Google Sheets vs Excel Formulas: Complete Guide 2025

Platform Overview: The Fundamental Differences

Market Position (2025):

• Microsoft Excel: 1.2 billion users, 67% market share, desktop + cloud
• Google Sheets: 800 million users, 33% market share, cloud-native
• Both platforms: Used by 68% of businesses for different use cases

Core Philosophy:

• Excel: Feature-rich, performance-focused, desktop-first (Excel 365 is hybrid)
• Google Sheets: Collaboration-focused, cloud-native, real-time updates

1. ARRAYFORMULA: Google Sheets' Superpower

What it does: Automatically applies a formula to an entire column or range without copying down. Exclusive to Google Sheets, no direct Excel equivalent.

Google Sheets Syntax:

// Apply formula to entire column
=ARRAYFORMULA(A2:A * B2:B)

// With conditional logic
=ARRAYFORMULA(IF(A2:A="", "", A2:A * B2:B))

// Multiple operations
=ARRAYFORMULA(IF(LEN(A2:A)>0, UPPER(A2:A) & " - " & B2:B, ""))

Excel 365 Equivalent: Dynamic Arrays

// Excel 365 has automatic spillage (no ARRAYFORMULA needed)
=A2:A100 * B2:B100  // Automatically fills results

// With IF logic
=IF(A2:A100="", "", A2:A100 * B2:B100)

Migration Tips:

• Sheets Excel: Remove ARRAYFORMULA wrapper, formula auto-spills in Excel 365
• Excel Sheets: Wrap range formulas in ARRAYFORMULA if applying to entire column

2. QUERY Function: Google Sheets' SQL Power

What it does: Use SQL-like syntax to filter, sort, and aggregate data. Google Sheets exclusiveExcel has no direct equivalent.

Google Sheets QUERY Examples:

=QUERY(Data, "SELECT A, SUM(C) WHERE B='West' GROUP BY A")

=QUERY(Sales, "SELECT * WHERE A CONTAINS 'Product' AND B>100")

Excel Alternative: Power Query

Use Power Query (Data tab Get Data) for similar transformations with a visual interface.

3. Platform-Specific Functions

Google Sheets Exclusives:

• IMPORTRANGE: Pull data from other spreadsheets
• GOOGLEFINANCE: Real-time stock data
• GOOGLETRANSLATE: Automatic translation

Excel Exclusives:

• XLOOKUP: Modern lookup (Excel 365)
• LET: Define variables in formulas
• SEQUENCE: Generate number sequences

4. Cross-Platform Best Practices

Universal Functions (Work on Both):

=VLOOKUP(), =INDEX(), =MATCH()
=SUMIF(), =COUNTIF(), =AVERAGEIF()
=IF(), =AND(), =OR()
=TODAY(), =DATE(), =YEAR()
=IFERROR(), =TRIM(), =LEFT()

Compatibility Tips:

• Stick to universal functions when sharing files
• Test formulas in both platforms before finalizing
• Document platform-specific features clearly
• Use comments to note compatibility requirements

Key Takeaways

• 68% of businesses use both platforms
• ~350 functions are fully compatible
• ARRAYFORMULA (Sheets) vs Dynamic Arrays (Excel) serve similar purposes
• QUERY (Sheets) requires Power Query equivalent in Excel
• Test cross-platform compatibility early
• Use universal functions for portability

Platform mastery means knowing both. Excel excels at complex calculations; Google Sheets dominates in collaboration. Understanding the differences lets you choose the right tool and migrate seamlessly when needed.