What are the disadvantages of Google Sheets?
I’m sure you’ve heard of Google Sheets, a popular, affordable, and convenient tool for managing data and collaborating in real-time.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Google Sheets and use it weekly for business and personal use.
Although Google Sheets is a powerful cloud-based spreadsheet application, it has its own set of disadvantages.
Key issues, such as performance issues with large data sets, limited formatting options, and basic features, can hinder productivity.
Additionally, Google Sheets's reliance on internet access, limited offline capabilities, and occasional glitches may be problematic for some businesses.
With that said, let’s take a closer look at the top disadvantages of Google Sheets.
Read more: Can Google Sheets be used for business?
Top 8 Disadvantages of Google Sheets
While Google Sheets is an excellent business productivity and collaboration tool for small teams, it may not be the best solution for larger businesses.
Understanding the disadvantages of Google Sheets is essential for those considering using the software for their intricate or large-scale business tasks.
The top 8 disadvantages of Google Sheets are:
1. Performance with large data sets
While Google Sheets is the perfect platform for small and medium-sized datasets, it struggles to handle larger data sets.
Google Sheets operates in a browser, meaning it can’t process vast amounts of data or handle thousands of rows or complex formulas like desktop software can.
If you try to use it for larger data sets, you may encounter longer load times, freezes, or even crashes, especially when sorting large datasets or using features like pivot tables.
These issues can significantly slow down workflows, highly affecting productivity and data accuracy!
2. Limited formatting options
Another Google Sheets disadvantage is the level of formatting flexibility.
The limited selection of fonts, color palettes, and customization options makes it challenging to craft professional-quality presentations directly within Sheets.
This may be particularly challenging for those needing to create visually appealing or highly customized layouts for branding.
And while using external tools for better visualization is possible, it will slow down the process.
Additionally, Google Sheets only offers basic conditional formatting features, which may be an issue for those needing to highlight important data points.
3. Inconsistent pivot tables
It is possible to create pivot tables within Google Sheets; however, some may find the functionality inconsistent and frustrating.
Basically, data updates in pivot tables don’t always sync correctly, which can be hugely problematic when working with real-time information.
This lack of flexibility and reliability can result in users having to manually adjust data (or find workarounds to achieve the desired results).
4. No Spell-check
Google Sheets doesn’t have a built-in spell-check feature, which is surprising, considering other Google Apps, such as Google Docs do!
Without spell-checking, errors can be overlooked, particularly in data entry tasks where accuracy is crucial.
For instance, you might unknowingly input misspelled names or job titles, which could lead to record-keeping issues.
Without automatic spell-checking, you must spend more time manually reviewing your work (or rely on external tools like Grammarly).
This adds unnecessary steps to your workflow and also increases the chances of mistakes!
5. Reliance on Internet connectivity
Let me clarify: I love how Google Sheets is so easily accessible.
However, the platform's dependence on having an internet connection is certainly a downside for those with unstable internet access.
To give Google Sheets credit, it does offer an offline mode, but it’s certainly not as smooth or feature-complete as the online version and often has syncing issues.
By relying on having an Internet connection, Google Sheets limits how much you can edit and access your documents on the go.
6. Glitches and bugs
Despite being a trustworthy and credible online tool, Google Sheets is not immune to bugs and glitches, especially when handling complex spreadsheets or external data!
Although bugs are common in any software, their impact on productivity and data accuracy within Google Sheets can be frustrating (not to mention time-consuming).
These unexpected issues can disrupt critical workflows, cause data inconsistencies, and even result in spreadsheet crashes!
7. Basic charts and graphics
While the chart and graphic tools in Google Sheets are adequate for small business use, they’re too limited for those looking to build customized or complex visualizations.
Although charts can be customized, business analysts who require highly specific visual formats may find the available chart types and customization options too basic.
The lack of advanced graphical features may result in less polished presentations, reducing the impact of data-driven insights.
If you’re looking to generate more professional, advanced charts, you must use an external application instead of Google Sheets.
8. Limited mobile app
The mobile app for Google Sheets allows you to create, collaborate, and edit your Google Sheets spreadsheet data.
However, unfortunately, the mobile app often falls short of expectations!
Navigating large Google Sheets spreadsheets can be challenging, and editing formulas within Google Sheets is more difficult on a smaller screen.
For businesses needing to make quick updates on the go, the app’s interface is less than ideal.
Additionally, the mobile version doesn’t offer the full range of features available on the web, which can impact productivity when working away from a desktop.
How much is Google Sheets?
Google Sheets is an entirely free-to-use app available within free and paid Google Workspace plans!
That’s right; all free Google users can leverage Google Sheets and its cloud storage, real-time collaboration tools, and essential data management functions for free.
If you're looking for more advanced business features, such as additional storage, security, and admin controls, simply upgrade to a paid Google Workspace account.
Google Workspace paid plans start at $6 per user per month, with higher-tier plans offering more features.
Google Sheets and Sheetify CRM
I know this article has focused on the disadvantages of Google Sheets.
But for small business owners, Google Sheets can still be an efficient, affordable, and easy-to-use online spreadsheet solution.
And when combined with my all-in-one Sheetify business toolkits, Google Sheets can help you manage your entire business operations!
Sheetify products are essentially simple, functional, and downloadable Google Sheets templates designed specifically for small and micro business owners.
Sheetify Google Sheets business templates consist of three user-friendly toolkits:
● Sheetify CRM (to manage all customer and sales-related activities).
● Sheeitify Bookkeeping (to manage all accounting and financial transactions).
● Sheetify Projects (to manage all business tasks and projects).
These Google Sheets toolkits are available as a one-time payment and include lifetime future updates and access!
Developed entirely with Google Sheets and Google Apps Script, each toolkit includes pre-built headers and built-in formulas, automation, and integrations with other Google Apps.
With Sheetify, you can wave goodbye to multiple email marketing, CRM, bookkeeping, project, inventory, and task management tools and say hello to one streamlined solution.
All on Google Sheets!
While this article highlighted the disadvantages of Google Sheets, there are also many advantages to Google Sheets.
Google Sheets is an excellent solution for individuals and small businesses that want to organize and manage their data effectively.
And when combined with one (or all) of my three Sheetify Google Sheets business templates, Google Sheets is an even more powerful all-in-one solution.
