The GSheetConnector Alternative That Delivers to Excel Online
Last updated: March 2026
One plugin, 12 form builders, Google Sheets AND Excel Online
TL;DR - The GSheetConnector Alternative That Delivers to Excel Online
SheetLinkWP is one WordPress plugin that covers 12 major form builders - Contact Form 7, WPForms, Ninja Forms, and nine more - with one install and one authorization. Beyond Google Sheets, it delivers submissions directly into a live Excel Online workbook via Microsoft Graph in real time, not as a CSV export. GSheetConnector is the long-standing incumbent for Contact-Form-7-to-Google-Sheets, with a large install base built up over years on WordPress.org. Choose SheetLinkWP for a purpose-built WordPress-to-Google-Sheets solution with one-time pricing and no per-submission fees. Choose GSheetConnector if choose GSheetConnector if Google Sheets is genuinely all you need, you use a single form builder on a single site, and you want the most established free option for that one pipeline.
About GSheetConnector
GSheetConnector is an established family of WordPress plugins connecting individual form builders to Google Sheets, with free versions on WordPress.org and paid Pro upgrades. Competitor capabilities described here are based on the vendor's site and public listings as of 2026 and may change.
SheetLinkWP focuses specifically on WordPress form workflows and Google Sheets integrations, offering a purpose-built solution for WordPress-focused teams.
Quick Overview
SheetLinkWP
SheetLinkWP is one WordPress plugin that covers 12 major form builders - Contact Form 7, WPForms, Ninja Forms, and nine more - with one install and one authorization. Beyond Google Sheets, it delivers submissions directly into a live Excel Online workbook via Microsoft Graph in real time, not as a CSV export. Microsoft sign-in uses OAuth via SheetLink's hosted broker, refresh tokens are encrypted at rest, and payloads travel WordPress -> Microsoft Graph directly. Mirroring into Excel alongside Google Sheets is included free with the core plugin; Excel-only mode is covered by the AI Pack at a flat $29/mo or $290/yr, which includes Primary Destinations. A retry queue (3 automatic attempts at 15-minute intervals plus manual retry) and automatic utm_*, gclid, fbclid, and msclkid capture round out the pipeline.
GSheetConnector
GSheetConnector is the long-standing incumbent for Contact-Form-7-to-Google-Sheets, with a large install base built up over years on WordPress.org. Per its site, it is sold as a separate plugin per form builder - dedicated connectors for CF7, WPForms, Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms, and others - with free versions and Pro upgrades per connector. Every variant targets Google Sheets: as of 2026, no GSheetConnector product listed on the vendor's site offers an Excel Online destination.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Side-by-side breakdown of capabilities, pricing, and support.
| GSheetConnector | SheetLinkWP | |
|---|---|---|
| Excel Online destination | Not offered in any variant (per the vendor's site, 2026) | Direct via Microsoft Graph, real-time |
| Google Sheets destination | Yes - its core specialty | Yes, built in |
| Form builders per install | One - separate plugin per form builder (per its site) | 12 builders in one plugin |
| Sheets + Excel simultaneously | Not available | Free mirroring with the core plugin |
| Retry queue | Not documented | 3 auto attempts at 15-min intervals + manual retry |
| Delivery log | Not documented | Built-in, per-delivery audit trail |
| UTM / click-ID capture | Not documented | utm_*, gclid, fbclid, msclkid appended automatically |
| Microsoft connection security | Not applicable - no Microsoft destination | Hosted OAuth broker, refresh tokens encrypted at rest |
| Free tier | Free connectors on WordPress.org per builder | Free core plugin |
| Pricing model | Per-connector free/Pro upgrades | Free core; Excel-only a flat $29/mo |
Pros & Cons
Honest strengths and weaknesses of each option.
SheetLinkWP
Strengths
- Delivers to Excel Online - a destination no GSheetConnector variant offers per the vendor's site as of 2026
- One plugin and one authorization cover 12 form builders instead of a separate connector per builder
- Real-time rows in a live Excel Online workbook via Microsoft Graph - not a CSV export
- Mirroring into Excel alongside Google Sheets is free with the core plugin
- Retry queue with 3 automatic attempts plus manual retry, backed by a delivery log
- utm_source through utm_term, gclid, fbclid, and msclkid captured automatically for attribution
- Hosted OAuth broker with refresh tokens encrypted at rest in your WordPress database
- Free core with no per-connector upsell ladder; premium features are $79/yr or a one-time $199-$499 lifetime license
Limitations
- Excel-only mode requires the AI Pack at $29/mo (or $290/yr), which includes Primary Destinations
- Newer product with a smaller install base than GSheetConnector's long-established plugin family
- WordPress only - no standalone or non-WordPress form sources
- If you genuinely only need CF7 to Google Sheets on one site, it is more plugin than the job requires
GSheetConnector
Strengths
- The long-standing incumbent for CF7-to-Google-Sheets with a large WordPress.org install base
- Free connector versions are available per form builder, so basic Sheets sync can cost nothing
- Years of production use and community familiarity
- Focused, lightweight scope - each connector does one builder-to-Sheets job
- If Google Sheets is all you need, the free variants may well be enough
Limitations
- No Excel Online destination in any variant, per the vendor's site as of 2026
- Sold as a separate plugin per form builder, so multi-builder sites accumulate installs, authorizations, and settings pages
- No dedicated retry queue documented - a failed delivery has no automatic second chance
- No UTM or click-ID attribution capture documented
- No delivery log documented for auditing what reached the spreadsheet
The Verdict
Choose GSheetConnector if…
Choose GSheetConnector if Google Sheets is genuinely all you need, you use a single form builder on a single site, and you want the most established free option for that one pipeline. It has earned its incumbent status for the CF7-to-Sheets job, and the free variants may be all a simple site ever requires.
Choose SheetLinkWP if…
Choose SheetLinkWP the moment Excel enters the picture - there is no GSheetConnector for Excel, and SheetLink delivers straight into a live Excel Online workbook via Microsoft Graph. It is also the better fit when you run more than one form builder (12 are covered by one install), when you cannot afford silently lost submissions (retry queue plus delivery log), or when marketing attribution matters (automatic utm_*, gclid, fbclid, msclkid capture). Mirroring into Excel alongside Google Sheets is free with the core plugin - see pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does GSheetConnector work with Excel?
No. Per the vendor's site as of 2026, every GSheetConnector variant targets Google Sheets - there is no Excel Online destination in any of its per-builder plugins. SheetLinkWP delivers to both Google Sheets and Excel Online from the same plugin.
Is SheetLinkWP's Excel delivery a CSV export?
No. SheetLink posts each submission to Microsoft Graph and it lands as a row in a live Excel Online workbook on OneDrive within seconds. The workbook opens in Excel desktop, web, and mobile - there is no file to download or import.
What does Excel delivery cost with SheetLinkWP?
Mirroring submissions into Excel Online alongside Google Sheets is included free with the core plugin. Using Excel as your sole destination requires the AI Pack at $29/mo or $290/yr, which includes Primary Destinations. There are no per-submission fees in either mode - see the pricing page.
I only need Contact Form 7 to Google Sheets. Should I still switch?
Not necessarily. If Google Sheets is all you need on one site with one builder, GSheetConnector's free CF7 variant may be enough. SheetLinkWP earns its keep when you add Excel, more form builders, retry handling, or attribution capture - for example on a CF7-to-Excel pipeline.
Do I need a separate SheetLink plugin per form builder?
No. One SheetLinkWP install covers all 12 core form builders - Contact Form 7, WPForms, Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms, Elementor Pro, Divi, and more - with a single authorization. GSheetConnector, per its site, is sold as a separate plugin per builder.
Do I need a Microsoft 365 account for the Excel destination?
Yes, and specifically a Microsoft 365 work or school account on a tenant with a SharePoint Online licence. Excel Online delivery writes to a workbook through Microsoft's Excel API, which only reaches files held on OneDrive for Business or SharePoint - personal Outlook.com accounts and consumer OneDrive are not supported, and that is a Microsoft platform limit rather than a SheetLink one. Sign-in is a standard OAuth flow through SheetLink's hosted broker, and your refresh token is stored encrypted in your own WordPress database.
Need Excel, not just Sheets?
One plugin, 12 form builders, Google Sheets and Excel Online - free core, with one-time lifetime licenses available.