10 Powerful Free Excel Spreadsheet Templates & Tools

Do you need a free Excel spreadsheet but don’t want to pay for Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office? You’re not alone—over 750 million users rely on spreadsheet software for budgeting, project tracking, and data analysis, yet many hesitate at the subscription cost. In the next few minutes, you’ll discover how to:

• Use Excel for the web at no cost

• Download free spreadsheet apps and templates

• Customize sheets for rental property tracking, time logs, and mental-health journals

Whether you’re a student on a budget or a small business owner looking for free tools, this guide has you covered. Read on to pick your ideal free spreadsheet solution and start working smarter—without spending a dime.

Is There a Free Version of Excel?

Excel for the Web (Office on the Web)

Microsoft offers a free, browser-based version of Excel—Excel for the web—which supports basic editing, real-time co-authoring, and OneDrive integration. You can:

• Open, edit, and save XLSX and ODS files

• Use most common functions (SUM, VLOOKUP, pivot tables)

• Collaborate live with teammates (auto-save included)

Limitations of the free web version include:

• No VBA macros or legacy Excel 4.0 macro sheets

• Reduced support for data connections and external databases

• File size and complexity caps (large workbooks may fail to load)

Mobile & Trial Options

• Excel Mobile for Android and iOS is free, but with limited row/column management and no advanced chart formatting.

• Microsoft 365 free trial grants 30 days of full desktop Excel access—remember to cancel before billing .

How Can I Get an Excel Sheet for Free?

1. Office.com: Sign in with a free Microsoft account and start a new workbook.

2. OneDrive: Upload an existing XLSX and choose “Edit in browser”.

3. Mobile apps: Install Excel Mobile on Android/iOS for basic on-the-go editing.

4. Desktop trial: Activate a 30-day Office 365 trial via Microsoft365.com .

5. Open-source suites: Download LibreOffice Calc or Apache OpenOffice’s Calc for full offline functionality.

Free Spreadsheet Alternatives

Google Sheets

• Real-time collaboration in any browser

• Seamless Drive integration and mobile apps

• Supports 1 million rows, 18 k columns per sheet

LibreOffice Calc

• Free, offline open-source suite by The Document Foundation

• Supports ODF, XLSX import/export, PDF export

• Up to 1 048 576 rows × 16 384 columns

• Missing some Excel-only features (Power Query, dynamic arrays)

Zoho Sheet & OnlyOffice

• Zoho Sheet: Cloud-based with 350+ functions, AI-assist, and real-time chat.

• OnlyOffice: Self-hostable, Excel-compatible UI with advanced charting and pivot tables.

Free Excel Spreadsheet Templates

Below are ready-to-use templates you can download or recreate in any free spreadsheet tool. Many are available at Vertex42, Template.net, and Jotform—see our 7 Websites to Download Professional Free Excel Templates for direct links.

Rental Property Tracker

• Tracks income, expenses, maintenance logs, and ROI.

• Includes dashboards with charts for vacancy rates and net cash flow.

• Source: Vertex42’s free rental property spreadsheet.

Daily Time-Tracking Log

• Hour-by-hour schedule with autofill formulas.

• Calculates total hours and overtime.

• Ideal for freelancers or remote workers.

Mental-Health Journal

• Mood rating scale (1–10) with conditional formatting.

• Daily habit tracker (sleep, exercise, meditation).

• Automated weekly summary charts.

PDF to Excel Converter (Free Tools)

• Use Adobe Acrobat online or Smallpdf to convert PDF tables to XLSX.

• Or install the free Excel add-in “Power Query” (desktop) to import PDFs.

What Are the Limitations of the Free Web Version?

• No VBA/Macros: All macros are stripped out.

• Feature gaps: Missing advanced analytics, some chart types, and custom views.

• Connectivity: Cannot refresh external data connections.

• File size: Large files (over ~50 MB or complex formulas) may not open.

For full power, switch to the desktop app via Open in Desktop App link, or use a free trial.

How Does LibreOffice Calc Compare to Excel?