What is the Difference Between Google Docs and Google Sheets?

06/24/2025 • Matheus Moraes

The main difference between Google Docs and Google Sheets lies in their purpose and functionality within Google's suite of productivity tools. Here are the key differences:

Google Docs:

  • It is a document management application.
  • Primarily used for creating and formatting text documents.
  • Offers a clean, streamlined interface with modern typography.
  • Ideal for brief reports, student essays, personal diaries, and other uncomplicated tasks.

Google Sheets:

  • It is a spreadsheet application belonging to Google Docs.
  • Designed to help businesses and individuals manage, manipulate, and analyze data.
  • Uses formulas to perform calculations and data manipulation.
  • Comes with a web-based platform that allows collaborative work in real-time.

In summary, Google Docs is a web-based word processor that focuses on creating and formatting text documents, while Google Sheets is a cloud-based spreadsheet application used for data management, analysis, and collaboration.

Comparative Table: Google Docs vs Google Sheets

Google Docs and Google Sheets are both part of the Google Workspace suite, but they serve different purposes and have distinct features. Here is a table highlighting the differences between the two:

Feature Google Docs Google Sheets
Purpose Document creation and editing Spreadsheet creation and data management
Interface Resembles a word processor, with options for formatting text, paragraphs, and pages Resembles a spreadsheet application, with cells, rows, and columns for organizing data
Formula Support Limited support for basic formulas, such as SUM, AVERAGE, and COUNT Limited support for formulas, with focus on data manipulation and calculations
Data Management Not primarily designed for large-scale data management Primarily designed for large-scale data management and data analysis
Collaboration Real-time collaboration and commenting features Real-time collaboration, commenting, and cell-level permissions
Import/Export Options Can be converted to other document formats (e.g., DOCX, PDF) Can be exported as CSV, TSV, or other spreadsheet formats

In summary, Google Docs is a document creation and editing tool, while Google Sheets is a spreadsheet application designed for data management, analysis, and collaboration. The two applications serve different purposes and have unique features, making them suitable for different tasks within the Google Workspace suite.

Read more