---
title: "Microsoft Excel Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra"
description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about Microsoft Excel Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Spreadsheet products and more."
source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/"
page_type: "product"
language: "en"
---

# 

 Microsoft Excel Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons

Last updated on August 26, 2026

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team.

[Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Users](#users)[Pros and Cons](#pros-cons)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews)

Microsoft Excel

## What is Microsoft Excel?

Microsoft Excel is a productivity tool for creating spreadsheets, and for performing statistics and analysis. It features over 100 functions and more than 235 built-in formulas, 1D and 2D charting, pivot tables for cross-tabulation analysis, multiple worksheets, mail merge capabilities and macros. Use Excel to analyze data and reports in order to discover patterns, trends and gain new insights. With a robust set of tools, you'll be able to create, format and share spreadsheets without difficulty. This application comes with a multitude of slots for storage and types of storage, including audio files and word processors. It also has many different functions, which allow the user to do a large range of tasks.

## What is Microsoft Excel used for?

[Spreadsheet](https://www.capterra.com/spreadsheet-software/)[Productivity](https://www.capterra.com/productivity-software/)

Top alternative

Featured

Overall rating

Based on 19,514 user reviews

Reviews sentiment

Positive

98%

Neutral

2%

Negative

0%

Pros & cons

Robust data tracking tools

Comprehensive budgeting capabilities

Frequent bugs and reliability issues

High cost and subscription model

Starting price

$6

Per User, Per Month

Free trial  
not available

Includes Free Version

Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products...

Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings...

Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings...

Do you work for Microsoft Excel?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://www.microsoft.com/&name=Microsoft Excel)

## Compare with a popular alternative

Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status.

### Microsoft Excel

4.8 (19,514)

VS.

[4.6 (6,108)](https://www.capterra.com/p/147657/monday-com/reviews/)

Starting Price

$6

Per User, Per Month

Starting Price

$9

Per User, Per Month

Free Trial

Free Version

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

Ease Of Use

4.3 (19,427)

Ease Of Use

4.5 (14,851)

Value For Money

4.6 (13,071)

Value For Money

4.3 (12,263)

Customer Service

4.3 (11,350)

Customer Service

4.4 (11,427)

## Microsoft Excel alternatives

[4.4 (3,039)](https://www.capterra.com/p/76113/Wrike/reviews/)

Starting price

$10.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

89%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[4.2 (1,003)](https://www.capterra.com/p/113540/Bitrix24/reviews/)

Starting price

$69.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

82%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

Highest Rated

[Google Workspace](https://www.capterra.com/p/247901/Google-Workspace/)

[4.7 (17,695)](https://www.capterra.com/p/247901/Google-Workspace/reviews/)

Starting price

$7.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

96%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/247901/Google-Workspace/)

[Google Sheets](https://www.capterra.com/p/169718/Google-Sheets/)

[4.7 (13,217)](https://www.capterra.com/p/169718/Google-Sheets/reviews/)

Starting price

$6.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

96%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/169718/Google-Sheets/)

[View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/alternatives/)

## FAQs about Microsoft Excel

Overview

### What problems does Microsoft Excel solve?

Microsoft Excel solves scattered data, manual calculations, and slow reporting by giving teams one place to organize budgets, expenses, inventory, payroll, project trackers, and status dashboards. Finance staff, operations teams, administrators, educators, and sales managers use it to automate calculations, monitor trends, and turn exports into decision-ready reports.

Answer based on 5150 reviews

Overview

### Which roles and teams benefit most from Microsoft Excel?

Microsoft Excel benefits business owners, executives, and managers who track budgets, performance, and operational data. Accountants, analysts, and project managers use it for reporting, forecasting, and planning, while administrative staff, educators, students, and engineers rely on it to organize information, analyze datasets, and manage day-to-day workflows.

Answer based on 19385 reviews

Overview

### What company size and industries is Microsoft Excel built for?

Microsoft Excel is designed for businesses of all sizes, with most reviewers coming from small businesses at 61%, followed by enterprises at 23% and midsize companies at 15%. It is used most in Information Technology and Services and Education Management at 6% each, plus Computer Software at 5%, mainly for spreadsheet work.

Answer based on 19481 reviews

Features and Usability

### What are the key features of Microsoft Excel?

Microsoft Excel includes core spreadsheet features like formulas, calculations, and multi-sheet workbooks for data management and reporting. Reviewers also highlight charting, graphs, pivot tables, and search/filter tools for analysis. Differentiating features include customizable templates, what-if analysis, data import/export, and collaboration tools such as commenting and file sharing.

Answer based on 6810 reviews

Pricing

### How much does it cost and what fees or limitations are included?

Microsoft Excel starts at $6/user/month with the Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan, which includes web and mobile Office apps and auto-renews. A free version is available. Reviewers say the bundle can feel costly for teams or users who only need Excel, though many find the subscription cheaper than repeated upgrade purchases.

Answer based on 1534 reviews

Integrations

### Which third-party tools and platforms does Microsoft Excel integrate with?

Microsoft Excel integrates with Google Sheets, Google Drive, Google Docs, OneDrive, Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams. It also connects with Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint for document workflows, and the catalog shows over 90 integrations, including Asana, Airtable, Dropbox, Discord, and ClickUp.

Answer based on 2691 reviews

Getting Started and Support

### How easy is it to onboard and train a team on Microsoft Excel?

Microsoft Excel is fairly easy to onboard for teams handling basic spreadsheets, especially users with some spreadsheet familiarity. Video training and built-in help support quick self-teaching for everyday tasks. Nontechnical beginners often need more time, while advanced users and admins typically need added practice to master formulas, macros, and pivot tables.

Answer based on 4276 reviews

Getting Started and Support

### What customer support options does Microsoft Excel offer, and how do users rate the experience?

Microsoft Excel offers email/help desk, FAQ/forum, a knowledge base, and phone support. Users often say the help articles, forums, and wider community make answers easy to find, especially for formulas and advanced features. Support quality is mixed: some report quick, helpful resolutions, while others describe slow responses and difficulty reaching effective assistance.

Answer based on 213 reviews

Security

### How does Microsoft Excel handle data security and access control?

Microsoft Excel uses password protection for files, workbooks, sheets, and even separate open or edit passwords, plus sheet locking, editing restrictions, permissions-based editing, encryption, protected view, autosave, and OneDrive backup. Reviewers note limits: password recovery is unavailable, web versions miss some protections, and sensitive data can still be vulnerable without careful setup.

Answer based on 322 reviews

## Who uses Microsoft Excel?

Based on Capterra reviews from the past year

Talk to a software expert

to get a free software list  
tailored to your business needs

## Pros and Cons

Robust data tracking tools

97% positive reviews out of 840

Most reviewers indicate tracking in Excel enables monitoring of finances, projects, and trends across various needs.

Rachel T.

Accounts Administrator, 2 - 10 employees.

"Excel is a very handy tool for keeping track of finances in many ways. "

Frequent bugs and reliability issues

65% negative reviews out of 1394

Most reviewers describe bugs and issues in Excel, including crashes, unclear errors, and slowdowns with complex tasks.

Nicholas D.

Project Manager, 11 - 50 employees.

"Customer support, when needed, can also be very unhelpful. If there are bugs or issues that haven't been previously reported en masse, you might just not have a solution, and need to find a work-around, which may, or may not, be possible."

Comprehensive budgeting capabilities

97% positive reviews out of 816

Most reviewers describe budgeting in Excel as versatile, supporting personal, business, and project finances efficiently.

Anonymous User

Project Engineer, Team Lead, 51 - 200 employees.

"It is a very versatile software that I can use to balance budgets, manage rental payment dates, and conditionally format cells to show what I need"

High cost and subscription model

52% negative reviews out of 973

Some reviewers feel pricing is a drawback, citing expensive licenses, subscriptions, and less affordability than alternatives.

Versatile information organization

98% positive reviews out of 803

Most reviewers find organization in Excel invaluable for managing lists, schedules, and diverse data with ease.

Cassandra J.

Engineer, 2 - 10 employees.

"What I like most about Microsoft Excel is that it's so easy and convenient to organize information also I like how it's color identified"

Challenging file management for large data

62% negative reviews out of 898

Most reviewers report file management struggles with large datasets, frequent crashes, and limited real-time collaboration.

Melissa M.

Manager, 501 - 1,000 employees.

"it can crash in large formula design i have lost work previously when cells with large functions just stop working - if it gets to complex the file sizes get overwhelming, which can make multi workbook analysis problematic"

## Features

AI summary

Based on 7,022 Spreadsheet reviews

Capterra reviewers highlight these as the top features buyers look for in spreadsheet software:

-   **Access Controls/Permissions** (**46%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical)
-   **Data Import/Export** (**44%**)
-   **Document Management** (**43%**)

Microsoft Excel includes **Data Import/Export** and **Document Management**, making it easier to move data between systems and organize files for ongoing work. However, it does not offer **Access Controls/Permissions**. Instead, it provides other highly rated features such as **Search/Filter** (**41%**), **Data Visualization** (**41%**), and **Offline Access** (**43%**), helping businesses find information faster, present data clearly, and continue working without an internet connection.

Data Import/Export

4.7 (2,156)

63.78% of 2156 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Microsoft Excel offers flexible data import/export options, supporting formats like CSV, PDF, and integration with products such as Revit and databases. Users think it saves time, enables cross-platform work, and streamlines large dataset handling, though some want better performance with huge files.

Document Management

4.6 (1,673)

55.17% of 1673 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location

Search/Filter

4.6 (1,796)

61.19% of 1796 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

It helps you quickly find, filter, and organize information in large datasets. Reviewers indicate these tools save significant time, support detailed analysis, and make handling massive spreadsheets manageable, especially with advanced options like Power Query and pivot tables.

Data Visualization

4.6 (1,634)

59.06% of 1634 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Excel gives you a variety of ways to turn raw data into charts, graphs, and dashboards. Users think the visualization tools make complex data easy to interpret, customize, and present, supporting better analysis and communication with options like pivot tables and conditional formatting.

Offline Access

4.7 (3,272)

60.57% of 3272 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

With this capability, you can work on spreadsheets, analyze data, and save files without internet access. Reviewers appreciate being able to stay productive during outages or travel, and mention seamless syncing with OneDrive once reconnected.

Collaboration Tools

4.3 (2,939)

54.24% of 2939 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

With collaboration tools, you and your team can co-edit spreadsheets in real time using OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams. Some reviewers find these tools valuable for remote work, but note all collaborators need Microsoft 365 and syncing can lag compared to Google Sheets.

Microsoft Excel 25 features

### All Features
- API: Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases
- Charting: Manage patient documentation describing all clinical interactions, diagnoses, procedures, medications, etc.
- Collaboration Tools: With collaboration tools, you and your team can co-edit spreadsheets in real time using OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams. Some reviewers find these tools valuable for remote work, but note all collaborators need Microsoft 365 and syncing can lag compared to Google Sheets.
- Commenting/Notes: Leave comments and notes on documents for others to view
- Customizable Templates: Pre-designed layouts that can be customized to match preferences and requirements
- Data Import/Export: Microsoft Excel offers flexible data import/export options, supporting formats like CSV, PDF, and integration with products such as Revit and databases. Users think it saves time, enables cross-platform work, and streamlines large dataset handling, though some want better performance with huge files.
- Data Visualization: Excel gives you a variety of ways to turn raw data into charts, graphs, and dashboards. Users think the visualization tools make complex data easy to interpret, customize, and present, supporting better analysis and communication with options like pivot tables and conditional formatting.
- Document Management: Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location
- Drag & Drop: Assemble applications and processes by dragging over and arranging pre-built components
- File Sharing: Public or private sharing of digital files such as documents, audio/video, images, and more
- Multiple Projects: Ability to handle several projects simultaneously
- Notes Management: Allow users to create, edit, and sort multiple notes
- Office Suite: A collection of tools to be used for routine tasks within an organization such as word documents, spreadsheets, presentations, etc.
- Offline Access: With this capability, you can work on spreadsheets, analyze data, and save files without internet access. Reviewers appreciate being able to stay productive during outages or travel, and mention seamless syncing with OneDrive once reconnected.
- Productivity Tools: Tools to facilitate the production of information and promote efficiency
- Project Management: Plan and coordinate all the resources, costs and time needed to execute assignments
- Real-Time Data: Receive data and information in real time
- Real-Time Updates: Receive system updates as soon as any changes are made
- Search/Filter: It helps you quickly find, filter, and organize information in large datasets. Reviewers indicate these tools save significant time, support detailed analysis, and make handling massive spreadsheets manageable, especially with advanced options like Power Query and pivot tables.
- Task Management: Create, manage and track all task activities and progression
- Team Collaboration: Allow multiple team members to edit and work on the same document
- Templates: Sample files or documents that could be customized as needed or used as is
- To-Do List: A digital list of items that need to be completed
- Version Control: Track revisions and updates made to files and navigate between different versions
- What-if Analysis: Provides varying estimates based on different scenarios

---

Get Advice

We can help you find the software with the features you need.

Features

4.7 (19,418)

4.7

Based on 19,418 reviews

## Pricing

Value for money

4.6 (13071)

Free Version

[View pricing plan details](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/pricing/)

Microsoft 365 Business Basic

$6.00

Per User,Per Month

It includes:

-   File sharing
-   Collaboration

Microsoft 365 Apps for business

$8.25

Per User,Per Month

Microsoft 365 Business Standard

$12.50

Per User,Per Month

Microsoft 365 Business Premium

$22.00

Per User,Per Month

Value for money

4.6 (13,071)

4.6

Based on 13,071 reviews

## Integrations

[

Google Docs](https://www.capterra.com/p/160756/Google-Docs/)[

Google Drive](https://www.capterra.com/p/161425/Drive/)[

PayPal](https://www.capterra.com/p/207944/PayPal/)[

Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)[

Trello](https://www.capterra.com/p/211559/Trello/)[

Dropbox](https://www.capterra.com/p/143068/Dropbox-Business/)[

Microsoft PowerPoint](https://www.capterra.com/p/141633/PowerPoint/)[

Jira](https://www.capterra.com/p/19319/JIRA/)

Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation

Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs.

## Support, customer service and training options

Customer Service

4.3 (11350)

Support

-   Email/Help Desk
-   FAQs/Forum
-   Knowledge Base
-   Phone Support
-   24/7 (Live rep)
-   Chat

Training

-   In Person
-   Live Online
-   Webinars
-   Documentation
-   Videos

Deployment

-   Web
-   Android
-   iPhone/iPad

Typical users

-   Freelancers
-   Small businesses
-   Mid size businesses
-   Enterprises

Customer Service

4.3 (11,350)

4.3

Based on 11,350 reviews

## User reviews

Overall rating

4.8

Based on 19,514 reviews

Filter by rating

5(15543)

4(3594)

3(336)

2(30)

1(11)

Mentioned topic

Sorted by most recent

ML

Monica L.

Graduate Assistant

Education Management

### "Very easy and simple!"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

September 8, 2026

Overall, Excel is a really great tool that makes recording data easy. It also has great basic visualization tools that are simple and quick to use. It is also easy to personalize the data with different colors and fonts to make visualizing that much easier. The only flaw is that it can be difficult to understand the equations/functions and excel does not explain them very clearly so you have to use a second source.

Pros

What I like most about excel is that there is a built in function to create graphs from the data you enter. I also like how easy it is to add style/coloring/different fonts to the data.

Cons

What I like least about excel is that there is not a lot of help or clarity for using different functions. For example, I had to search in google for a long time to figure out which function/equation to use to count words.

Switched from

[Google Sheets](https://www.capterra.com/p/169718/Google-Sheets/)

My company provides access to Microsoft excel now.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

JT

Jeana T.

Executive Director

Mental Health Care

### "Excel helps me access financial information "

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

9/10

September 7, 2026

Pros

Microsoft Excel helps our accounting team easily share information with operations teams regarding financials.

Cons

There are some features that are hard for someone who is not an accountant to understand. I’m sometimes worried I will “break” something.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Nikitha Y.

AI Proposal Intern

Computer Software

### "Easy-to-use and flexible spreadsheet tool for data management"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

September 5, 2026

My overall experience with Microsoft Excel has been positive. The Ease of Use makes it practical for organizing and analyzing data, while the Templates and simple Navigation help make common tasks more efficient. Excel offers good Value for Money because of the range of spreadsheet, calculation, reporting, and data-management capabilities available. Mobile Device Compatibility is helpful for accessing files on different devices. Although there can occasionally be minor Bugs and Issues with larger or more complex workbooks, they have not significantly affected my overall experience.

Pros

Microsoft Excel is easy to use and provides good value for money for organizing, analyzing, and managing data. The Templates are useful for getting started quickly with common tasks, while the straightforward Navigation makes it easy to find tools and work with spreadsheets. Excel also provides a wide range of features for calculations, data organization, reporting, and day-to-day productivity. Mobile Device Compatibility is useful when I need to access or review spreadsheets away from my computer. Overall, Excel is a flexible and practical tool for both professional and academic work.

Cons

Large and complex spreadsheets can sometimes become difficult to manage, especially when there are many formulas, sheets, and data points. I have occasionally experienced minor Bugs and Issues, such as files taking longer to load or formulas requiring troubleshooting. Some advanced features can also take time to learn for new users. I have limited direct experience with Customer Support, so I cannot strongly evaluate that aspect.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

ZS

Zoe S.

Operations Specialist

Public Relations and Communications

### "Excel review"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

7/10

September 4, 2026

It helps me out a lot I like all the shortcuts. It helps me visualize and graph a lot of my day to day tasks needed at work.

Pros

It helps me save alot of time inputting information into my system for work and help make lists for me.

Cons

Sometimes it can get confusing or glitch when multiple tabs are open. Truly it comes down to more knowledge and being more organized on my part.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

MK

michael K.

Account Manager

Insurance

### "A Powerful Tool for Organizing and Comparing Information"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

September 3, 2026

Excel is flexible and allows us to create spreadsheets specifically for our workflow. The ability to sort, filter, calculate, and compare information makes it especially useful for reviewing insurance details.

Pros

Excel is extremely useful for organizing and analyzing insurance information. We use it to compare summary policies, review coverage and limits, organize client information, and keep track of various details. The formulas, sorting, filtering, and templates make it easy to work with large amounts of information and create customized spreadsheets.

Cons

Some of the more advanced features can have a learning curve. Large or complicated spreadsheets can also become difficult to navigate and maintain, especially when multiple formulas and tabs are involved.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Melissa R.

Creative designer

Arts and Crafts

### "Reliable and Comprehensive Tool for Data Organization and Workflow Tracking"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

3.0

3.0

Customer Service

4.0

4.0

Likelihood to Recommend

7/10

August 28, 2026

Excel remains an essential, reliable standalone platform for managing daily workflows, organizing data tables, and building structured tracking grids. It offers complete control over layouts and calculation formulas, making it highly effective for ongoing project planning and information management.

Pros

It is the most comprehensive tool for data organization, tracking metrics, and structured planning. The extensive formula library and layout options make it incredibly versatile for managing everything from simple logs to complex tracking systems.

Cons

The learning curve can be steep when trying to implement more advanced functions or automation features. It can also occasionally feel slow or lag when managing very large data files with extensive formatting.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

IS

Ibrahim S.

Senior Product Designer

Computer Software

### "Irreplaceable in my activities"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

August 27, 2026

After all these years of using it, Excel remains a reference for me, almost a reflex. It's not the most modern tool on the market, but its reliability and versatility make it a hard-to-replace pillar in an IT environment.

Pros

I've been using Excel almost daily since the beginning of my career in application development. The formulas are powerful, pivot tables save me a huge amount of time when analyzing large volumes of data, and VBA macros make it possible to automate quite a few repetitive tasks.

Cons

The main issue is how heavy it gets with very large volumes of data: beyond a few hundred thousand rows, performance drops noticeably.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

EL

Emma L.

Marketing Specliast

Consumer Services

### "Microsoft Excel Excels with Customer Support"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

August 27, 2026

My experience has been great using Microsoft Excel. I like the templates it has, and their usability.

Pros

Microsoft Excel does a great job of utilizing spreadsheets and makes it easy to gather information in one space. Not only that, the customer support has been helpful when needed.

Cons

I haven't had any issues recently with using Microsoft Excel. Their support staff has been helpful when anything comes up.

Switched from

[Google Sheets](https://www.capterra.com/p/169718/Google-Sheets/)

We've moved our platform to all Microsoft products.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

SS

Samantha S.

Controller

Real Estate

### "Value-Oriented: Essential Productivity Workhorse with Performance Quirks"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

3.0

3.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

August 25, 2026

Overall, Microsoft Excel remains an indispensable, industry-standard workhorse that delivers unmatched power and flexibility for managing, analyzing, and visualizing data. While the platform carries a steep learning curve and occasional performance hiccups when handling massive datasets, its massive library of functions, dynamic formatting options, and robust automation capabilities far outweigh these drawbacks. The sheer efficiency gained from turning complex numbers into clear, actionable business insights makes it a foundational tool for everyday productivity. Ultimately, despite minor collaboration limitations, Excel provides a remarkably dependable and versatile environment that continues to set the benchmark for modern spreadsheet software.

Pros

What I like most about Microsoft Excel is its unmatched versatility and power as a data management and analysis tool. Its extensive library of complex formulas, advanced functions, and customizable Pivot Tables makes transforming raw datasets into actionable business insights remarkably fast. The platform’s robust data visualization options—ranging from standard bar graphs to detailed dynamic charts—allow users to present critical information clearly and professionally. Additionally, the seamless integration with the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem and support for automated macros simplify complex cross-platform workflows, making it an indispensable asset for daily productivity across any industry.

Cons

What I like least about Microsoft Excel is its steep learning curve for advanced features, which can make mastering complex formulas, power queries, and VBA automation intimidating for average users. Additionally, performance can degrade significantly when working with massive datasets, often resulting in sluggish responsiveness, program freezes, or unexpected crashes. The software is also prone to silent user errors, where a single misplaced formula reference or hidden row can subtly corrupt critical calculations without immediate warning. Finally, real-time co-authoring and cloud collaboration still feel less fluid and reliable compared to native web-based alternatives like Google Sheets.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

DB

Damilola B.

Software Engineer

Information Technology and Services

### "Tabellen nur mit Excel"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

4.0

4.0

Likelihood to Recommend

9/10

August 20, 2026

Ich nutze Excel äußert vielseitig, muss aber auch eingestehen, dass ich nicht unbedingt der Excel Profi bin. Das verdeutlicht die unglaubliche Tiefe in Funktionen, Features und der extrem hohen Komplexität des Tools.

Pros

Ob grafische Darstellung, Formeln und komplizierte Funktionen - alles lässt sich mit Excel bearbeiten und erstellen.

Cons

Es dauert also mitunter sehr lange (bis zu mehrere Jahre), bis man sich auch nur annähernd sicher im Umgang mit Excel fühlt.

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