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Accounting · head to head

Happay vs Microsoft Excel

Happay logo

Happay

Accounting

Indian travel, expense and corporate card platform, now owned by MakeMyTrip

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Excel logo

Microsoft Excel

Accounting

Spreadsheet software for data analysis and visualization

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Microsoft Excel has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Happay the platform has changed owner twice since 2021, from founders to CRED to MakeMyTrip, and each transition has meant leadership churn and roadmap reprioritisation.; Microsoft Excel free tier limited to 5 GB cloud storage and web-only access
  • They diverge on capability: Happay covers GST-aware capture, Microsoft Excel covers Advanced formulas.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Happay and Microsoft Excel actually diverge.

Attributes where Happay and Microsoft Excel differ
AttributeHappayMicrosoft Excel
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Macos, Web, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown1975

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Accounting).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Happay

  • GST-aware capture
  • Corporate cards
  • Self-booking travel
  • Cash advances
  • Approval matrix
  • Analytics

Only in Microsoft Excel

  • Advanced formulas
  • Pivot tables
  • Data visualization
  • Charts and graphs
  • Conditional formatting
  • Data analysis tools
  • Macro automation
  • Collaboration features

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Happay

  • An Indian enterprise needing GST input credit fields captured at the point of expense submissionnot Microsoft Excel
  • A company with field sales staff needing rupee prepaid cards with merchant category limitsnot Microsoft Excel
  • A finance team replacing a spreadsheet-and-email cash advance process with a tracked workflownot Microsoft Excel
  • An Indian group wanting travel booking and expense from one supplier with domestic content depthnot Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel

  • Financial modelingnot Happay
  • Data analysisnot Happay
  • Budget planningnot Happay
  • Reportingnot Happay
  • Business intelligencenot Happay
  • Statistical analysisnot Happay

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Happay

  • The platform has changed owner twice since 2021, from founders to CRED to MakeMyTrip, and each transition has meant leadership churn and roadmap reprioritisation.
  • It is now owned by an online travel agency, so the incentive is to grow travel bookings, and expense-only customers are not the strategic centre of the product.
  • Card issuance depends on partner bank relationships, so limits, approval times and product features are constrained by a bank the customer does not choose.
  • Coverage is overwhelmingly India-specific, which makes it unsuitable as a group-wide platform for companies with foreign subsidiaries.
  • Integration depth outside common Indian ERP and accounting systems is thin, and connecting a global SAP instance usually needs bespoke work.

Microsoft Excel

  • Free tier limited to 5 GB cloud storage and web-only access
  • Paid plans have per-user costs increasing significantly with more users
  • AI features like Copilot limited or unavailable on lower-tier plans

Pricing, plan by plan

Happay

On request
  • Happay$undefined/year
    • Quoted per-user or per-transaction subscription
    • Card programme terms set with the partner bank
    • Travel booking fees separate from expense subscription

Microsoft Excel

Free
  • Microsoft Excel (Free)Free
    • Excel for the web
    • Real-time collaboration
    • 5 GB cloud storage
  • Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99/month
    • Desktop Excel app
    • 1 TB cloud storage
    • Single user on up to 5 devices
  • Microsoft 365 Family$12.99/month
    • 1-6 users (AI features for subscription owner)
    • Up to 6 TB cloud storage (1 TB per person)
    • Each user up to 5 devices
  • Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99/month
    • 1-6 users
    • Extensive Copilot feature access
    • Exclusive advanced AI capabilities

Which should you pick?

Choose Happay if

  • You need gst-aware capture.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want corporate cards.
Happay review

Choose Microsoft Excel if

  • You need advanced formulas.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want pivot tables.
Microsoft Excel review

Questions people ask

Is Happay or Microsoft Excel better?
Neither clearly leads. Happay starts at On request and Microsoft Excel at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Happay or Microsoft Excel?
Microsoft Excel has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Happay and Free for Microsoft Excel.
Does Happay or Microsoft Excel run on more platforms?
Happay runs on Web, iOS, Android. Microsoft Excel runs on Windows, Macos, Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Microsoft Excel for free?
Yes. Microsoft Excel has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Happay starts at On request.
What is Happay best used for?
Happay is most often used for an indian enterprise needing gst input credit fields captured at the point of expense submission, a company with field sales staff needing rupee prepaid cards with merchant category limits, a finance team replacing a spreadsheet-and-email cash advance process with a tracked workflow, an indian group wanting travel booking and expense from one supplier with domestic content depth. Of those, an indian enterprise needing gst input credit fields captured at the point of expense submission and a company with field sales staff needing rupee prepaid cards with merchant category limits are not what Microsoft Excel is typically brought in for.
What can Happay do that Microsoft Excel cannot?
Happay covers GST-aware capture, Corporate cards, Self-booking travel, Cash advances. Microsoft Excel covers Advanced formulas, Pivot tables, Data visualization, Charts and graphs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Happay: Who owns Happay now?

MakeMyTrip. It agreed in November 2024 to acquire the expense management platform, brand and team from CRED, which had bought Happay in 2021.

Microsoft Excel: How much does Microsoft Excel cost?

Microsoft Excel is free as a web app with 5 GB storage. Paid options include Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99/month for desktop apps and 1 TB storage, Family at $12.99/month for 1-6 users with 6 TB total storage, and Premium at $19.99/month with extended Copilot access.

Source
Happay: Can it be used outside India?

It books international travel for Indian entities, but the expense and card sides are built for Indian tax and banking and do not serve foreign entities well.

Microsoft Excel: Is there a free version of Excel?

Yes, Excel for the web is free and includes sharing, real-time collaboration, and 5 GB cloud storage accessible on web, iOS, and Android without subscription.

Source
Happay: Does Happay issue its own cards?

It issues cards through partner banks rather than under its own banking licence, so card terms follow the partner.

Microsoft Excel: What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Family and Premium tiers?

Family tier at $12.99/month supports 1-6 users with 6 TB total storage and standard features. Premium tier at $19.99/month allows extensive Copilot feature access and exclusive advanced AI capabilities including image creation and audio generation.

Source
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