# Google Sheets: how AI models rank it, November 2026

Gane Index, November 2026 Edition. Named in 20 judge labels across 7 categories by 9 of 14 models. Page: https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/vendors/google-sheets

## Standing by category

| Category | Share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [People analytics](https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/planning/people-analytics/index.md) | 2% | 10 | 0% | 6 |
| [Succession planning](https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/performance/succession-planning/index.md) | 0% | 112 | 50% | 4 |
| [Leave and absence management](https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/core/leave-and-absence-management/index.md) | 0% | 80 | 33% | 3 |
| [Goals and OKRs](https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/performance/goals-and-okrs/index.md) | 0% | 52 | 50% | 2 |
| [Org charts and org design](https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/planning/org-charts-and-org-design/index.md) | 0% | 101 | 50% | 2 |
| [Workforce planning](https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/planning/workforce-planning/index.md) | 0% | 114 | 50% | 2 |
| [Compensation management](https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/rewards/compensation-management/index.md) | 0% | 111 | 100% | 1 |

## What the models said for it

- "Google Sheets + Claude: A free, DIY tracking solution that offers custom metrics, AI analysis, and full flexibility. Suitable for teams under 50." (Llama 4 Maverick, People analytics)
- "For very small teams (under 50), a DIY approach using Google Sheets combined with AI analysis can be a defensible and free starting point." (Mistral Small, People analytics)
- "Truly zero-cost DIY option... Ideal for teams under 50 with technical users, but requires manual setup." (Grok 4.20, People analytics)
- "Google Sheets + AI if you want maximum flexibility at zero cost" (MiniMax M2.5, People analytics)

## And against it

- "Manual Spreadsheets (Excel / Google Sheets) ... Why to avoid: Research and HR audits consistently show that manual leave tracking leads to calculation errors" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, Leave)
- "Avoid relying on spreadsheets as your primary succession repository if you are managing complex or growing leadership tiers." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, Succession planning)
- "Pure Spreadsheet-Based Planning (Excel, Google Sheets, etc.) ... Avoid if: you need live integrations, scenario modeling" (GLM 4.7 FlashX, Workforce planning)
- "Spreadsheet‑Based Org Charts (Excel / Google Sheets) ... Avoid if: You have more than ~20–30 employees" (GLM 4.7 FlashX, Org charts)

## By model

| Model | First choice | Alternative | Mention | Warning | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| GPT-5.4 mini | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Perplexity Sonar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grok 4.20 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| Mistral Small | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Llama 4 Maverick | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Kimi K2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| MiniMax M2.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| GPT-6 Luna | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muse Glimmer 30B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Sources returned with these answers

The sites and pages cited by the answers that named Google Sheets, from 62 of the 67 answers that named it (only the models that return a source list).

### Domains cited

- capterra.com: 20
- softwareadvice.com: 20
- firsthr.app: 14
- g2.com: 14
- forbes.com: 12
- peoplemanagingpeople.com: 12
- dev.to: 11
- fitsmallbusiness.com: 10
- lister.ai: 9
- selectsoftwarereviews.com: 9

### Pages cited

- https://dev.to/superdots/ai-people-analytics-software-teams-under-200-33gj: 11
- https://lister.ai/software/hr/people-analytics-software/best-people-analytics-software: 9
- https://selectsoftwarereviews.com/buyer-guide/analytics-tools: 6
- https://spotsaas.com/list/hr-analytics-software/for-small-business: 6
- https://leapsome.com/comparisons/people-analytics-tools: 5
- https://thrivea.com/blog/best-hr-analytics-software: 5
- https://zekaiwork.com/best-people-analytics-platforms: 5
- https://desklog.io/blog/best-workforce-analytics-software: 4

## In its own words

What Google Sheets's own pages state, read 2026-10-05. Stated by the vendor, not checked by the index.

- Positioning: Collaborative, AI-powered spreadsheets (https://workspace.google.com/products/sheets/)
- For: work (https://workspace.google.com/products/sheets/)
- Customers named: Globe Telecom, Ultra, Etsy, Adore Me, Robinhood, Attache

## What it publishes

Every page google.com exposes, read 2026-09-29: 7607 addresses. By kind, pages and the last 90 days:

- blog: 372 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest 2018-12-13
- case study: 707 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest undated
- comparison: 35 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest undated
- template or tool: 1 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest undated
- glossary or explainer: 51 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest 2018-12-13
- podcast or video: 1 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest undated
- news or press: 34 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest undated
- Recent: 2018-12-13 blog: Best practices for in app rewarded video ads https://www.google.com/admob/resources/best-practices-for-in-app-rewarded-video-ads.html
- Recent: 2018-12-13 blog: How to monetize your mobile apps with ads https://www.google.com/admob/resources/how-to-monetize-your-mobile-apps-with-ads.html
- Recent: 2018-12-13 glossary or explainer: What is AdMob - Google AdMob https://www.google.com/admob/resources/what-is-admob.html
- Recent: 2018-11-19 blog: App marketing strategies to grow and monetize your app https://www.google.com/admob/resources/app-marketing-strategies-to-grow-and-monetize-your-app.html
- Recent: 2018-11-19 blog: How much revenue can you earn from admob https://www.google.com/admob/resources/how-much-revenue-can-you-earn-from-admob.html
- Recent: 2018-11-19 blog: How to earn money with in app advertising https://www.google.com/admob/resources/how-to-earn-money-with-in-app-advertising.html

## Record

- Method: https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/methodology
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as Gane Index, November 2026 Edition, www.gane.ai/index/hr.