Last verified: November 6, 2026.
To turn a spreadsheet into an app, connect it to a no-code app builder that reads your rows and generates screens, forms and logins. AppSheet is best for Google Sheets users, Power Apps for Excel and Microsoft 365, and Zite or Softr for client portals. Most have free plans for testing.
The 7 Best Spreadsheet-to-App Builders
- AppSheet: best for Google Sheets users
- Microsoft Power Apps: best for Excel and Microsoft 365 teams
- Zite: best for unlimited users on a flat price
- Softr: best for client portals and internal tools
- Glide: best for polished mobile-friendly apps
- Airtable: best when your spreadsheet has outgrown itself
- Teable: best low-cost spreadsheet-database with an open-source option
How we compared them: This is a research comparison based on pricing pages and help documentation, not a hands-on test, so our picks are “best fit” calls. We ranked each tool on five things, in this order: whether it works with your existing spreadsheet, its monthly cost for a team of 5, its free plan, who can use the app (your team, clients or the public), and how much setup it needs. On November 6, 2026, we checked the pricing pages or docs of AppSheet, Power Apps, Zite, Softr, Glide, Teable and Adalo, plus Google’s Sheets API limits. Airtable’s plans overview was checked on November 5, 2026. All prices are in US dollars. SmartWorkflowLab has no sponsorship or affiliate deal with any tool in this list.
How to Turn a Spreadsheet Into an App in 6 Steps
These steps work with any tool in this list:
- Clean up the spreadsheet. Put each kind of record, such as clients, jobs or orders, on its own tab. Use a single header row, avoid merged cells and blank rows, and keep one type of data per column, such as dates only in a date column.
- Add an ID column. Give every row a unique ID, such as a job number or email address. App builders use it to find, edit and link records.
- Decide whether to connect or import. Connecting keeps the spreadsheet as the home of your data, so people can still edit it directly. Importing copies the rows, often from a CSV file, into the tool’s own database, which is faster and more reliable but leaves the spreadsheet behind.
- Pick the tool by your spreadsheet and your users. Use the tables below to match your data source and the number of people who’ll use the app.
- Generate the app and set row-level security. Let the builder create screens from your columns, then decide who can sign in and which rows each person sees, so a client sees only their own jobs.
- Test with two or three real users, then publish. Watch them add and edit records before you share the app with everyone.
Connect or Import: What Happens to Your Data
| Tool | Google Sheets | Excel | Keeps the spreadsheet as the data source |
|---|---|---|---|
| AppSheet | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Power Apps | Via connectors | ✓ in OneDrive or SharePoint | ✓ |
| Zite | ✓ connect or import | Not listed | ✓ when connected, with two-way sync |
| Softr | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Glide | ✓ on paid plans | ✓ in OneDrive or SharePoint, higher plans | ✓ |
| Airtable | Import | Import | ✗, copies rows into Airtable |
| Teable | Import | Import | ✗, copies rows into Teable |
When Your Spreadsheet Can’t Be the Backend
Connecting an app to a live spreadsheet works well for small teams, but it has limits:
- Size. Google Sheets caps a spreadsheet at 10 million cells, and AppSheet warns that apps loading large amounts of data get slower and can hit “out of memory” errors, according to its data scalability guide.
- Request limits. Google’s Sheets API allows 300 read and 300 write requests a minute per project, and 60 a minute per user, according to Google’s usage limits. Busy apps with many users can run into these.
- Sync delays. Apps read the sheet on a schedule or when they sync, so an edit made directly in the sheet may take a moment to appear in the app.
- Formulas. When an app writes to a connected sheet, the sheet’s formulas keep running in Google Sheets, and Zite says this explicitly in its Google Sheets guide. The app may show the new result only after its next sync, so most builders also offer their own formula or computed columns that update straight away.
When you hit these limits, move to a database source. AppSheet, Zite, Softr and Glide all have built-in databases, and Airtable and Teable are databases from the start.
What It Costs for a Team of 5
| Tool and plan | Monthly cost for 5 users | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AppSheet Core with Google Workspace | $0 extra | Included in most paid Google Workspace plans |
| Softr Basic | $19 billed yearly, $25 monthly | Up to 5 team and 5 client users |
| Zite Pro | $20 billed yearly, $25 monthly | Unlimited users and apps |
| AppSheet Starter | $25 | $5 a user |
| Teable Pro | $65 billed yearly | $13 a seat |
| Airtable Team | $100 billed yearly | $20 per editor; read-only users are free |
| Power Apps Premium | $100 billed yearly | $20 a user; Microsoft 365 includes limited rights |
| Glide Pro | $125 | Starts at 5 team members; app-user limits aren’t listed |
The big difference is how each tool counts users. AppSheet, Power Apps, Airtable and Teable charge per user or editor, so costs grow with your team. Zite charges a flat price with unlimited users, and Softr and Glide include a set number of people per plan.
Best Tool by Type of App
| App you want | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory or stock tracker | AppSheet | Works offline and on phones |
| Job or project tracker for a team | AppSheet or Zite | Assign jobs and update status; unlimited users on Zite |
| Simple CRM | Softr or Airtable | Linked contacts, deals and notes with logins |
| Client portal | Softr or Zite | Clients sign in and see only their own records |
| Field inspection or checklist form | AppSheet | Offline forms on mobile |
| Calculator or quote tool | Glide or Zite | Formula columns and a clean mobile layout |
AppSheet apps work offline once they’ve been opened online, and queue changes until the device syncs, according to AppSheet’s offline guide. Most other tools here build web apps that need a connection, so check offline support before you commit if your team works on site.
1. AppSheet: Best for Google Sheets Users
What is AppSheet? AppSheet is Google’s no-code app builder, which turns Google Sheets, Excel files and databases into apps with forms, views, logins and automations.
AppSheet is the obvious first try for anyone whose data lives in Google Sheets. Its Core plan is included in most paid Google Workspace plans, so many businesses already have it.
According to AppSheet’s pricing page:
| Plan | Price per user a month | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free prototype | $0 | Build and test with up to 10 users |
| Starter | $5 | Basic app and automation features, connections to spreadsheets and cloud storage |
| Core | $10 | Advanced features, security controls, email support; included in most paid Workspace plans |
| Enterprise Plus | $20 | Cloud databases, APIs, machine learning, governance and priority support |
AppSheet’s own database allows 2,500 rows per database on Starter and Core, and 200,000 on Enterprise Plus. Apps run in a browser and in AppSheet’s iOS and Android app, and they can work offline.
Downsides
- Per-user pricing gets expensive for large groups of occasional users.
- The editor takes time to learn, especially expressions and security filters.
- Apps look functional rather than polished.
Verdict: If your data is in Google Sheets and your company pays for Google Workspace, start with AppSheet. It may cost you nothing extra.
2. Microsoft Power Apps: Best for Excel and Microsoft 365 Teams
What is Power Apps? Power Apps is Microsoft’s low-code app builder, part of the Power Platform, which connects to Excel, SharePoint, Dataverse and hundreds of other data sources.
If your spreadsheet is an Excel file in OneDrive or SharePoint, Power Apps is built to work with it, inside the Microsoft 365 apps your team already uses.
According to Microsoft’s Power Apps pricing page and Power Platform licensing overview:
| Option | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Included with Microsoft 365 | $0 extra | Limited use rights for apps on Microsoft 365 data and standard connectors |
| Power Apps Premium | $20 per user a month, billed yearly | Premium, custom and on-premises connectors and full app rights |
| Pay-as-you-go | Usage-based, through Azure | Pay only for usage |
Microsoft notes that the prices on its page are for marketing purposes and may not match the actual list price. Before you connect an Excel file, format your data as an Excel table, which Power Apps needs to read it.
Downsides
- Licensing is complex, and Microsoft 365’s included rights don’t cover every scenario.
- Premium at $20 a user is among the higher per-user prices here.
- It’s less suited to Google Sheets or to apps for outside clients.
Verdict: For Microsoft 365 companies with data in Excel or SharePoint, Power Apps is the natural pick. Check your licenses before you build.
3. Zite: Best for Unlimited Users on a Flat Price
What is Zite? Zite is an AI app builder that turns a description or a Google Sheet into a web app with logins, screens and workflows.
Zite is built around spreadsheets: your columns become fields, your rows become records, and it generates the app for you. Every plan includes unlimited users and apps, which makes it cheap for apps used by many people.
According to Zite’s pricing page:
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly | AI credits a month | Database records |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 50 | 5,000 |
| Pro | $25 | $240 a year (about $20) | 100 | 100,000 |
| Business | $89 | $900 a year (about $75) | 400 | 250,000 |
The free plan includes 1,000 workflow runs a month and a 10-message daily limit. Pro adds one custom domain and Business unlimited custom domains. Monthly prices come from Jet Admin’s check of Zite’s pricing page on September 25, 2026. Zite can connect to your Google Sheet with two-way sync, so edits in the app show up in the sheet and the other way round, or import the rows into its own database.
Downsides
- AI credits limit how much you can build and change each month.
- The free plan caps you at 10 AI messages a day.
- It’s newer than AppSheet or Power Apps, with a smaller community.
Verdict: Zite is the best value when many people need to use the app, such as a whole field team or a client base, because users don’t add to the bill.
4. Softr: Best for Client Portals and Internal Tools
What is Softr? Softr is a no-code platform for building client portals, internal tools and directories on top of data sources such as Google Sheets, Airtable and its own database.
Softr connects natively to more than 20 data sources, including Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable, Notion and monday.com, according to its data source guide. It’s strongest when outside people, such as clients, need to log in and see only their own records.
According to Softr’s pricing and plans page:
| Plan | Billed yearly | Billed monthly | Users included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 5 users in total |
| Basic | $19 a month | $25 a month | 5 team users and 5 client users |
| Pro | $99 a month | $119 a month | 10 team users and 50 client users |
| Business | $329 a month | $395 a month | 30 team users and 100 client users |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom |
Team users share your business email domain, and everyone else counts as a client user. Pro and Business can add more users for $1 to $5 each.
Downsides
- The jump from Basic at $19 to Pro at $99 is steep once you pass 5 clients.
- Record limits depend on your plan and data source.
- It suits portals and tools more than complex mobile apps.
Verdict: Choose Softr if your app is a login area for clients or partners, built on a spreadsheet you already keep.
5. Glide: Best for Polished Mobile-Friendly Apps
What is Glide? Glide is a no-code platform, now called GlideOS, that builds apps from a spreadsheet, a prompt or a file, with a focus on clean, mobile-friendly design.
Glide was one of the first spreadsheet-to-app tools, and its apps still look the most polished. It connects to Google Sheets, Airtable and Excel files in OneDrive or SharePoint, plus its own Glide Tables, according to Glide’s data sources guide. Its apps open in a browser and can be added to a phone’s home screen as a progressive web app (PWA).
According to Glide’s pricing page:
| Plan | Price a month | Team members | Published apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2 | 0 |
| Basic | $25 | 2 | 2 |
| Plus | $50 | 3 | 5 |
| Pro | $125 | From 5 | Unlimited |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Unlimited |
The Free plan can’t publish apps. Glide’s documentation ties Google Sheets to its paid plans and Excel and Airtable to higher tiers, and it still uses older plan names, so check which plan covers your data source before you build.
Downsides
- You need a paid plan to publish, and Excel or Airtable may need a higher tier.
- The pricing page doesn’t list app-user limits or yearly prices.
- Glide changed its plans twice in about a year, so expect more changes.
Verdict: Glide is the pick when the app’s look matters, such as an app for customers or a field team on phones, and you’re willing to pay for it.
6. Airtable: Best When Your Spreadsheet Has Outgrown Itself
What is Airtable? Airtable is a spreadsheet-database hybrid, where tables hold records with typed fields and linked records, and Interfaces turn them into simple apps.
If your spreadsheet has become slow, has many tabs that reference each other, or breaks when several people edit it, moving to Airtable fixes the data problem and gives you app-style Interfaces on top. You import your sheet once, and Airtable becomes the new home of your data.
According to Airtable’s plans overview:
| Plan | Billed yearly | Billed monthly | Records per base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 1,000 |
| Team | $20 per user a month | $24 per user a month | 50,000 |
| Business | $45 per user a month | $54 per user a month | 125,000 |
The free plan allows up to 5 editors, and Airtable charges only for people who can edit. For a side-by-side look, see our Airtable vs Google Sheets comparison.
Downsides
- Your spreadsheet stops being the source of truth after import.
- Business costs $45 per editor, the highest per-user price here.
- The free plan’s 1,000 records per base fills up quickly.
Verdict: Choose Airtable when the real problem is the spreadsheet itself, not just the lack of an app. If its price is too high, our Airtable alternatives guide lists cheaper options.
7. Teable: Best Low-Cost Spreadsheet-Database
What is Teable? Teable is a spreadsheet-database with automations, AI features and app building, available in the cloud or as self-hosted software.
Teable is a cheaper Airtable-style option with far higher limits, and its code is on GitHub for teams that want to host it themselves.
According to Teable’s pricing page, billed yearly:
| Plan | Price per seat a month | Rows | Automation runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000 | 100 |
| Pro | $13 | 250,000 | 25,000 |
| Business | $20 | 1,000,000 | 100,000 |
Teable shows Pro and Business as 44% off list prices of $24 and $36, so check the price at checkout.
Downsides
- Like Airtable, it replaces your spreadsheet rather than connecting to it.
- It’s a smaller, newer product with fewer templates.
- Self-hosting needs someone to run the server.
Verdict: Teable suits budget-minded teams that want to move off spreadsheets into a real database, at a lower price per seat than Airtable. For other open-source options, see our Baserow vs Airtable comparison.
Also Considered
- Adalo builds native mobile apps you can publish to the Apple App Store and Google Play. Publishing starts on its Builder plan at $65 a month or $624 a year, according to Adalo’s pricing page. Its free plan allows 500 records per app and no store publishing.
- Bubble builds web apps and native mobile apps from scratch, with its own database. It’s more powerful than the tools above but takes longer to learn.
- AI app builders such as Base44 and Lovable build an app from a description with their own database, so you’d move your rows into the new app rather than keep working in your sheet. Zite is the exception in this list, because it connects to Google Sheets. See our Base44 pricing guide.
- Noloco builds portals and internal tools on top of Airtable, Google Sheets and SQL databases, much like Softr.
- Jotform Apps turns Jotform forms and tables into simple mobile-friendly apps.
- Retool suits developers building internal tools on databases and APIs rather than spreadsheets.
- Google Apps Script is the do-it-yourself route: free with Google Sheets, but you write the code.
- Smartsheet adds forms, dashboards and Gantt charts to a spreadsheet-style grid, which is enough for some teams. See our Smartsheet alternatives guide.
Once your app is live, you can connect it to email, forms and your CRM with an automation tool. Our Make.com alternatives guide compares the options.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I turn a spreadsheet into an app?
Clean up the sheet so each tab is one table with a single header row and an ID column. Then connect it to a no-code builder such as AppSheet, Zite, Softr or Glide, which turns columns into fields and rows into records, and set who can sign in.
Can I turn a Google Sheet into an app for free?
Yes, for testing and small teams. AppSheet is free for prototypes with up to 10 test users, Zite’s free plan allows unlimited users with 50 AI credits a month, and Softr’s free plan allows 5 users.
How do I turn an Excel spreadsheet into an app?
Use Microsoft Power Apps if your company has Microsoft 365. Store the file in OneDrive or SharePoint and format the data as an Excel table first. Softr, AppSheet and Glide can also use Excel files.
What is the best spreadsheet to app builder?
AppSheet is the best choice for most Google Sheets users, because it’s included in most paid Google Workspace plans and Starter costs $5 a user. Power Apps suits Excel teams, Zite suits large user groups and Softr suits client portals.
Does my data stay in my spreadsheet?
It depends on the tool. AppSheet, Zite, Softr and Glide can read and write your sheet directly, so it stays the home of your data. Airtable and Teable import a copy, and the sheet stops updating after that.
Can I make a mobile app from a spreadsheet?
Yes. AppSheet apps run in its iOS and Android app and can work offline, and Glide builds mobile-friendly web apps you can add to a phone’s home screen. To publish in the App Store or Google Play, you need a builder such as Adalo, from $65 a month.
How much does it cost to turn a spreadsheet into an app?
For a team of 5, expect about $19 a month on Softr Basic, $20 on Zite Pro or $25 on AppSheet Starter, all billed yearly where offered. Power Apps Premium costs $100 a month for 5 users. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 customers may pay nothing extra.
Sources
- AppSheet: pricing page, data scalability guide and offline guide, checked November 6, 2026
- Google: Sheets API usage limits, checked November 6, 2026
- Microsoft Power Apps: pricing page and Power Platform licensing overview, checked November 6, 2026
- Zite: pricing page, checked November 6, 2026; Google Sheets guide, October 6, 2026; Jet Admin’s pricing check, September 26, 2026 (independent source)
- Softr: pricing and plans and data sources guide, checked November 6, 2026
- Glide: pricing page and data sources guide, checked November 6, 2026
- Airtable: plans overview, checked November 5, 2026
- Teable: pricing page, checked November 6, 2026
- Adalo: pricing page, checked November 6, 2026
