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Microsoft Excel

Spreadsheet software for data analysis and visualization

As of 30 August 2026, Microsoft Excel has a free plan and paid plans start at $9.99/month. Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet application used for data analysis, financial modeling, and business intelligence. Softwr lists it under Accounting. Microsoft Excel is made by Microsoft Corporation, launched in 1975, available on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS.

Overview

What Microsoft Excel does

Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet application used for data analysis, financial modeling, and business intelligence. Part of Microsoft Office 365, it offers advanced formulas, pivot tables, and data visualization tools.

What people use it for

  • Financial modeling
  • Data analysis
  • Budget planning
  • Reporting
  • Business intelligence
  • Statistical analysis

The honest half

Where it falls short

Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about 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

Cross-shopped

What people choose instead of Microsoft Excel

Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.

Pricing

What Microsoft Excel costs

Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.

Microsoft Excel (Free)

Free

  • Excel for the web
  • Real-time collaboration
  • 5 GB cloud storage
  • Access on web, iOS, Android

Microsoft 365 Personal

$9.99 /mo

  • Desktop Excel app
  • 1 TB cloud storage
  • Single user on up to 5 devices
  • Copilot access
  • PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android compatibility

Microsoft 365 Family

$12.99 /mo

  • 1-6 users (AI features for subscription owner)
  • Up to 6 TB cloud storage (1 TB per person)
  • Each user up to 5 devices
  • Desktop and web apps

Microsoft 365 Premium

$19.99 /mo

  • 1-6 users
  • Extensive Copilot feature access
  • Exclusive advanced AI capabilities
  • Image creation and audio generation

Capabilities

Features

  • Advanced formulas

  • Pivot tables

  • Data visualization

  • Charts and graphs

  • Conditional formatting

  • Data analysis tools

  • Macro automation

  • Collaboration features

  • Microsoft 365

    Integration with Microsoft 365

  • Power BI

    Integration with Power BI

  • SharePoint

    Integration with SharePoint

  • OneDrive

    Integration with OneDrive

Answered, with sources

Questions people ask

Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.

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
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
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

Behind it

Who makes Microsoft Excel

Company
Microsoft Corporation
Based in
Redmond, WA
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Keep looking

Where to go from Microsoft Excel

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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Microsoft Excel, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.

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