.

• Pro$18

  per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)

  $20 in AI credits per user a month, access to all AI models, extra privacy controls, file export, and unlimited sharing, files and connections.

• Business$36

  per user / month, billed annually ($40 billed monthly)

  Everything in Pro with $40 in AI credits per user a month, plus the option to buy more AI usage on demand, billed at cost.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Custom AI usage, single sign-on, a self-hosting option and dedicated support.

Google Sheets

• 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.

Quadratic

• Annual discount

  Save 10% with yearly billing

  Pro is $18 per user a month billed annually against $20 billed monthly, and Business is $36 against $40. The pricing toggle labels this as saving 10%.

• Education

  Free Education plan

  Students, teachers and researchers who sign up with a valid education email address get unlimited sheets, code, teammates and connections free. AI prompts are limited as on the free tier.