WPS Alternate Row Marking on Windows: Introduction

WPS Alternate Row Marking is a visual aid for spreadsheets on Windows; this guide covers 4 core tasks, with 4 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	4	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	4	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	All listed tasks are available directly
Version limit	No specific version limit	No version gate is stated for this feature

About This Feature

Overview

Alternate Row Marking is a built-in visual feature in WPS Office for Windows spreadsheets. It applies alternating background colors to adjacent data rows so wide or long tables are easier to scan.

Core tasks include:

Turn Alternate Row Marking on for the current worksheet.
Turn Alternate Row Marking off when you want a standard view again.
Choose a custom color scheme from the drop-down menu.
Switch to table styles when you need banded rows in printed output.

This feature is useful for data lists, reports, schedules, and inventory sheets where users need to follow one row across multiple columns. It changes the on-screen display of the current worksheet and does not change the actual cell data.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A Windows device that can run WPS Office
App version	The latest version of WPS Office is recommended
Network	No mandatory network connection is required for this local display feature
Other	Open a spreadsheet file before using the feature

Download & Installation

Before you use Alternate Row Marking, install WPS Office on your Windows device and open a spreadsheet file in editing view.

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Post-install check	Launch WPS Office, open a spreadsheet, and check whether the Alternate Row Marking entry is available on the View tab

Source: WPS download page

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	WPS provides an Alternate Row Marking switch on the View tab. You can turn it on or off quickly and use the drop-down menu to choose a custom color scheme for on-screen reading.	Excel supports alternate row shading through conditional formatting formulas or table styles with banded rows.	Google Sheets tables can apply basic formatting automatically, and the table formatting panel lets users remove or change alternating colours.	Notion databases support properties and table-style organization, but the official help page does not describe a native spreadsheet-style alternate row banding switch.	Adobe Acrobat official content discusses improving spreadsheet readability with alternating colors, but this depends on spreadsheet workflows such as Excel rather than a native spreadsheet editor in Acrobat.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: the entry is directly available on the View tab for quick display changes. Distinct: the drop-down menu lets you switch color schemes during review without rebuilding table formatting.	Compared with WPS: Excel focuses more on formatting workflows such as conditional formatting or table styles instead of a dedicated view toggle for this display effect.	Compared with WPS: Google Sheets uses table formatting controls for alternating colours and is oriented more toward web-based table workflows.	Compared with WPS: Notion is centered on database organization, and the official page does not show a matching display toggle for alternate row marking in a spreadsheet grid.	Compared with WPS: Adobe is more suitable for PDF and output workflows and does not provide a matching native spreadsheet display toggle for alternate row marking.
Official Source	—	Apply shading to alternate rows or columns in Excel	Use tables in Google Sheets	Database properties in Notion	Make a spreadsheet look professional

Overall Conclusion
WPS Alternate Row Marking is well suited to quick row-by-row reading on Windows because the control is easy to find and fast to switch. When you need the banded effect to stay in printed or exported output, use formal table styling instead of relying only on the display aid.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable for	Main issue	How it helps
1	Reviewing long data lists	Admin, finance, and operations users	It is easy to lose track of the current row across many columns	Turn on Alternate Row Marking to improve row separation
2	Checking schedules or class tables	Teachers, coordinators, and planners	Dense row layouts are harder to follow quickly	Use alternating row colors to locate records faster
3	Presenting temporary data views	Team members and presenters	Plain tables can look flat during screen sharing	Choose a color scheme that improves visual structure
4	Preparing for print review	Users who need final output	Screen reading needs and print formatting needs are different	Review with Alternate Row Marking first, then switch to table styles for output

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Capability	Free users	WPS Premium
Turn Alternate Row Marking on or off	✅ Available	✅ Available
Choose a color scheme	✅ Available	✅ Available
Standard spreadsheet viewing and editing	✅ Available	✅ Available
Other advanced office benefits	Depends on the current account benefits	More benefits may be available depending on the subscription plan

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Scenario	Recommended plan	Why
Everyday spreadsheet review and light data cleanup	Free	Alternate Row Marking itself is available directly
Users who also need broader office benefits	WPS Premium	Suitable when you want additional office features and services beyond this display tool

WPS membership center: Subscribe now