Microsoft Excel

By Microsoft

4.7/5(3,189)
4.7 out of 5 stars

How would you rate your experience with Microsoft Excel?

Microsoft Excel Pros and Cons: Top 5 Advantages and Disadvantages

Quick AI Summary Based on G2 Reviews

Generated from real user reviews

Users find Microsoft Excel to have an easy-to-use interface, making data management and manipulation efficient and straightforward. (134 mentions)
Users value Excel's flexibility in data analysis, enabling powerful insights through advanced functions and easy data manipulation. (89 mentions)
Users appreciate the flexibility and powerful formulas of Microsoft Excel, enabling efficient data analysis and task automation. (76 mentions)
Users value the data manipulation capabilities of Microsoft Excel, enhancing organization and analysis for various tasks. (52 mentions)
Users appreciate the versatile features of Microsoft Excel, finding it intuitive for data analysis and reporting tasks. (38 mentions)
Users find that Excel's formula complexity can make it confusing and challenging, especially with large datasets. (47 mentions)
Users struggle with a steep learning curve, often needing videos to navigate features and understand formula errors. (46 mentions)
Users often experience slow performance in Excel with large datasets, leading to frustration and potential data loss. (43 mentions)
Users find collaboration limited in Excel, often facing version conflicts and difficulties when sharing workbooks with others. (25 mentions)
Users experience slow processing with large datasets or complex formulas, impacting performance and stability significantly. (23 mentions)

5 Pros or Advantages of Microsoft Excel

5 Cons or Disadvantages of Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel Reviews (3,189)

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Microsoft Excel Reviews (3,189)

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4.7
3,189 reviews
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Adeo T.
AT
Adeo T.
Freelance Production Data Analyst
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Excel’s AI Tools Make Building Dashboards Fast and Easy"
5/5
What do you like best about Microsoft Excel?

Excel can handle more than 2 million rows. With its AI tools, it’s easy and quick to build a dashboard from Excel files. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Excel?

The files are heavy, and they take a long time to process when I work with formulas or Power Query. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Abby P.
AP
Abby P.
Sales Operations Manager
Information Technology and Services
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Excel Keeps Getting Better for Pricing, ROI Calculators, and Weekly Reporting"
4.5/5
What do you like best about Microsoft Excel?

Excel is super helpful in my day to day work duties. I've been using it for many years, and it's only gotten better and better. I use it for pricing, ROI calculators, and weekly reporting. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Excel?

Sometimes when I try to add photos to the sheet it doesn't look right and it's hard to make it work Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

DT
Divyarani T.
Sr. Payroll Excutive
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Best for managing data"
5/5
What do you like best about Microsoft Excel?

Reviewing variances with using excel feature, pulling the data from PDF in excel format, quick auto analyzing with numbers Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Excel?

nothing other than while copy pasting it takes actually values so we need to pay special additionally. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Ramatharakareddy T.
RT
Ramatharakareddy T.
Business Analyst - AI Automation Manager
Information Technology and Services
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Must need skill for every individual in the industry!"
5/5
What do you like best about Microsoft Excel?

Microsoft Excel is very useful tool to use by any individual to maintain the data for better understanding or to keep a track of our daya to day task and work for track. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Excel?

Not much, but Microsoft Excel makes macros a bit easier to learn and to write for a beginner. Couldn't have included more advanced chart options for better visualization. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Computer Software
UC
Verified User in Computer Software
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Excel as a Developer's Bridge Between Data and Business"
5/5
What do you like best about Microsoft Excel?

What I love most about Microsoft Excel is how seamlessly it fits into my day-to-day workflow as a software developer. PivotTables and Power Query let me summarize and transform SQL Server data in seconds without writing extra code, and that alone saves me hours every week.

Excel also really shines because of its integration ecosystem. The Claude add-in has been a game-changer for me: I can ask Claude to generate complex formulas, explain patterns in my data, or help me structure spreadsheets using natural language, all without leaving Excel. Tasks that used to require a lot of trial and error now take only seconds.

From a performance standpoint, Excel handles large datasets reliably, and the ribbon UI keeps features easy to find and use.

Overall, Excel is the tool that helps me move faster and get more done. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Excel?

The biggest pain point for me is performance with large datasets. Once files pass a certain size—especially when there are multiple formulas referencing external data—recalculation times become frustrating, and crashes aren’t uncommon. For heavier data work, this ends up pushing users toward proper database tools, even in cases where Excel could handle the job better.

Version control is also nearly nonexistent. Coming from a development background, the lack of native Git integration or any meaningful change tracking is a constant source of frustration. Cloud co-authoring has improved, but conflict resolution still feels rough when multiple people edit at the same time, especially compared to more modern collaboration tools.

The AI/Copilot experience is inconsistent as well. While the Claude add-in fills this gap beautifully, the native Copilot feature often misunderstands context or generates incorrect formulas—and it requires a separate, higher-tier Microsoft 365 subscription, which hurts the ROI proposition.

Onboarding for advanced features is steep. Power Query, Power Pivot, and array formulas are incredibly useful, but they’re not well explained for the average user. Microsoft’s official support resources often feel outdated or overly generic, which makes it harder than it should be to learn these capabilities.

Finally, pricing transparency could be better. It’s not always clear which features require which license tier, and realizing a feature you need is locked behind an upgrade creates a poor user experience. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

VY
Vishal Y.
Software Quality Engineer
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Microsoft Excel: Powerful Data Analysis and Seamless Microsoft 365 Collaboration"
5/5
What do you like best about Microsoft Excel?

I use Microsoft Excel daily in my professional role for data analysis, reporting, and managing structured information within my organization. Excel is extremely powerful for working with large datasets, creating pivot tables, applying complex formulas, and generating charts that support decision-making.

Its flexibility allows it to be used for everything from simple tracking to advanced analytical tasks. Integration with Microsoft 365 tools like Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint makes collaboration efficient and reliable in a professional work environment. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Excel?

While Microsoft Excel is a very powerful tool, performance can sometimes be affected when working with extremely large files or complex formulas. Managing collaboration with multiple users can also be challenging if files are not properly controlled, even with cloud-based versions.

Additionally, advanced features such as Power Query, macros, and complex formulas have a learning curve, which may require additional training for users in a professional environment. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

SD
Susheel Kumar D.
Account and Finance
Consumer Goods
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Powerful Tool for Data Analysis and Reporting"
5/5
What do you like best about Microsoft Excel?

What I like most about Excel is its powerful capabilities for data analysis, reporting, and automation. Features like pivot tables, formulas, conditional formatting, and charts make it easy to analyze large datasets quickly. As an Analyst, I can create financial and operational reports, visualize data trends, and automate repetitive calculations, which saves a lot of time. Integration with other Microsoft 365 tools like Teams and Power BI enhances collaboration and workflow efficiency.. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Excel?

Excel can sometimes be slow with very large datasets, and advanced formulas have a steep learning curve for new users. Collaboration in shared workbooks can occasionally cause version conflicts. Certain features, like macros, require careful handling to avoid errors. The interface also feels cluttered at times due to the number of available tools and options. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Anubhav K.
AK
Anubhav K.
Technology Analyst
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Experience of working with Microsoft Excel"
5/5
What do you like best about Microsoft Excel?

What I appreciate most about Microsoft Excel is its remarkable versatility and robust data analysis features. Excel enables users to handle a wide range of tasks, from basic data entry and calculations to more advanced activities like financial modeling, data visualization, and automation through the use of formulas, PivotTables, and macros. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Excel?

One aspect I find frustrating about Microsoft Excel is how challenging it can be to manage and maintain when dealing with large or complex datasets. For example, performance can suffer significantly—Excel may slow down or even crash when processing very large files or intricate data models. Additionally, although Excel Online and OneDrive have improved things, real-time collaboration still isn't as smooth or intuitive as what you get with tools like Google Sheets. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Sree K.
SK
Sree K.
Software Development Engineer in Test III
Computer Software
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Excel Feels Like Home: Powerful Desktop Modeling + Smooth SharePoint Collaboration"
5/5
What do you like best about Microsoft Excel?

What I like most about Excel (windows app and web) is that it meets me where I am. On my laptop, the desktop app is fast and familiar: I can build a model, crunch through lots of rows, and drop in pivot tables, charts, and advanced formulas without having to think too hard. It handles the heavy lifting—big files and more complex work—plus macros and add-ins when I need them. I can also clean data with Power Query and get it into shape quickly. Day to day, it just feels like home: open, type, calculate, done.

The web app inside SharePoint really shines for teamwork. We share the same sheet across the team, and everyone can jump in. Co-authoring is smooth, and autosave plus version history keep us safe when someone edits the wrong cell. Comments and @mentions make reviews easy, and permissions stay in place so the right people see the right tabs. It’s lighter, yes, but for status trackers, lists, and simple analysis it’s perfect—no local files to pass around and no “final_final_v3.xlsx” drama.

Setup and integration are straightforward. I sign into Microsoft 365 and both apps pick up my files from OneDrive/SharePoint; links and permissions carry over, and I can drop a table into Teams or a deck without jumping through hoops. Search and filters in the web app help me find the document quickly, and on desktop I rely on named ranges, dynamic arrays, and XLOOKUP to keep formulas clean. I use Excel basically every workday on Windows, and a few times a week in the browser with the team. Support-wise, the help pages and community answers usually get me unstuck, and recent updates have added useful features without breaking my muscle memory too much. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Excel?

What I dislike about Excel mostly comes down to edge cases. The web app can feel limited with larger models: heavy formulas and more complex chart formatting don’t always behave as expected, and macros are a no-go there, so I end up bouncing back to the desktop version. Sometimes co-authoring also gets into a weird state—someone’s edit won’t show up until a refresh or reopen, or a sheet lock lingers longer than it should—and that slows us down a bit. On Windows, very large files or too many volatile calculations can make a workbook feel sluggish, and I’ll have to save, close, and reopen it to clear things up. None of this is a dealbreaker, but it’s the kind of small friction I notice most when deadlines are tight. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Nate  W.
NW
Nate W.
Chief People Officer
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Excel helpful with KPIs"
4.5/5
What do you like best about Microsoft Excel?

I like being able to analyze data and run pivot tables Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Excel?

Having to manually clean up data using pivot tables etc Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

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Microsoft Excel
4.7/5(3,189)