SpreadsheetFix vs Google Sheets for cleaning CSV data
Google Sheets has useful cleanup tools under Data › Data cleanup, and it's free. The main differences are where your data goes, how dates are interpreted on import, and how many cleaning steps exist without writing formulas.
| Aspect | SpreadsheetFix | Google Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| Where your data goes | Stays in your browser; never uploaded | Uploaded to and stored in Google Drive |
| Account | Not needed for free use | Google account required |
| Duplicates | Whitespace normalised before matching; preview of removed rows | Data cleanup › Remove duplicates, by selected columns |
| Spaces | Trim and collapse | Data cleanup › Trim whitespace |
| Mixed date formats | Detects day/month order per column and converts | Parsed on import using the spreadsheet's locale; mixed orders need formulas |
| Garbled characters (é) | Repaired automatically | Manual find and replace |
| Email validation | Flags malformed addresses | Data validation rule or formula |
| Size | 5,000 rows free, 500,000 on Pro | Up to 10 million cells per spreadsheet |
| Collaboration | No shared editing | Real-time shared editing |
Choose Google Sheets when
- Several people need to edit the result together.
- The data is already in Google Drive and policy allows it.
- You need formulas or charts on the cleaned data.
Choose SpreadsheetFix when
- The file holds customer, financial or HR data that shouldn't be uploaded to another service.
- Dates in the export mix day-first and month-first formats.
- You want several fixes in one pass, with a preview of every change.
Uploading is the difference that matters most
Importing a CSV into Google Sheets copies it to Google's servers, where it stays until you delete it. For many files that's fine. For bank exports, payroll, patient or customer lists, your company's data policy may not allow it. SpreadsheetFix reads the file in your browser tab, so there's no copy anywhere else.
Dates are read using the spreadsheet's locale
When you import, Sheets converts date-like text using the locale set in File › Settings. A US-locale sheet reads 03/04/2026 as 4 March; an Irish-locale sheet reads it as 3 April. If an export mixes both, some dates are silently wrong. SpreadsheetFix looks at each column to decide the order; a column with no date above the 12th is read day-first, so check the preview.
Clean first, then share
If the cleaned file does need to go to Sheets, clean it here first and import the result. You still get Sheets' collaboration, and the data arrives with consistent dates and no duplicates.
Questions
Does Google Sheets have a remove duplicates feature?
Yes, under Data › Data cleanup › Remove duplicates. Rows that differ only by extra spaces count as different, so run Data cleanup › Trim whitespace first, or clean the file here.
Is it safe to put customer data in Google Sheets?
It depends on your organisation's policies and agreements with Google. If you can't upload the data, SpreadsheetFix lets you clean it without it leaving your computer.
Can I use SpreadsheetFix with Google Sheets?
Yes. Download a CSV from Sheets with File › Download › CSV, clean it here, and import the result back.