Google Sheets to Microsoft Excel

Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel are both spreadsheet programs designed to take in and process data arranged in rows and columns. Due to their similar nature, if you are familiar with one of the programs you will most likely already be capable of using the other without much issue.

Basic Functionality

Manually inputting data and setting up calculations remains the same between the two. Double clicking a cell will allow you to add and edit its contents. Pressing the “=” sign on your keyboard will initiate the function mode and allow you to select which function to use from a list when you start typing. How these functions operate are the same as in Google Sheets.

Transferring a Google Sheet to Microsoft Excel

A Google Sheet is able to be downloaded to your computer in a compatible format with Microsoft Excel. Due to the extra functionality and power in Excel, this can be done with little to no loss in information.

1. Open the Google Sheet file you wish to convert to Excel

2. Go to File → Download → Microsoft Excel (.xlsx)

3. You should see a notification about your Google Sheet file downloading

4. Open the downloaded file in Microsoft Excel; you should be able to edit and save the file. 

5. Make any needed adjustments to correct charts or graphs

The .xlsx represents the file type being a Microsoft Excel formatted document.

Core Differences

While both Sheets and Excel share much of the same base functionality, there are a number of differences between the two programs. Highlighted below are the key differences that will most likely affect those transitioning from Sheets to Excel.