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Google Sheets or Excel?
You don't have to choose when you buy: every AnalystBuilt template includes both a Google Sheets version (through START-HERE.pdf) and an Excel version (the .zip file). The tabs, formulas, drop-downs and dashboards are the same in both.
| Google Sheets | Excel | |
|---|---|---|
| What you need | A free Google account and a web browser | Microsoft Excel 2016 or newer, Windows or Mac |
| How you get it | Click MAKE A COPY in START-HERE.pdf | Unzip the .zip and open the .xlsx |
| Where it is saved | Your Google Drive, automatically | A file on your computer |
| Phone or tablet | View and add entries in the Google Sheets app | Best on a computer |
Not sure? Start with Google Sheets
It is free, saves automatically and works on any computer. You can still open the Excel version later; just pick one to use day to day, because the two files don't sync with each other. To move your data from Google Sheets to Excel, use File → Download → Microsoft Excel (.xlsx).
Phones and tablets
In the Google Sheets app you can check your numbers and add entries on the go. Setup (settings, clearing the sample data, printing reports) is easiest on a computer, because the tabs are wide.
Tips for Excel
Unzip first
Don't open the .xlsx straight from inside the .zip: extract it first (double-click on a Mac; on Windows right-click → Extract All), then open the extracted file.
Enable editing
If Excel shows a Protected View bar for a downloaded file, click Enable Editing so formulas and drop-downs work.
Use Excel 2016 or newer
The templates avoid newer-only functions so they work in Excel 2016 and later. Older versions and other spreadsheet apps are not tested.
Charts and fonts can look slightly different between Google Sheets and Excel; the numbers are the same.