Google Sheets is a widely popular spreadsheet tool, prized for its accessibility, collaboration features, and integration with other Google Workspace apps. However, like any software, it has its limitations. While constant updates address many of these, understanding its current constraints can help users decide when it’s the best choice and when alternatives like Microsoft Excel may be more suitable.
Key Limitations of Google Sheets
There are three types of limitations we face when using Google Sheets. While this is still a powerful app, it limits datasets, formulas, and displays in the following ways. Note that this is one reason many businesses prefer Excel vs. Google Sheets.
Dataset Constraints
- Maximum of 5 Million Cells: Google Sheets imposes a total cell limit of 5 million per document. If exceeded, Sheets displays the following error:
Workaround: Optimize your data by removing unnecessary columns/rows or splitting data into multiple files. - Maximum of 18,278 Columns: This column limit ties into the overall cell count restriction. When exceeded, users see the following error:
- File Size Limits: Imported files are capped at 100 MB. For files created in Google Sheets, the limit is determined by the 5 million cell restriction. Note that this may not apply to Workspace Enterprise users. So there’s some wiggle room there.
Formula Constraints
Some Google Sheets formulas have constraints of their own. Note that these sometimes get updated without our noticing. These were verified when we originally published the article.
- GoogleFinance and Import Formulas: GoogleFinance supports a max of 1,000 formulas; external imports are limited to 50.
- Concatenation: Max string length is 50,000 characters.
- Cross-Workbook References: Limited to 50 references per sheet.
Display Constraints
- Row Limit: Although earlier versions of Google Sheets limited rows to 40,000, this restriction has been lifted. Users can now create well over 200,000 rows:
- Tab Limits: While there’s no explicit limit on tabs, the 5 million cell cap governs the maximum number of sheets. For instance, with 100 rows and 26 columns per sheet, you can have approximately 192 tabs before hitting the limit. Note that this really depends on memory management.
- Maximum Value in a Cell: Google Sheets caps numerical values at 1.79769×10 to the 308th power. Entering larger values triggers an error.
Advantages Despite Limitations
Despite these constraints, Google Sheets excels in:
- Real-time collaboration with multi-user editing.
- Easy integration with Google Workspace and third-party add-ons.
- Cloud-based accessibility across devices.
Offline Capabilities:
While primarily a web-based tool, Google Sheets also offers offline functionality. By enabling offline mode through Google Chrome, users can create, edit, and save spreadsheets even without an internet connection. Once the connection is restored, changes automatically sync to the cloud, ensuring uninterrupted workflows during travel or connectivity issues.
Third-Party Add-Ons:
Google Sheets’ ecosystem is enriched by a variety of third-party add-ons available through the Google Workspace Marketplace. These tools extend its capabilities, providing advanced data analysis, automated reporting, enhanced visualization options, and seamless integration with other platforms like Salesforce and Tableau. Add-ons allow users to overcome many of the inherent limitations of Google Sheets, making it a versatile tool for complex tasks.
Conclusion
Google Sheets remains a versatile and user-friendly spreadsheet tool, ideal for light to moderate data tasks and collaboration. For tasks that exceed its limits, users might consider supplementing Sheets with Excel or other tools designed for heavy datasets or complex analytics.
You may also like the following Google Sheets tutorials:
