Spreadsheets · head to head
Equals vs SAS
Equals
Spreadsheets
A real spreadsheet with SQL result sets landing in its cells, now sold only on annual contracts starting at 24,000 USD
- From
- $24000/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only SAS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Equals the price list now starts at 24,000 USD a year with no monthly billing and no self-serve signup, having offered a free plan in 2023 and 39 USD per seat in 2024, so any team that evaluated it previously is looking at a different product commercially.; SAS sAS publishes no rate, no minimum and no named cost driver; the how to buy page offers only a customized price quote based on your requirements and deployment preferences
- They diverge on capability: Equals covers Connected sheets, SAS covers Statistical analysis.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Equals and SAS actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Equals
- Connected sheets
- Real spreadsheet mechanics
- Cell references into SQL
- Equals Warehouse
- Views
- Writeback
Only in SAS
- Statistical analysis
- Machine learning
- Forecasting
- Text analytics
- Optimization
- Python
- R
- Hadoop
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Equals
- A revenue operations team that wants software metrics computed in a spreadsheet rather than defined in a BI semantic layernot SAS
- Analysts who need a SQL result and manual assumptions in the same file, with the assumptions visible as cellsnot SAS
- Joining Stripe, Salesforce and a production database without building a warehouse and pipeline firstnot SAS
- Distributing a recurring numbers pack to Slack, email or a wall display without rebuilding it as a dashboardnot SAS
SAS
- Regulated statistical analysis and clinical reportingnot Equals
- Enterprise data management, visualization and decisioning on one licensed platformnot Equals
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Equals
- The price list now starts at 24,000 USD a year with no monthly billing and no self-serve signup, having offered a free plan in 2023 and 39 USD per seat in 2024, so any team that evaluated it previously is looking at a different product commercially.
- Your data is copied out of your infrastructure by design, into a Snowflake warehouse that Equals operates, with Fivetran holding non-SQL source data in transit, and no self-hosted or bring-your-own-warehouse option is documented.
- The financial function category contains only IRR, NPV and PMT, with no XIRR, XNPV, FV, PV, RATE or NPER, and there is no LAMBDA, LET, OFFSET or INDIRECT, so a substantial class of existing spreadsheet models cannot be ported without rework.
- No documentation of importing or exporting Excel files exists anywhere in the docs index; the supported file sources are CSV and Google Sheets and the only documented export is dashboards as PDF, which is a notable gap for a product positioning itself as a successor to Excel.
- Data freshness is a pricing lever rather than a setting, at six hours on Essential, one hour on Business and fifteen minutes on Enterprise, and the feature that removes row limits is itself gated above the entry tier, so the Essential row ceiling is neither published nor unlimited.
SAS
- SAS publishes no rate, no minimum and no named cost driver; the how to buy page offers only a customized price quote based on your requirements and deployment preferences
- Most new and existing customers are routed through authorized resellers rather than buying direct
- Cloud marketplace purchases require choosing between pay as you go and bring your own licence, each with different licensing terms
Pricing, plan by plan
Equals
$24000/year- Essential$24000/year
- Unlimited viewers and unlimited editors
- 3 connectors
- Data sync every 6 hours
- Business$36000/year
- Unlimited viewers and unlimited editors
- 5 connectors or a warehouse connection
- Data sync every hour
- Enterprise$60000/year
- Unlimited viewers and unlimited editors
- Unlimited connectors or a warehouse connection
- Data sync every 15 minutes
- Connector add-ons$199/month
- 199 USD per month for each additional database or import script connector
- 699 USD per month for each additional connector of any other type
- Available on Business and Enterprise
SAS
Free- SAS OnDemand for AcademicsFree
- Academic use
- Core SAS
- SAS ViyaFree
- Full platform
- Cloud-native
- AI/ML
Which should you pick?
Choose Equals if
- You need connected sheets.
- You work on Web, API.
- You also want real spreadsheet mechanics.
Choose SAS if
- You need statistical analysis.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Web.
- You also want machine learning.
Questions people ask
- Is Equals or SAS better?
- Neither clearly leads. Equals starts at $24000/year and SAS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Equals or SAS?
- SAS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $24000/year for Equals and Free for SAS.
- Does Equals or SAS run on more platforms?
- Equals runs on Web, API. SAS runs on Linux, Windows, Web.
- Can I use SAS for free?
- Yes. SAS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Equals starts at $24000/year.
- What is Equals best used for?
- Equals is most often used for a revenue operations team that wants software metrics computed in a spreadsheet rather than defined in a bi semantic layer, analysts who need a sql result and manual assumptions in the same file, with the assumptions visible as cells, joining stripe, salesforce and a production database without building a warehouse and pipeline first, distributing a recurring numbers pack to slack, email or a wall display without rebuilding it as a dashboard. Of those, a revenue operations team that wants software metrics computed in a spreadsheet rather than defined in a bi semantic layer and analysts who need a sql result and manual assumptions in the same file, with the assumptions visible as cells are not what SAS is typically brought in for.
- What can Equals do that SAS cannot?
- Equals covers Connected sheets, Real spreadsheet mechanics, Cell references into SQL, Equals Warehouse. SAS covers Statistical analysis, Machine learning, Forecasting, Text analytics.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Equals: Is it a real spreadsheet or a modelling tool with a grid?
A real spreadsheet. A1 references, absolute reference locking, pivot tables and spilling array formulas all work, and SQL results land in ranges that ordinary cells reference.
SAS: Does SAS offer a free trial?
Yes, SAS offers a free trial through a private trial environment for SAS Viya. Interested customers can request access by submitting a trial form on their website.
SourceEquals: What does it actually cost?
24,000 USD a year for Essential, 36,000 for Business and 60,000 for Enterprise, billed annually. There is no monthly option and no self-serve signup; the trial is negotiated per customer.
SAS: How does SAS price its software?
SAS does not publish standard pricing on its website. Instead, it uses a custom enterprise sales model where customers can choose between paying as-you-go or purchasing SAS Viya Enterprise. Specific pricing must be requested directly from their sales team.
SourceEquals: Are seats charged?
No. Viewers and editors are unlimited on every plan. The meters are connector count, refresh frequency and AI spend, with additional connectors at 199 or 699 USD a month.
SAS: What are my pricing options?
SAS offers flexible purchasing models including pay-as-you-go and enterprise licensing options. The company states they can help you find the environment that fits your needs, but specific terms must be discussed with sales.
SourceEquals: Does my data stay in my own warehouse?
No. Connecting more than one source syncs data into a Snowflake warehouse that Equals runs, and non-SQL sources pass through Fivetran. There is no documented self-hosted option.
SAS: How do I get a pricing quote?
You can request pricing through their website by using the quote request form, requesting a customized demo, or contacting their sales team directly.
SourceRelated pages
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