# Microsoft Excel Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra > With the help of Capterra, learn about Microsoft Excel Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Spreadsheet products and more. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel --- # Microsoft Excel Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on March 15, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. Independent research methodology Capterra’s researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology. 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[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-ensure-transparency/) [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[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 19,418 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 98% Neutral 2% Negative 0% Pros & cons Robust tracking and reporting features Versatile budgeting and planning Frequent crashes and error messages High cost and subscription model Starting price $6 Per User, Per Month Free trial not available 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=http://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 (19,418) VS. [4.6 (5,735)](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 (19,331) Ease Of Use 4.5 (14,664) Value For Money 4.6 (12,993) Value For Money 4.3 (12,100) Customer Service 4.3 (11,270) Customer Service 4.4 (11,261) ## Microsoft Excel alternatives [4.4 (2,908)](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 (986)](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 (17,508)](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 (13,180)](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/) ## 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 tracking and reporting features 97% positive reviews out of 832 Most reviewers find tracking in Excel invaluable for monitoring projects, finances, inventory, and trends with customizable spreadsheets and automated calculations. Laura E Owner, 1 employee. "Microsoft Excel is simple for recording all transactions and stock tracking" Frequent crashes and error messages 65% negative reviews out of 1375 Most reviewers indicate bugs and issues arise with heavy data, causing crashes, confusing errors, and difficulty troubleshooting or recovering lost work. Taoufiq E CEO, 2 - 10 employees. "Occasionally, it can be exceedingly challenging to spot those errors later." Versatile budgeting and planning 97% positive reviews out of 797 Most users report budgeting is simplified by Excel’s formulas, templates, and flexible structure for financial tracking, projections, and expense management. Adam S Accountant, 51 - 200 employees. "It allows us to create formulas and perform calculations across multiple cells, making it a valuable tool for financial analysis, budgeting, and forecasting." High cost and subscription model 53% negative reviews out of 947 Some reviewers feel pricing is a major drawback, mentioning expensive licenses, recurring fees, and limited affordability compared to free alternatives. Comprehensive information organization tool 98% positive reviews out of 786 Most reviewers describe organization as Excel’s strongest asset, enabling efficient sorting, categorization, and management of diverse data types for work and personal use. Rebeca C Front Desk Representative, 11 - 50 employees. "This is the best way to organize my work schedule or even my personal schedule." Performance issues with large files 62% negative reviews out of 882 Most users report file management is challenging, citing frequent crashes, slowdowns, and compatibility problems with large or complex spreadsheets. Melissa C 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 Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically. Offline Access 4.7 (3,230) 60.15% of 3230 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important With offline access, you can work on spreadsheets, analyze data, and prepare presentations anywhere, even without internet. Reviewers appreciate being able to edit, save, and sync files later, which boosts productivity, especially in areas with unreliable connectivity. Collaboration Tools 4.3 (2,937) 54.20% of 2937 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important With Excel’s collaboration tools, you can co-edit files, share via OneDrive, and integrate with Teams and SharePoint. Reviewers appreciate real-time updates, remote teamwork, and file sharing, though some mention smoother experiences with Google Sheets for live syncing. Data Import/Export 4.7 (2,091) 62.79% of 2091 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Excel gives you flexible ways to import and export data in many formats, including CSV, PDF, and JSON. Users think it saves time, integrates well with other software like Revit and MySQL, and makes handling large datasets and sharing results efficient. Search/Filter 4.6 (1,743) 60.18% of 1743 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important You can quickly find, filter, and sort data using Excel’s search and filter tools. Reviewers indicate these capabilities save time, simplify working with large datasets, and support advanced analysis, with options like autofilter, advanced filter, and Power Query. Data Visualization 4.6 (1,587) 57.84% of 1587 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Excel helps you turn raw data into charts, graphs, and dashboards for clear analysis and presentations. Some reviewers find the variety of customizable visuals—like pivot tables, pie charts, and conditional formatting—makes it easier to spot trends and communicate insights. Document Management 4.6 (1,650) 54.61% of 1650 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location Microsoft Excel 25 features Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases Manage patient documentation describing all clinical interactions, diagnoses, procedures, medications, etc. With Excel’s collaboration tools, you can co-edit files, share via OneDrive, and integrate with Teams and SharePoint. Reviewers appreciate real-time updates, remote teamwork, and file sharing, though some mention smoother experiences with Google Sheets for live syncing. Leave comments and notes on documents for others to view Pre-designed layouts that can be customized to match preferences and requirements Excel gives you flexible ways to import and export data in many formats, including CSV, PDF, and JSON. Users think it saves time, integrates well with other software like Revit and MySQL, and makes handling large datasets and sharing results efficient. Excel helps you turn raw data into charts, graphs, and dashboards for clear analysis and presentations. Some reviewers find the variety of customizable visuals—like pivot tables, pie charts, and conditional formatting—makes it easier to spot trends and communicate insights. Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location Assemble applications and processes by dragging over and arranging pre-built components Public or private sharing of digital files such as documents, audio/video, images, and more Ability to handle several projects simultaneously Allow users to create, edit, and sort multiple notes A collection of tools to be used for routine tasks within an organization such as word documents, spreadsheets, presentations, etc. With offline access, you can work on spreadsheets, analyze data, and prepare presentations anywhere, even without internet. Reviewers appreciate being able to edit, save, and sync files later, which boosts productivity, especially in areas with unreliable connectivity. Tools to facilitate the production of information and promote efficiency Plan and coordinate all the resources, costs and time needed to execute assignments Receive data and information in real time Receive system updates as soon as any changes are made You can quickly find, filter, and sort data using Excel’s search and filter tools. Reviewers indicate these capabilities save time, simplify working with large datasets, and support advanced analysis, with options like autofilter, advanced filter, and Power Query. Create, manage and track all task activities and progression Allow multiple team members to edit and work on the same document Sample files or documents that could be customized as needed or used as is A digital list of items that need to be completed Track revisions and updates made to files and navigate between different versions Provides varying estimates based on different scenarios Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 4.7 (19,322) 4.7 Based on 19,322 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.6 (12993) 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 (12,993) 4.6 Based on 12,993 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 Business](https://www.capterra.com/p/143068/Dropbox-Business/)[ Microsoft PowerPoint](https://www.capterra.com/p/141633/PowerPoint/)[ Mailchimp](https://www.capterra.com/p/110228/MailChimp/) 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 (11270) 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 (11,270) 4.3 Based on 11,270 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.8 Based on 19,418 reviews Filter by rating 5(15465) 4(3577) 3(335) 2(30) 1(11) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent SG Shea G. Counselor Health, Wellness and Fitness ### "Excellent product, maybe not the first choice for solo private practice." 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 4/10 April 20, 2026 My overall experience is that this is an excellent product but its high cost may make it a better fit for larger businesses than for smaller ones. Pros Microsoft Excel is an excellent option for making all sorts of spreadsheets, from tracking schedules to taxes to income to so much more. It is intuitive to use and the provided templates as also very helpful. Its mobile device compatibility is also notable. Excel is easy to navigate and their customer support is excellent. I've never experienced a bug or issue when using Excel in any context. Cons The upfront cost of using Microsoft Excel, atleast for myself as a counselor in solo private practice, didn't make sense for my business model when there are cheaper comparable options. 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. MG Milagros G. Content creator and Social Media Manager Health, Wellness and Fitness ### "A useful everyday tool over time" 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 April 19, 2026 I use Excel pretty often, and it’s honestly one of those programs that does way more than you expect. I like how you can go from simple lists to more detailed reports all in one place. It does take some time to learn the advanced stuff, but even the basics are super useful. Pros I really like excel, is a very versatile program that you can use from your computer or your cellphone or tablet/ipad. Is pretty easy to use, cheap and also you can have many templates with differents ideas like tracking your incomes/expenses, organize travel ideas, shopping list, class list and more Cons Can feel overwhelming at first, especially for beginners, but as soon as you get familiar with it you will use it for anything in your daily basic or profesional life. 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. JC Julie C. Aide Soignante Hospital & Health Care ### "Excel pour Organiser, Analyser et Interpreter les données " 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 April 19, 2026 Pros Pratique, simple, fournie l’essentiel et cache les fonctions plus avancer pour ceux qui en ont besoin. Mon utilisation d’excel est aujourd’hui tres simple: gestions de stock de produits, tableaux de flux de visites etcc… Cons Rien a dire ici, il est puissant, tout ceux qu’un gestionnaire cherche. Plein de titoreil disponible sur Youtube donc les fonctions avancer vous seront a porter de main. 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. AO Anne O. Senior Learning Designer and Developer Insurance ### "Excel - Excellent Product, Easy to Use" 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 April 17, 2026 It's a handy tool that helps me organize information. It makes professional looking graphs that can be customized for presentations. Pros It is pretty easy to use and very powerful. It can make life easy by doing calculations. It can sort easily and make graphs. Cons It can do so much - yet sometimes it takes some time to find the correct buttons to use or figure out the right way to get it to do what I want. 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. KR Karly R. Teacher Primary/Secondary Education ### "Significant Spreadsheet Software" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 April 16, 2026 Overall, I am ok with using Excel. It is not as easy to use as other data programs. I feel as if it is still stuck in the early 2000's. I would rather use Google Sheets as it seems more intuitive for my needs. Pros Microsoft Excel offers a lot of variety. It has multiple functions and ways of calculating data. I love that you are able to import from other Microsoft apps, such as mail merge. Cons Microsoft Excel is sometime overwhelming. I wish that it offered the ability to merge columns of data (such as first name with last name). I do wish it was cloud based to automatically save your work & have access anywhere. 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. AU Anonymous User Solution Specialists Information Technology and Services ### "Excel - Still my go too! " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 April 16, 2026 Overall, Excel will be what I always use as I know where everything is and I have used it for over 40 years. My experience has always been great. Now with copilot its even better and easier to use. . Pros What I like most of all is the advanced copilot that has been added. It has made my life so much easier creating al the Power Pivots etc so much faster. Cons The one thing that I still like is the transition from desktop to Cloud platform. It can be cumbersome. Also, I still have to close my excel spreadsheet before sending if on the desktop app and to attach to copilot requires me to upload to cloud. 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. Ann B. Public Information Supervisor Health, Wellness and Fitness ### "Great program, somewhat difficult to learn all the features. " 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 9/10 April 15, 2026 Microsoft products are reliable and consistent, Excel is no different. It is not my favorite program, but very functional for use with databases. Pros I love what you can do with formulas to keep track of all kinds of information. We use Excel for several databases. Cons As helpful as they are, it is still difficult for me to use formulas when setting up a document. I wish it were a little easier to achieve the results I'm looking for. 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. LJ Lyn J. Senior Manager Construction ### "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 10/10 April 15, 2026 Overall my experience with excel has been very positive, with a plethora of tools to be integrated. The use of power Bi is very effective and assists in data management. Pros My favourite features within excel is the ease of use and advanced formula allowing for better data analytics. Cons My least favourite part of excel is the lack of data refinement tools, where excessive data can slow the program significantly. 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. Nikolas H. Quality Engineer Medical Devices ### "Excellent and Reliable As Always!" 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 April 14, 2026 Overall, I love using Microsoft Excel. It has helped me and many others understand raw data and generate valuable conclusions. Pros Microsoft Excel allows me and my colleagues to filter through data and generate value insights into our workflows. Cons Editing a worksheet with multiple users can sometimes cause issues in formatting and create confusion. 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. Timothy S. Project Manager Construction ### "Excel still dominating the software generation" 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 April 13, 2026 overall my experience is good. in my day to day activities i'm able to pull data from other software into an excel document and manipulate the vast majority of data more easily than clicking multiple links in the software i'm drawing from. Pros Excel allows a user to easily manipulate data and data entry. Excel uses multiple routes to show and develop data so anybody can easily interpret the confusing world of numbers Cons fortunately there are not many things with excel i like least. however if i were to change anything it would be the access to the built in formulas in the software. maybe include some AI to assist a user in choosing the correct formula. 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. [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/reviews/) Popular comparisons [Google Workspace vs Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/compare/176574-247901/Excel-vs-Google-Workspace)[Google Sheets vs Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/compare/169718-176574/Google-Sheets-vs-Excel)[Microsoft 365 vs Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/compare/176574-227157/Excel-vs-Microsoft-365)[monday.com vs Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/compare/147657-176574/monday-com-vs-Excel) [Wrike vs Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/compare/76113-176574/Wrike-vs-Excel)[WPS Office vs Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/compare/126794-176574/WPS-Office-vs-Excel)[LibreOffice vs Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/compare/158981-176574/LibreOffice-vs-Excel)  Independent research methodology Capterra's researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/proprietary-data-research/) How Capterra verifies reviews Capterra carefully verified over 2.5 million+ reviews to bring you authentic software experiences from real users. Our human moderators verify that reviewers are real people and that reviews are authentic. They use leading tech to analyze text quality and to detect plagiarism and generative AI. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-verify-reviews/) How Capterra ensures transparency Capterra lists all providers across its website—not just those that pay us—so that users can make informed purchase decisions. Capterra is free for users. Software providers pay us for sponsored profiles to receive web traffic and sales opportunities. 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