Comparison Guide
OKR Software vs Spreadsheets
Should you use dedicated OKR software or stick with Google Sheets? Here's an honest comparison to help you decide.
The Short Answer
Under 10 people? Start with spreadsheets. They're free, flexible, and good enough while you figure out if OKRs work for your team.
10+ people or multiple teams? Consider OKR software. The time saved on reminders, alignment views, and check-ins usually justifies the cost.
Many tools (including Loach) offer free tiers, so you can test without committing.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Spreadsheets | OKR Software |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $0-15/user/month |
| Setup time | Minutes | 30 min - 2 hours |
| Learning curve | None (familiar) | Low to medium |
| Automatic reminders | Manual (or none) | Built-in |
| Progress visualization | Basic charts | Dashboards & reports |
| Team alignment view | Difficult to maintain | Automatic |
| Check-in workflows | Manual process | Guided & automated |
| Historical tracking | Manual versioning | Built-in history |
| Integrations | Limited | Slack, Jira, etc. |
| Scales with team | Gets messy at 10+ people | Designed for teams |
Winner highlighted in each row based on typical team needs.
Pros & Cons
Spreadsheets
Google Sheets, Excel, Notion tables
Pros
- Free—no additional software cost
- Everyone already knows how to use it
- Fully customizable to your process
- No vendor lock-in
- Works offline
Cons
- No automatic reminders—people forget to update
- Alignment views require manual maintenance
- Gets messy with 10+ people
- No audit trail or history
- Easy to accidentally break formulas
OKR Software
Loach, Tability, Weekdone, Perdoo, etc.
Pros
- Automatic reminders keep OKRs top of mind
- Visual alignment across teams
- Built-in check-in workflows
- Historical tracking and reporting
- Designed to scale with your team
Cons
- Another tool to pay for
- Learning curve (though usually small)
- May have features you don't need
- Vendor dependency
Which Should You Choose?
Stick with Spreadsheets
- Team of 3-8 people
- Just starting with OKRs
- Budget is extremely tight
- You have someone maintaining the sheet
- Simple company structure (one team)
Upgrade to Software
- Team of 10+ people
- Multiple teams need alignment
- People keep forgetting to update OKRs
- You want check-in workflows
- Leadership wants dashboards
- You're spending hours maintaining spreadsheets
Signs Your Spreadsheet Isn't Working
If you're experiencing these, it might be time to upgrade:
- People rarely update their OKRs
- You spend hours preparing quarterly reviews
- Teams don't know what other teams are working on
- New hires are confused by the spreadsheet
- Someone accidentally deleted or broke formulas
- OKRs get forgotten by mid-quarter
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Try OKR Software?
Loach is free for up to 5 users. Test it alongside your spreadsheet and see which works better for your team.