Accounting · head to head
Medius vs Microsoft Excel
Medius
Accounting
Accounts payable automation and supplier payments for mid-market finance teams, Marlin Equity owned
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Microsoft Excel
Accounting
Spreadsheet software for data analysis and visualization
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Microsoft Excel has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Medius the sourcing, contract and procurement modules are considerably less developed than the AP core, so buying Medius as a full source-to-pay suite means accepting weak upstream tooling.; Microsoft Excel free tier limited to 5 GB cloud storage and web-only access
- They diverge on capability: Medius covers Invoice capture and coding, Microsoft Excel covers Advanced formulas.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Medius and Microsoft Excel actually diverge.
| Attribute | Medius | Microsoft Excel |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | quote | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Windows, Macos, Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | Unknown | 1975 |
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 Medius
- Invoice capture and coding
- Matching and exception handling
- Fraud and anomaly detection
- Supplier payments
- Approval workflow
- ERP integration
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.
Medius
- A mid-market finance team where most spend arrives as an invoice with no purchase order to match againstnot Microsoft Excel
- A group with several legal entities on different ERPs that wants one AP process across all of themnot Microsoft Excel
- Reducing invoice fraud exposure with automated detection of supplier bank detail changesnot Microsoft Excel
- Replacing a scanning bureau and a shared AP inbox with automated capture and exception-based reviewnot Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel
- Financial modelingnot Medius
- Data analysisnot Medius
- Budget planningnot Medius
- Reportingnot Medius
- Business intelligencenot Medius
- Statistical analysisnot Medius
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Medius
- The sourcing, contract and procurement modules are considerably less developed than the AP core, so buying Medius as a full source-to-pay suite means accepting weak upstream tooling.
- Pricing is quote-only and driven by invoice volume, so a business with many low-value invoices pays disproportionately relative to the spend being controlled.
- Payments are billed on transaction volume separately from the AP subscription, which is easy to omit from a cost comparison against a licence-only AP tool.
- Private equity ownership since 2017 has produced an acquisition-driven product line, so payments and adjacent capability come from bought-in technology rather than the original platform.
- ERP integration depth varies sharply by system, and organisations on less common or heavily customised ERPs face integration work that lengthens the implementation.
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
Medius
On request- Medius AP Automation$undefined/year
- Two packaged AP automation tiers
- Priced by invoice volume and entity count
- Sourcing, contracts and procurement modules sold separately
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 Medius if
- You need invoice capture and coding.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want matching and exception handling.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Medius or Microsoft Excel better?
- Neither clearly leads. Medius 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, Medius or Microsoft Excel?
- Microsoft Excel has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Medius and Free for Microsoft Excel.
- Does Medius or Microsoft Excel run on more platforms?
- Medius 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. Medius starts at On request.
- What is Medius best used for?
- Medius is most often used for a mid-market finance team where most spend arrives as an invoice with no purchase order to match against, a group with several legal entities on different erps that wants one ap process across all of them, reducing invoice fraud exposure with automated detection of supplier bank detail changes, replacing a scanning bureau and a shared ap inbox with automated capture and exception-based review. Of those, a mid-market finance team where most spend arrives as an invoice with no purchase order to match against and a group with several legal entities on different erps that wants one ap process across all of them are not what Microsoft Excel is typically brought in for.
- What can Medius do that Microsoft Excel cannot?
- Medius covers Invoice capture and coding, Matching and exception handling, Fraud and anomaly detection, Supplier payments. Microsoft Excel covers Advanced formulas, Pivot tables, Data visualization, Charts and graphs.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Medius: Is Medius a procurement suite or an AP tool?
Primarily an AP automation platform with procurement modules attached. If sourcing is your main requirement, look elsewhere.
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.
SourceMedius: Who owns Medius?
Marlin Equity Partners, which acquired it in 2017 and has funded several bolt-on acquisitions since.
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.
SourceMedius: How is it priced?
By quote, driven by invoice volume and entity count, with payments billed separately on transaction volume.
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.
SourceMedius: Does it replace our ERP?
No. It sits alongside the ERP and posts approved invoices into it.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Excel
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