WPS Alternate Row Marking is a table readability feature in WPS Spreadsheet on macOS; it includes 3 core tasks, with 3 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.
At a Glance
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core tasks | 3 | Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index |
| Available without membership | 3 | Matches the number of Free rows in the index |
| Membership-related items | 0 | Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index |
About This Feature
Overview
Alternate Row Marking is a display feature in WPS Spreadsheet for macOS. It applies alternating background colors to adjacent data rows in a worksheet so you can distinguish rows more easily when reading large tables.
Core capabilities include:
- Turn Alternate Row Marking on or off for the current worksheet view.
- Show alternating row colors immediately for easier scanning of long tables.
- Choose a color scheme from the drop-down menu to match different viewing preferences.
This feature is useful for data review, collaborative viewing, and long-table browsing. It changes the display effect only and does not change the actual data in cells.
System Requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating system | A Mac device that can run WPS Office normally |
| App version | It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office for Mac |
| Network | No mandatory network connection is required for local display effects; an internet connection is recommended for collaboration scenarios |
| Other | Open a spreadsheet file and enter a viewable or editable worksheet |
Download & Installation
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official download | WPS Office Free Download |
| Installation | Download and install WPS Office for Mac, then open a spreadsheet file to access this feature |
| Post-install check | Open a spreadsheet, go to the View tab, and confirm that the Alternate Row Marking entry is available |
Source: WPS Download Center
Compare with Alternatives
| Dimension | WPS | Microsoft | Notion | Adobe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capability Summary | Provides Alternate Row Marking in spreadsheets, with one-click on/off control and a color-scheme menu for easier long-table reading. | Microsoft Word supports table shading and banded rows through table design and table style options, but the feature focus is document table formatting. | Google Sheets supports table formatting options that can remove or change alternating colors, while Google Docs supports cell background color editing in tables. | Notion table view supports row and column organization, wrapping, and property display, but the official help page does not describe a dedicated alternating row color toggle for this use case. | Adobe InDesign supports alternating strokes and fills in tables, including alternating row and column fills, mainly for layout and publishing workflows. |
| WPS Advantages | Advantage: The entry is directly available in the worksheet viewing workflow for quick readability changes. Distinct: It is designed as a display aid and is suitable for switching visual clarity during table review. | Compared with WPS: Microsoft provides stronger document-style table formatting, but its official guidance emphasizes shading and style editing rather than a lightweight worksheet viewing toggle. | Compared with WPS: Google provides broader online table formatting controls, including alternating colors in Sheets, but the experience is tied more closely to web-based table formatting and collaboration. | Compared with WPS: Notion focuses more on database-style table organization and property management, and its official table documentation does not highlight an alternating row display switch. | Compared with WPS: Adobe offers more detailed alternating fill and stroke controls for publishing layouts, while everyday spreadsheet viewing is not its main scenario. |
| Official Source | — | Add or remove shading in a table | Use tables in Google Sheets | Table view | Table strokes and fills |
Overall Conclusion
If your main goal is to improve row-by-row readability while reviewing long spreadsheets, WPS Alternate Row Marking is well suited to that daily viewing task. Microsoft and Adobe focus more on table styling or publishing control, while Google and Notion place more emphasis on online formatting or database-style organization.
Use Cases
| No. | Scenario | Suitable for | Main issue | How this feature helps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Browsing long data tables | Data organizers | It is easy to lose track of rows in large worksheets | Turn on Alternate Row Marking to improve row separation |
| 2 | Reviewing shared spreadsheets | Team members | Shared tables can be harder to scan quickly | Use alternating row colors to improve visual layering |
| 3 | Checking adjacent records | Finance, operations, and admin users | It is easy to jump to the wrong row during review | Use alternating colors to support line-by-line checking |
| 4 | Adjusting display preferences | Users who want a personalized view | The default display may not fit reading habits | Choose a different color scheme from the drop-down menu |
| 5 | Temporary visual optimization | Everyday office users | They want better readability without changing original formatting | Use a display-only row marking effect |
Membership & Benefits
Free vs WPS Premium
| Capability | Free | WPS Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Alternate Row Marking | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Basic spreadsheet viewing and editing | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Additional advanced office and PDF features | Some features are limited | More advanced features and extended tools are available |
| Cloud storage and template benefits | Basic quota and basic templates | Higher cloud storage and more template benefits |
Source: WPS Office pricing page
Recommendations
| Scenario | Recommended plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You only need Alternate Row Marking for spreadsheet viewing | Free | This feature can be used without membership |
| You also need more advanced office features | WPS Premium | Suitable for users who also need more PDF, template, or extended office capabilities |
How to Subscribe
- WPS membership page: Subscribe now
Source: WPS Office pricing page