Spreadsheets · v0.6.1 · Alpha

GridCraft: a free, open-source Excel alternative

GridCraft is the spreadsheet of the Crafting Apps: an open-source, clean-room take on Microsoft Excel. XLSX is its native format. It has 500+ functions with dynamic arrays, LET and LAMBDA, structured table references, PivotTables, seventeen chart types, sparklines and conditional formatting.

Open GridCraft online Download v0.6.1 GridCraft on GitHub

The online version is the official web build from the v0.6.1 release (2026-10-12). It runs locally in your browser; a desktop browser with WebGPU or WebGL2 works best.

GridCraft showing a quarterly sales dashboard with a table, conditional formatting, sparklines and charts — Screenshot: GridCraft README, github.com/storytold/gridcraft (MIT/Apache-2.0).

What GridCraft can do

Excel-compatible

Ribbon, formula bar, Name Box, sheet tabs, fill handle and Excel's keyboard shortcuts.

Serious formulas

500+ functions, dynamic arrays with spilling, LET and LAMBDA, and structured references on a dependency-graph engine.

PivotTables

Field list, filters, layouts, date grouping and show-values-as, saved to and read from XLSX.

Charts

Seventeen chart types with a Chart Design tab and Format pane, plus sparklines.

Formatting

Accounting formats, cell styles, conditional rules and color scales, and frozen panes.

Print and PDF

Page Break Preview, print settings and PDF export.

GridCraft vs Microsoft Excel

Price: GridCraft: free, open source. Excel: paid Microsoft product.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD and the browser.
Files: XLSX (native), .xls import, XLSB/ODS data import, CSV, PDF export
Maturity: Alpha. XLSX round-trips styles, formulas, tables, charts and PivotTables. Legacy .xls opens with values and formulas (formatting not yet).
Account & privacy: No sign-in, no telemetry, works offline.

How to download and install GridCraft

Open the official GridCraft GitHub releases or getartcraft.com/apps/gridcraft.
Windows: run gridcraft-0.6.1-windows-x64.msi (or the portable zip; ARM64 and x86 builds exist).
macOS: open gridcraft-0.6.1-macos-universal.dmg, which is signed and notarized for Apple Silicon and Intel.
Linux: use the AppImage, or the .deb, .rpm or Flatpak for your distro.
Optionally verify the file against SHA256SUMS.txt in the same release.

Prefer not to install? Use GridCraft online.

GridCraft FAQ

Does GridCraft open Excel files?

Yes. XLSX is its native format, so styles, formulas, tables, charts and PivotTables round-trip. Older .xls workbooks open with values, formulas and number formats.

Is GridCraft free?

Yes. GridCraft is free and open source under MIT OR Apache-2.0. There is no subscription, no account and no telemetry.

Can I use GridCraft online?

Yes. GridCraft compiles to WebAssembly, and this site hosts the official v0.6.1 web build at artcraftsuite.org/app/gridcraft/. It runs entirely in your browser, and files you open are not uploaded.

Where can I download GridCraft safely?

Only from getartcraft.com/apps/gridcraft or the Releases page of github.com/storytold/gridcraft. Avoid look-alike GitHub repos that offer a "local zip" or password-protected archive: they are not the official project.

Does GridCraft run on Windows, Mac and Linux?

Yes. Releases include Windows installers and portable zips (x64, x86, ARM64), a universal macOS DMG, Linux AppImage, deb, rpm and Flatpak (x86_64 and aarch64), FreeBSD builds and the web version.

Who makes GridCraft?

GridCraft is one of the ArtCraft Crafting Apps, developed in the open at github.com/storytold/gridcraft. It is a clean-room project and is not affiliated with Microsoft.