Microsoft Excel
Spreadsheets software
Administrative software
Basic office software
Excel AI tools
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
Take the quiz to check if Microsoft Excel and its alternatives fit your requirements.
$6.00 per user per month
Free TrialFree version
Small
Medium
Large
- Banking and insurance
- Manufacturing
- Professional services (engineering, legal, consulting, etc.)
What is Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application used to organize, calculate, analyze, and visualize data in tables, charts, and pivot-based reports. It is used by individuals and teams for financial modeling, reporting, list management, and ad hoc analysis across desktop, web, and mobile. Excel supports formulas, PivotTables, Power Query, and integration with other Microsoft 365 services, and it can be extended with VBA and Office Scripts. It also includes AI-assisted features in some Microsoft 365 plans, such as formula suggestions and natural-language analysis experiences.
Broad feature depth
Excel provides a large set of spreadsheet functions, charting options, PivotTables, and data modeling capabilities. It supports advanced workflows such as Power Query for data transformation and connections to many external data sources. This breadth makes it suitable for both simple administrative tracking and complex analytical models.
Strong ecosystem integration
Excel integrates tightly with Microsoft 365 services such as OneDrive and SharePoint for storage and sharing. It connects with Power BI and other Microsoft data tools for downstream reporting and governance workflows. Organizations that standardize on Microsoft identity and security controls can manage access through existing tenant policies.
Extensibility and automation options
Excel supports automation via VBA macros and newer approaches such as Office Scripts and Power Automate integrations. It also supports add-ins and connectors that extend functionality for specialized tasks. These options help teams standardize recurring reporting and reduce manual steps when processes are well-defined.
Collaboration can be inconsistent
Real-time coauthoring depends on file location (e.g., OneDrive/SharePoint) and workbook features in use. Workbooks with certain legacy elements (some macros, complex features, or older formats) can limit browser-based editing and coauthoring. Teams may need conventions and governance to avoid versioning conflicts and accidental overwrites.
Scalability and performance limits
Large workbooks with many formulas, volatile functions, or heavy PivotTables can become slow and difficult to maintain. While Excel supports large row counts, practical performance depends on hardware, model design, and data refresh patterns. For repeatable analytics at scale, teams often need complementary database or BI tooling.
Risk of fragile models
Spreadsheet logic can be hard to audit, especially when models rely on manual steps, hidden sheets, or complex nested formulas. Errors can propagate silently without strong controls such as testing, review, and change management. Macro-enabled files can also introduce security and compliance considerations in managed environments.
Plan & Pricing
Consumer plans (Microsoft 365 / Office)
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $9.99 per month (or $99.99/year) | Full desktop apps including Excel, 1 TB OneDrive, Microsoft Copilot features included, Try free for 1 month. |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $12.99 per month (or $129.99/year) | For up to 6 people (1 TB per person), desktop Excel for each user, Copilot features (AI usage limits apply; AI for subscription owner), Try free for 1 month. |
| Microsoft 365 Premium | $19.99 per month (or $199.99/year) | Includes everything in Family plus higher usage and access to select Copilot/Copilot-exclusive features and additional AI image usage. Try free for 1 month. |
| Office Home 2024 (one-time purchase) | One-time purchase (example price shown: $149.99–$179.99 USD on Microsoft Store product pages) | Classic desktop Excel (no subscription services like OneDrive 1 TB or Copilot). |
| Office Home & Business 2024 (one-time purchase) | $249.99 (one-time) | Classic desktop Excel plus Outlook (for business use), one device install. |
Business / Commercial plans
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $6.00 per user/month (paid yearly) | Web and mobile Office apps (Excel for the web), 1 TB OneDrive per user, collaboration tools; desktop Excel not included. |
| Microsoft 365 Apps for business | $8.25 per user/month (paid yearly) | Desktop Office apps including Excel (no Exchange email), install on up to 5 PCs/Macs/tablets/phones. |
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard | $12.50 per user/month (paid yearly) | Web, mobile, and desktop apps including Excel, business email, Teams, 1 TB OneDrive. |
| Microsoft 365 Business Premium | $22.00 per user/month (paid yearly) | Desktop Excel plus advanced security and device management, 1 TB OneDrive; includes AI experiences. |
Excel AI / Copilot options (AI tooling inside Excel)
Pricing model: Mix of subscription add-ons and fixed plans Examples (official Microsoft pages):
- Microsoft 365 Copilot (enterprise) — $30.00 per user/month (paid yearly) (requires qualifying Microsoft 365 license).
- Microsoft 365 Copilot Business — advertised starting from ~$18–21 per user/month (paid yearly) (requires qualifying Microsoft 365 commercial license).
- Copilot Studio / Copilot credits: Microsoft lists a Copilot Studio entry and a $200 plan (25,000 Copilot Credits/month) and other capacity packs for agent usage. Discounts / notes: Volume/enterprise licensing and bundling (e.g., Copilot add-ons, enterprise agreements) available via Microsoft sales.
Free tier & trials
- Excel for the web (Office for the web) is available for free with a Microsoft account (limited web-based feature set).
- Microsoft 365 consumer and some business plans show a "Try free for 1 month" (trial) option on Microsoft pages.
(Prices and product availability quoted only from Microsoft’s official product and support pages.)
Seller details
Microsoft Corporation
Redmond, Washington, United States
1975
Public
https://www.microsoft.com/
https://x.com/Microsoft
https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft/
