How to make an app from a spreadsheet: 8 tools (2026)

You can make an app from a spreadsheet three ways: upload the file to an AI app builder, connect a live Google Sheet or Excel workbook to a no-code builder like AppSheet or Softr, or build the app yourself in Microsoft Power Apps. Pick by where your data should live and who needs to sign in.

This guide is for teams that run on a shared spreadsheet and want an app on top of it, without hiring a developer. For each tool we cover how the spreadsheet gets in, where the data lives, what it costs and its main limitation. We make GoodTaco, so its entry is labeled, and we say where another tool fits better.

Reviewed October 2026. Prices and limits come from each vendor’s own pages.

What is a spreadsheet to app converter?

A spreadsheet to app converter builds an app from spreadsheet data you already have: it puts screens, forms, search and permissions on top of your tables. An app does what a shared sheet can’t: changes go through forms, people sign in before they see any data, and nobody types over a formula. You keep your data and columns, so nobody starts over. The tools split on where your data lives afterwards.

Live connection. The app reads and writes your Google Sheet, or a workbook in OneDrive or SharePoint. The sheet stays the source of truth, and people can keep editing it.
Import. The tool copies your data into its own database. The spreadsheet becomes a backup, and work happens in the app from then on.

Formulas are the second split. Some tools rebuild them as app logic, some keep them running in a live sheet, and some leave you to recreate them.

How to make an app from a spreadsheet in 5 steps

The path from spreadsheet to application is the same whichever tool you pick:

Decide what the app must do: who uses it, what they enter, what they need to see.
Tidy the sheet: one table per tab, column names on top, one record per line.
Choose live or import: connect the sheet if people keep editing it; upload a copy if the app replaces it.
Build and check: describe the app or lay out screens, then compare a few totals with the sheet.
Set sign-in and share: keep it private, invite people, keep the spreadsheet as a backup.

8 tools that make an app from a spreadsheet, compared

Tool	Best for	Price to start	Where your data lives
GoodTaco (our product)	A working app from an Excel or CSV file, or on a live Google Sheet	Free plan; paid from $9/month	Built-in database (upload), or your Google Sheet or Airtable base (live)
Glide	Phone-friendly apps on a Google Sheet	Free to build; Google Sheets sync from $49/month, billed yearly	Glide’s own tables (import), or a synced Google Sheet or Excel file
Google AppSheet	Teams on Google Workspace	Free to build and test; $5 per user/month	Your Google Sheet, or Excel in OneDrive or SharePoint (live)
Microsoft Power Apps	Companies on Microsoft 365	30-day free trial; $20 per user/month, billed yearly	Excel in cloud storage (live), or Microsoft’s database, Dataverse (upload)
Softr	Client portals on a Google Sheet	Free plan; $19/month, billed yearly	Your Google Sheet (two-way sync), or Softr Databases (CSV import)
Zite	AI-built apps with unlimited users	Free plan; $20/month, billed yearly	Zite’s database (import), or your Google Sheet (two-way sync)
Quickbase and Pave	Department-wide apps (Quickbase), a first AI-built app (Pave)	Pave free plan; Quickbase from $35 per user/month, billed yearly	Quickbase or Pave (import)
Appizy or Molnify	Calculators and quote tools	Appizy from $9/month; Molnify from €99 per app/month	The vendor’s servers, which run your workbook’s formulas

1. GoodTaco (our product)

GoodTaco is an AI app builder for business apps. Upload an Excel workbook or CSV file on our spreadsheet to app page, with no account. GoodTaco imports each sheet as a table in a built-in database and rebuilds your formulas as app logic, checked against your spreadsheet’s results. The AI builds the app in minutes, we email you the link, and a free account keeps it (an app nobody keeps is deleted after 24 hours). If your data already lives in a Google Sheet or an Airtable base, connect it instead: the app works on that same data, so it stays your source of truth.

Best for: teams that want a working app from the spreadsheet they already have, with Google sign-in or email links for users, without learning a builder.
Pricing: free plan; paid plans from $9 a month, priced per workspace rather than per app user.
Limitation: an upload is a one-time import, so later edits to the workbook don’t reach the app. Uploads take up to 10 MB and 2,000 records, and macros, charts and pivot tables aren’t imported.
Verdict: pick it to turn the file you already have into a working app in minutes, or to put an app on a Google Sheet that stays live.

2. Glide

Glide is a no-code builder known for polished mobile apps, and it now sells two products. Glide Classic, the original Glide platform, imports Excel and CSV files on any plan and syncs a live Google Sheet from the Maker plan; syncing an Excel workbook in OneDrive or SharePoint takes Business. GlideOS, a newer AI builder sold separately, copies a connected Google Sheet into its own table and doesn’t write changes back.

Best for: apps your team uses on the go, built on a Google Sheet in a visual editor.
Pricing: Classic is free to build. Maker is $49 a month and Business starts at $199 a month with 30 users included, both billed yearly (Classic pricing). GlideOS publishing starts at $25 a month (GlideOS pricing).
Limitation: Classic caps spreadsheet data at 25,000 records across all tables. Maker’s app users must sign in with personal addresses such as Gmail, so teams on company email need Business.
Verdict: a strong choice for live Google Sheets apps if you budget for Business. Our Glide alternative comparison goes deeper.

3. Google AppSheet

AppSheet is Google’s no-code app builder. Connect a Google Sheet and it stays the data source: AppSheet syncs changes made in the app back to the spreadsheet. It also connects to Excel .xlsx files in OneDrive or SharePoint.

Best for: companies on Google Workspace that want forms, approvals and offline-ready mobile apps on a sheet people keep using.
Pricing: free to build and test with up to 10 users. Deployed apps need a license per user: Starter $5, Core $10 (included in most paid Google Workspace plans) or Enterprise Plus $20 a month (AppSheet pricing).
Limitation: when AppSheet reads your formulas, it can’t interpret some Google Sheets functions, such as QUERY, FILTER and ARRAYFORMULA. Excel workbooks must be closed while the app saves to them, or the changes fail.
Verdict: the natural pick if your company already pays for Google Workspace. Our AppSheet alternative comparison covers the trade-offs.

4. Microsoft Power Apps

Power Apps is Microsoft’s low-code app builder, and Microsoft documents three ways to build from Excel: upload an Excel or CSV file, which becomes a table in Microsoft’s database, Dataverse; connect a workbook stored in the cloud, such as OneDrive; or start from a blank app. In every case, format your data as an Excel table first.

Best for: companies on Microsoft 365 with someone ready to learn Power Apps Studio.
Pricing: a 30-day free trial, then Power Apps Premium at $20 per user a month, paid yearly (Power Apps pricing). Microsoft 365 plans cover apps on standard connectors like Excel; Dataverse apps need a standalone license.
Limitation: Microsoft’s Excel connector handles files up to 25 MB and doesn’t support people editing the workbook while the app writes to it. Uploading avoids that, but moves your data into Dataverse.
Verdict: worth it if you already pay for Microsoft 365 and have IT support. It’s more setup than most small teams want for one spreadsheet.

5. Softr

Softr builds client portals and internal tools on top of your data. It connects to Google Sheets with two-way sync and adds a Softr Record ID column to your sheet to keep track of records. You can also import a CSV into Softr Databases, and Excel workbooks connect on the Business plan.

Best for: client portals and member areas where people outside your company sign in to see their own records.
Pricing: free plan with 5 app users and 5,000 database records. Basic is $19, Pro $99 and Business $329 a month, billed yearly (Softr pricing).
Limitation: each plan includes a set number of app users and charges for more, Google sign-in for app users starts on Pro, and Softr suggests Google Sheets for about 50 to 100 people using the app at once.
Verdict: a good fit for a portal on a Google Sheet; check the user allowance before you invite clients. Our Softr alternative comparison has more detail.

6. Zite

Zite is an AI app builder with a spreadsheet flow of its own. Upload an Excel or CSV file and Zite imports it once into its database, keeping the old sheet as a backup, or connect a Google Sheet so the sheet and the app update each other. It also imports Airtable bases.

Best for: teams that want AI-built apps and expect lots of users, since every plan includes unlimited users.
Pricing: free plan with 5,000 records. Pro is $20 a month billed yearly ($25 month to month) with 100,000 records, and Business is $75 a month, billed yearly (Zite pricing).
Limitation: formulas don’t come across on their own. You describe each calculation and Zite rebuilds it.
Verdict: the closest match to GoodTaco’s upload flow, so try both with the same file. Our Zite alternative comparison lays out the differences.

7. Quickbase and Pave

Quickbase is a low-code platform for business apps, and Pave is its newer AI app builder. Quickbase’s AI spreadsheet import takes an .xls or .xlsx file and translates its tables, formulas and relationships into a new app. Pave can start from a spreadsheet with existing data and generates the tables, forms and formulas around it. Both bring your data in as an import.

Best for: Quickbase suits larger operations teams that run many connected apps; Pave suits a small team trying its first AI-built app.
Pricing: Quickbase has a 30-day free trial, then Team starts at $35 per user a month, billed yearly, plus a platform minimum (Quickbase pricing). Pave is free for 1 app and up to 3 users; paid plans start at $20 a month (Pave pricing).
Limitation: Quickbase doesn’t publish its platform minimum, so pricing takes a sales conversation. Pave spends credits on building, workflows and integrations, so costs grow with use.
Verdict: pick Quickbase to put a whole department on one platform; try Pave for a small first app.

8. Appizy or Molnify, for calculators

Some spreadsheets aren’t lists of records at all. They’re calculators, like a quote tool or an ROI model. Appizy and Molnify turn those workbooks into web calculators that run your Excel formulas. In Appizy, cells with formulas become results and the cells they depend on become inputs, and you embed the calculator on your website.

Best for: quote tools, estimators and pricing calculators you want to share without sharing the workbook.
Pricing: Appizy starts at $9 a month for 10 calculators with unlimited viewers, and its cloud plans keep your formulas hidden on the server (Appizy pricing). Molnify starts at €99 per app a month with unlimited users and a 14-day free trial (Molnify pricing).
Limitation: both are built around a workbook’s calculations, so they’re a poor fit for a shared table of records a team edits every day, like a CRM or an inventory list.
Verdict: the right tool when the formulas are the product. Use an app builder when the records are.

Which spreadsheet app builder should you choose?

Start with where your data should live, then check who signs in and what each person costs.

Keep the spreadsheet, or move on? If people will keep editing the sheet, choose a live connection: GoodTaco, AppSheet, Softr or Zite with Google Sheets, or Glide Classic from Maker. If you’re ready to retire the spreadsheet, import it into GoodTaco, Zite, Quickbase or Pave.
Excel or Google Sheets? An Excel file on your computer is easiest to upload to GoodTaco, Glide, Zite, Quickbase or Power Apps. A workbook that must stay in Excel has to live in cloud storage such as OneDrive or SharePoint, where Power Apps, AppSheet, Glide Business and Softr Business can reach it. A Google Sheet connects live to most tools here.
Who signs in? Coworkers on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 may already have AppSheet or Power Apps rights. For clients or a large team, per-user prices add up: look at Zite (unlimited users), GoodTaco (priced per workspace, with Google sign-in and email links) or Softr (a set number of client users per plan).
Do your formulas matter? If the totals and statuses are the point of the sheet, pick a tool that carries them over. GoodTaco rebuilds and checks them, Quickbase translates them on import, Zite rebuilds the calculations you describe, and Appizy or Molnify run them as calculators. A live Google Sheet keeps calculating in the sheet itself.
What does each person cost? Per-user plans (AppSheet from $5, Power Apps Premium at $20, Quickbase from $35) grow with your team. Flat plans (GoodTaco, Zite, Pave) stay predictable up to each plan’s limits. Glide and Softr charge for extra users, and Glide also charges for updates past each plan’s allowance.
How big is your data? Glide Classic tops out at 25,000 records across spreadsheet tables, Zite’s Pro plan at 100,000, and a GoodTaco upload at 2,000 per file.

How to create an app from an Excel spreadsheet

To create an online app from an Excel spreadsheet, save older .xls files as .xlsx and give each table its own sheet with column names on top. If people must keep working in Excel, store the workbook in cloud storage such as OneDrive or SharePoint and connect it from Power Apps or AppSheet; otherwise, upload a copy. Our step-by-step guide shows how to convert Excel to a web app.

How to create an app from a Google spreadsheet

A Google Sheet is the easiest spreadsheet to build on, because most tools here connect to it live and write changes back.

Connect the sheet. Sign in with Google from the app builder and pick the file. GoodTaco uses Google’s own sign-in, so you never share a password.
Describe or design the app. In GoodTaco you describe it in plain language; in no-code builders you arrange the screens.
Test both directions. Add a record in the app and check the sheet, then edit the sheet and check the app.

Our Google Sheets app builder page shows the GoodTaco version of this flow, and our guide to turning a Google Sheet into an app walks through a full build.

Make an app from your spreadsheet with GoodTaco

If your team tracks orders, jobs or clients in a spreadsheet, GoodTaco turns that file into an app with forms, search, dashboards and sign-in, in minutes.

Upload without an account. Drop in an Excel or CSV file. Each sheet becomes a table, columns of repeated choices become dropdowns, and we email you the link.
Keep your formulas. We rebuild them as app logic and check every result against the values your spreadsheet calculated. If a formula can’t be reproduced exactly, we keep its values and tell you which ones.
Or keep the sheet. Connect a Google Sheet or an Airtable base, and the app works on the same data.
Change it by asking. Ask for a new screen or an email when a record changes, roll back any change from version history, and let the app send emails from your Gmail.
No spreadsheet yet? Our Google Sheets template guides list the columns to set up for common workflows like a CRM or an inventory tracker, and GoodTaco builds the app on that sheet.

Upload your spreadsheet and see it working as an app in minutes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn a spreadsheet into an app?

Upload the file to an app builder that imports it, or connect a Google Sheet or a OneDrive workbook to a builder that keeps it live. Then choose who can sign in and share the link. With GoodTaco you upload an Excel or CSV file, and the AI builds the app in minutes.

Can I make an app from a spreadsheet for free?

Yes. GoodTaco, Softr, Zite and Pave have free plans that publish apps; Glide's free plans let you build but not publish, AppSheet is free while you build and test, and Power Apps has a 30-day trial. GoodTaco also lets you upload a spreadsheet without an account and keep the app with a free account.

How do I create an app from an Excel spreadsheet?

Save the workbook as .xlsx with column names at the top of each sheet, then upload it to a builder that imports Excel, such as GoodTaco, Glide, Zite or Power Apps. If the workbook has to stay in Excel, store it in cloud storage such as OneDrive or SharePoint and connect it from Power Apps or AppSheet.

Will my spreadsheet formulas work in the app?

It depends on the tool. GoodTaco rebuilds formulas as app logic and checks them against your spreadsheet's results, Quickbase translates formulas when it imports a workbook, and Zite rebuilds the calculations you describe. A live Google Sheet keeps calculating in the sheet itself, and with other tools you recreate key calculations in the app.

Can I keep using my Google Sheet after turning it into an app?

Yes, if the tool keeps a two-way connection, as GoodTaco, AppSheet, Softr, Zite and Glide Classic do. Check before you commit, because some tools, including GlideOS, copy the sheet into their own database and don't write changes back.

Do the people who use my app need their own licenses?

With AppSheet, Power Apps and Quickbase you pay per user, so the cost grows as the app spreads. Zite includes unlimited users; Softr includes a set number of app users per plan and charges for more; Glide Business includes 30 users, then $5 a month for each extra user; and GoodTaco prices per workspace rather than per app user.

Do I need to know how to code?

No. GoodTaco, Zite and Pave build from a plain-language description; Glide, AppSheet and Softr use visual editors. Power Apps and Quickbase are low-code, so complex logic may need formulas.

How to make an app from a spreadsheet: 8 tools compared (2026)