Best spreadsheet software for Canadian small businesses

A Smithville shop does not need a Fortune-500 modelling suite. It needs a grid the bookkeeper can open, a file that still works on a job-site laptop, and an honest CAD or USD sticker if you pay for a seat. US “best Excel alternative 2026” lists skip the part that changes the bill: GST/HST on Workspace or Microsoft 365, and the fact that free Sheets or Numbers may already be enough.

This comparison is four paths shops actually open: Microsoft Excel / Microsoft 365 (free web, or a CAD seat), Google Sheets ($0 personal, or Workspace CAD), Apple Numbers (free on Apple devices), and LibreOffice Calc (free desktop, no SaaS line). Spreadsheet software prices checked against public vendor pages, 6 September 2026.

Who this page is for

• A Canadian SMB quoted another Excel “alternative” who already pays Workspace or Microsoft 365.
• A shop mixing a Mac working file with a Windows bookkeeper.
• Anyone told a spreadsheet is GST/HST software — or that LibreOffice is a CAD subscription.
• Not a hands-on lab. Not a warehouse inventory SKU.

Snapshot (public pages, 6 September 2026)

Excel / Microsoft 365 — free web, CAD seat for desktop

Official microsoft.com/en-ca Microsoft 365 for the web: Excel for the web is free with a Microsoft account. Files must be saved in and shared from OneDrive. The same page lists 5 GB of cloud storage and web/mobile Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Official Microsoft Support “Microsoft storage quotas”: a free Microsoft account gets 5 GB of OneDrive cloud storage (and 15 GB Outlook.com mailbox). Not a shop file root. Source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/microsoft-365/free-office-online-for-the-web.

Desktop Excel is on Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Premium CAD cards (desktop, web, and mobile). Business Basic is web and mobile Excel — not the Windows desktop app. Confirm the live CAD widget. Business Basic CAD $9.50/user/month paid yearly, plus applicable tax — microsoft.com/en-ca SharePoint business compare Business Standard CAD $19.00/user/month paid yearly, plus applicable tax — microsoft.com/en-ca security SMB pricing (6 September 2026 retrieve) Microsoft’s Canadian cards move. A third-party “July 2026 revision” table is not this page. Confirm the live CAD widget before you budget a year of seats. Official Microsoft Learn Excel for the web service description: workbooks over 100 MB cannot be viewed in Excel for the web from SharePoint Online; use the Excel desktop app. Offline editing is the desktop app, not the browser. Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescriptions/office-online-service-description/excel-online.

Tax is determined by the business address, or the shipping address if it is different. North/Central/South America section: in Canada, various tax rates apply depending on the product and your location. Canada is listed as a Limited Risk Distributor market. Tax-exempt path: Certificate of Exemption (or equivalent) via a service request. Not tax advice. Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/commerce/billing-and-payments/tax-information.

Already on Microsoft 365: do not buy a second grid. Basic is enough for a shared web workbook. Standard if the shop lives in desktop Excel, macros, or files the browser will not open. Seat math: Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 in Canada. The file you export still needs a ledger — accounting software for Canadian small businesses.

Google Sheets — free personal, CAD Workspace suite

Personal Google Account: Sheets is $0 in the browser (phone, tablet, or web). Official workspace.google.com/products/sheets/ markets real-time co-editing, comments, and Viewer / Commenter / Editor permissions. Paid shop Sheets ride Google Workspace Canada — Forms, Docs, and Sheets are in the suite. Business Starter CAD $11/user/month flexible or CAD $9.20 on a one-year commitment. Business Starter CAD $11/user/month (flexible); Business Starter CAD $9.20/user/month on a one-year commitment. Sources: https://workspace.google.com/products/sheets/; https://workspace.google.com/intl/en_ca/business/.

Official share help: a Docs/Sheets/Slides file can be edited on up to 100 open tabs or devices at once; you can share a single file with up to 600 individual email addresses. Viewer, Commenter, Editor, Owner. Source: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/2494822.

Official Google Docs Editors / Drive help: offline create/open/edit of recent Sheets needs Chrome or Edge (not private browsing), the Google Docs Offline extension, and enough local disk. Set it up while online. Real-time share still needs the network. Source: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/6388102.

Canadian billing address: Google calculates and charges tax from that address (GST, HST, PST, QST) unless you claim an exemption with a tax ID. You are contracting with Google LLC. Google LLC is registered for the simplified GST/HST regime (Excise Tax Act s. 211.11) and the simplified QST regime. Province on the invoice billing address sets the rate. Google does not advise on tax. Source: https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/billing/taxes-in-your-region.

Download as Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) or comma-separated values (.csv) from File → Download. That file is what a bookkeeper imports — Sheets is not the GST/HST return. Already on Google Workspace: stay on Sheets. Do not add Excel for the same quote tab unless a bookkeeper refused anything but desktop .xlsx. Shared Drive vs OneDrive: Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 in Canada.

Apple Numbers — free on the Mac, Excel round-trip, iCloud share

Official apple.com/ca/numbers/: Numbers “comes included with most Apple devices.” Creating, viewing, editing, and real-time collaboration do not require a paid Apple Intelligence / Apple apps subscription. There is no Numbers CAD software card. Official Canada page: import and edit Microsoft Excel files; save Numbers spreadsheets as Excel. Pivot tables and XLOOKUP are listed as Excel-compatible features. Compatibility is not a promise every macro survives. Source: https://www.apple.com/ca/numbers/.

Official Apple Support (Canada): store the spreadsheet in iCloud Drive, then Share / Collaborate. Invitees can edit in real time. You can allow anyone with the link (no Apple Account) to view or edit. iCloud.com and Box are the official PC paths. Source: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/icloud/mm982480d457/icloud.

Numbers on Mac, iPhone, and iPad is a local app. iCloud keeps copies in sync when you are online. The 5 GB free iCloud allowance is storage, not a Numbers SKU. Official apple.com/ca/icloud/: first Apple Account sign-in includes 5 GB free iCloud storage. apple.com/ca/icloud/ printed those dollar cards without a USD/CAD label. Confirm CAD at Apple checkout. Do not invent a USD conversion.

Mixed Windows/Mac shops should live in Excel or Sheets, then export CSV for the ledger. Numbers is a beautiful working file. It is not the bookkeeper’s default.

LibreOffice Calc — free desktop, shared-drive collab

Official libreoffice.org download (6 September 2026 retrieve): LibreOffice 26.8.0 for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The Document Foundation licence page: LibreOffice is Free Software under the Mozilla Public License v2.0. No CAD or USD software seat. A donation is optional and is not GST/HST on SaaS. Sources: https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/; https://www.libreoffice.org/about-us/licenses/.

Calc’s native format is OpenDocument Spreadsheet (.ods). Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) and CSV open and save from the same app. Confirm a round-trip before you send the bookkeeper a macro-heavy workbook. Official LibreOffice help “Share Spreadsheet”: several users can open the same Calc file at once if it lives on a shared drive the collaborators can write to. That is a network file, not a Google-style browser room. Collabora Online is a separate server product — not this download. Source: https://help.libreoffice.org/latest/en-US/text/scalc/01/shared_spreadsheet.html?DbPAR=CALC.

Desktop app. Works without an account and without a monthly seat. Offline is the default. Use Calc when the shop wants Excel-class desktop work without a 365 seat — a shop-floor Windows PC, a Linux box, or a file that must open after the Wi-Fi dies. It is not a browser room and not a CAD subscription.

When the suite already covers the grid

• You pay Workspace: Sheets is included. Do not buy Excel for the same tab.
• You pay Microsoft 365: Excel is included. Web/mobile on Basic; desktop on Standard and Premium.
• You are on free Gmail or Outlook.com: personal Sheets or Excel for the web is still $0. Buy a suite for the mailbox and the domain, not for one quote sheet.
• Seat math: Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 in Canada.

When free Sheets or Numbers are enough

• One person, a quote tab, dump CSV to the bookkeeper: personal Google Sheets.
• Apple-only household, same job: Numbers. Save as Excel before you email a Windows accountant.
• Already in Outlook.com: Excel for the web and 5 GB OneDrive.
• Offline Windows and no monthly seat: LibreOffice Calc.
• Macros, Power Query, or a file the browser will not open: Microsoft 365 Business Standard (desktop Excel).
• The “spreadsheet” is actually invoices and GST/HST: accounting software for Canadian small businesses.

Exporting to the books

The working file is .xlsx or .ods. The import the ledger wants is usually CSV (or the vendor’s bank-feed). FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online Canada, Xero, and Wave are the Canadian ledgers on accounting software for Canadian small businesses. Client invoices with GST/HST printed on them are invoicing software. Receipts and job costs are expense tracking. None of the four spreadsheet apps file the GST/HST return.

A practical pick

1. Already on Workspace: stay on Google Sheets. Export .xlsx or CSV when the bookkeeper asks.
2. Already on Microsoft 365: stay on Excel. Basic for the browser; Standard if you need the desktop app.
3. Mac-only sole prop, Windows bookkeeper once a quarter: Numbers, then Save as Excel / CSV.
4. Offline Windows or Linux and you do not want a seat: LibreOffice Calc. Confirm the .xlsx round-trip.
5. No suite yet, mixed Windows clients: personal Google Sheets at $0, or Excel for the web. Buy Workspace or 365 when you need the domain, not the grid.
6. The tab is really the books: accounting software for Canadian small businesses. A pivot table is not a CRA return.