Formulas HQ vs GPTExcel (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Formulas HQ grades higher than GPTExcel: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Formulas HQ grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Formulas HQ
AI generators for spreadsheet formulas, scripts, regex and analysis
GPTExcel
AI assistant for Excel files: formulas, pivot tables and analysis
Which one is for you
Pick Formulas HQ if
- Fits if you write a few formulas or scripts a week and don't remember the syntax
- Works for people who need regex or Apps Script and want a plain-English route
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, since 5 generations a month goes fast
- Skip it if you want an add-in in Excel or Sheets, as this is a separate site
- Watch out: chat with files, Data Wizard and Python need Pro, and the page text shows only yearly prices
- Pricey if you want the website analyzer, which means the Analyzer plan at $21.24 a month billed yearly
Pick GPTExcel if
- Fits if you want help writing a formula you can't get right
- Works for people who'd rather upload a file than install an add-in
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want it inside Excel or Sheets, since it is a separate web app
- Tight if you stay free: 50 credits a month and files up to 5 MB
- Watch out: credits don't roll over and bursts are paced over 5-hour windows
- Pricey if you want the expert model, which costs 10 credits a message and needs Pro Plus at $18
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFormulas HQFair | 2.0GPAGPTExcelFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is $4.33 a month billed yearly, under 60% of the $8 where the cheaper quarter starts. The monthly price isn't shown. | CPro is $9 a month and Pro Plus $18, both mid-range for the category. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free plan, but 5 generations a month. Pro shows a free trial button with no length stated. | CFree forever, but 50 credits a month and 5 MB files is a cap you'll hit. |
| Features | CFormula, VBA, Apps Script, regex and Salesforce generators, with chat on files and Data Wizard on Pro. Not inside Excel or Sheets. | CChat with files, formulas, a pivot builder, a slide builder, scripts, SQL and regex. You upload and copy results back, as it is not inside Excel. |
| Ease of use | CA web app where you type a request and paste the result back; no store rating on record. | CA web app with files to upload and results to paste back; no store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only. It writes for Excel, Google Sheets and Salesforce, but has no add-in or apps. | CWeb only, with no add-in, desktop app or phone app. |
| Best for | AI generators for formulas, scripts and regex | AI help with Excel formulas and pivot tables |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Formulas HQ and GPTExcel. How we grade
Price against what you get
Formulas HQ starts at $4.33 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. GPTExcel starts at $9 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Formulas HQ starts $4.67 a month lower. Of the other spreadsheet and database tools on the chart, 9 score higher than Formulas HQ for less, and 17 score higher than GPTExcel for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- GPTExcel also covers presentations and reports.
At a glance
| Formulas HQ | GPTExcel | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $4.33 per month, billed yearly | $9 per month (Pro) |
| Free plan | 5 generations a month across the formula, VBA and Apps Script, regex and Salesforce formula tools, with how-to guides and generation history. | Free: 50 credits a month on the fast model, 5 free tool runs a day, files up to 5 MB and 10 per chat. |
| Free trial | Pro shows a 'Start free trial' button; the length is not stated on the page. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Formulas HQ | GPTExcel |
| Price read from | formulashq.com | gptexcel.uk |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Formulas HQ
- The free plan stops at 5 generations a month.
- Chat with files, Data Wizard and Python generation need Pro; the content analyzer needs the Analyzer plan.
- It is a separate web app, not an add-in inside Excel or Google Sheets.
- Prices are shown for yearly billing; the page text does not show what monthly billing costs.
GPTExcel
- It is a separate web app, not an add-in inside Excel or Sheets; you upload files and download or paste results.
- Credits do not roll over, and the page says heavy bursts are paced over 5-hour windows.
- The expert model, at 10 credits a message, is only on Pro Plus.
- Paid plans refresh credits weekly, so a month's total cannot be used in one go.
Key features
Formulas HQ
- Formulas for Excel and Google Sheets
- Returns the formula with a summary, steps, examples and warnings; it can also explain a formula you paste in.
- VBA, Apps Script and Python
- Generates, explains or debugs macros and scripts; Python generation is on paid plans.
- Regex and Salesforce formulas
- Builds regular expressions with a breakdown, and Salesforce formulas, on the free plan too.
- Data Wizard
- Upload CSV files, filter, join and pivot them, then ask questions in English; the site says processing runs in the browser through DuckDB.
- AI chat with files
- Multi-turn chat over uploaded CSV or Excel files, with charts and saved conversation history.
GPTExcel
- Chat with spreadsheets
- Upload Excel or CSV files and ask questions; answers come with charts and summaries.
- Formula generation
- Writes and explains formulas for Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc and Airtable.
- Pivot Builder
- Builds native Excel pivot tables, slicers and pivot charts from a plain-English request.
- Slide Deck Builder
- Turns a spreadsheet into a presentation downloadable as PowerPoint or PDF.
- Scripts, SQL and regex
- Generates VBA, Apps Script, LibreOffice Basic, Airtable and Python scripts, plus SQL queries and regular expressions.
Plans
Formulas HQ
Free$0
per month
5 generations a month.
Pro$4.33
per month, billed yearly (monthly price not shown)
Unlimited generations; adds AI chat with file upload, Data Wizard CSV analysis, Python code generation, Salesforce campaign attribution and priority support.
Analyzer$21.24
per month, billed yearly (monthly price not shown)
Everything in Pro plus a website content analyzer for 10 sites and 200 pages, with sitemap crawling and CSV, XLSX or JSON export.
GPTExcel
Free$0
50 credits a month, fast model, files up to 5 MB, 10 per chat; includes the pivot and slide agents and the generators.
Pro$9
per month, billed monthly
About 3,000 credits a month (700 a week), fast and standard models, files up to 50 MB, 20 per chat.
Pro Plus$18
per month, billed monthly
About 10,000 credits a month (2,330 a week), adds the expert model, files up to 100 MB, 30 per chat.
Ways to pay less
Formulas HQ
- Annual discount
Save 33% with yearly billing
The pricing section has a Monthly/Yearly toggle labeled 'Save 33%'.
- Nonprofit
Non-profit and education discounts
The pricing section says non-profit and education discounts are available; no figures are given.
GPTExcel
- Annual discount
Save 30% with annual billing
The pricing page has an Annual toggle labeled 'save 30%'; the annual price itself was not shown in the page text read.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Formulas HQ or GPTExcel?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Formulas HQ is cheaper to start with: $4.33 a month, against $9 a month for GPTExcel. Formulas HQ starts at $4.33 per month, billed yearly, and GPTExcel starts at $9 per month (Pro).
Which has a free plan, Formulas HQ or GPTExcel?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Formulas HQ and GPTExcel have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.