What are the limits of spreadsheets?

• A. They have a limit on how much data they can handle
• B. They can handle unlimited data
• C. They require coding knowledge
• D. They can't perform calculations

Answer: (A)

Spreadsheets have practical size limits. Each tool defines a maximum number of rows and columns per sheet and a limit on the overall workbook size, so you can’t store arbitrarily large datasets in them. When you push toward those ceilings, performance drops—formulas recalculation slows, navigating and filtering becomes laggy, and saving or sharing the file can become unreliable. Because of these fixed ceilings, spreadsheets aren’t ideal for big data; databases are designed to handle much larger datasets efficiently and safely.

So the best answer is that they have a limit on how much data they can handle. It’s not that they can’t do calculations or that you must write code to use them—many everyday tasks rely on built‑in formulas and require no coding. It’s also not accurate to say they can handle unlimited data.