Formula guide · Excel and Google Sheets · Updated May 13, 2026
Excel vs Google Sheets Formulas
Compare formula behavior, availability, arrays, lookup functions, and QUERY support in Excel and Google Sheets.
Quick Answer
Use shared formulas when collaboration crosses platforms, but use platform-native formulas when the file will stay in one tool.
Copyable Formula
Sheets: =QUERY(A1:D20,"select A, sum(D) group by A",1)Syntax
Platform-specific features matter: QUERY is Sheets-first, while some modern Excel functions depend on Microsoft 365.Excel and Google Sheets
Worked Example
| Task | Excel option | Sheets option |
|---|---|---|
| Lookup | XLOOKUP | XLOOKUP or FILTER |
| SQL-like report | Power Query or Pivot | QUERY |
| Dynamic filtering | FILTER | FILTER |
Result: The best formula depends on where the file will be edited and who needs to maintain it.
Steps
- Confirm where the spreadsheet will live.
- Check whether collaborators have the required function support.
- Choose formulas that the next maintainer can understand.
Common Mistakes
- Using QUERY in a file that must move cleanly to Excel.
- Using modern Excel functions for people on older Excel versions.
- Ignoring locale differences in separators and date formats.
Excel vs Google Sheets Notes
The core idea works in both Excel and Google Sheets, but separators, function availability, and array behavior can vary by account, locale, and version.
Editorial check: This guide was last updated May 13, 2026. Formula behavior can vary by Excel version, Google Sheets rollout, and spreadsheet locale.