Microsoft Excel vs Quadratic
We give Microsoft Excel a 3.8 GPA and Quadratic a 3.2, out of 4.0. Microsoft Excel grades higher on the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Microsoft Excel
Spreadsheet app sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser
Quadratic
AI spreadsheet with Python, SQL and live data connections
How we grade them
| 3.8GPAMicrosoft ExcelExcellent | 3.2GPAQuadraticVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BMicrosoft 365 Personal is $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, about typical for a paid spreadsheet, and it brings Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, 1 TB of storage and Copilot with it. Office Home 2024 is $179.99 once for 1 PC or Mac, with no upgrade path to the next major release. | BPro is $18 a user a month billed annually, or $20 monthly. That's above the $9.99 this category typically starts at, but each seat comes with $20 in AI credits a month, all the AI models, and unlimited files and connections. Only Business, at $36, can buy more AI usage on demand. |
| Free plan and trial | AExcel for the web is free for 1 person, with sharing, real-time collaboration and 5 GB of cloud storage, and the free plan works on iOS and Android too. Plenty of people never need more. It has many desktop features but not all of them, and macros don't run. | BThe Personal plan is free for individuals, but it's rationed: a monthly limit on AI messages, and a limited number of editable files, connections and shares. We don't have numbers for those limits. There's no export to Excel, CSV or .grid either. |
| Features | APivotTables with slicers and timelines, Power Query for pulling in and reshaping outside data, Python formulas in the grid, co-authoring, and templates in more than 40 categories. Copilot edits formulas and formatting on request, on paid plans and with usage limits. | ACells run Python, SQL, JavaScript and formulas side by side, and the AI writes them from a plain-English question. It connects live to Postgres, MySQL, Snowflake, BigQuery, QuickBooks and Plaid. MCP agents and an API can read and write a sheet, and Quadratic says it stays fast at 100 million rows. |
| Ease of use | A4.75 from nearly 1.5 million App Store ratings. Templates give you a ready-made start. Reviewers of the iPhone and iPad app do say it lacks some desktop features, with data validation among the ones they miss. | BNo App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. You can ask in plain English, with no code to write yourself, and every generated cell can be opened and edited. Chromium browsers get first-tier support, while Safari and Firefox are second-tier and less performant. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, hooked into OneDrive, SharePoint, Power BI and SQL Server. The desktop apps go deepest, and Power Query on Mac and the web is newer than on Windows. | BWeb, plus a desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux that stays in sync with it. No phone apps are listed. It plugs into databases and services like Snowflake, Google Analytics and Mixpanel, has an API, and can be self-hosted with Docker or on AWS. |
| Best for | serious number work on Windows or Mac | analysts who want Python and SQL in a spreadsheet |
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: Microsoft Excel and Quadratic. How we grade
Where they differ
- Microsoft Excel starts at $9.99 / month, or $99.99 / year (Microsoft 365 Personal). Quadratic starts at $18 per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
- Only Microsoft Excel lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Quadratic lists a Linux app.
- Quadratic is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Microsoft Excel also covers templates.
At a glance
| Microsoft Excel | Quadratic | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9.99 / month, or $99.99 / year (Microsoft 365 Personal) | $18 per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Excel for the web is free for 1 person, with sharing, real-time collaboration and 5 GB of cloud storage. Microsoft lists the free plan as working on web, iOS and Android. | Personal plan for individuals: a monthly AI message limit on the default model, with a limited number of editable files, connections and shares, and no file export. |
| Free trial | 1-month free trial of the Microsoft 365 home and business plans; business trials need a credit card. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Microsoft | Quadratic Growth Inc. |
| Price read from | microsoft.com | quadratichq.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Microsoft Excel
- People who need a full desktop spreadsheet on Windows or Mac
- Analysts working with PivotTables, Power Query and Python
- Households: Microsoft 365 Family covers 1 to 6 people
- Occasional users who only need the free browser version
Quadratic
- Analysts who want Python and SQL next to spreadsheet formulas
- Teams querying a database or data warehouse straight from a spreadsheet
- Students, teachers and researchers, who get the Education plan free
Worth knowing
Microsoft Excel
- The Windows and Mac apps need a Microsoft 365 subscription or a one-time Office purchase; only the web and mobile versions are free.
- Excel for the web and the mobile apps have many, but not all, desktop features; macro-enabled workbooks open in a browser but the macros do not run.
- Copilot needs a paid subscription, has usage limits, and on shared plans works for the subscription owner only.
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($7.00 per user / month paid yearly, or $5.40 without Teams) includes only the web and mobile versions of Excel.
Quadratic
- The free Personal plan limits AI messages, editable files, connections and sharing, and has no export to Excel, CSV or .grid.
- Paid plans include a set AI credit allowance per user each month; only Business can buy more usage on demand.
- Single sign-on is listed only on the Enterprise plan, which is priced on request.
- Chrome and other Chromium browsers get first-tier support; Safari and Firefox are second-tier and less performant.
Key features
Microsoft Excel
- Copilot in Excel
- Edits formulas, tables and formatting from a written request and suggests formulas for the data. It needs a Microsoft 365 subscription and a workbook saved to OneDrive with AutoSave on.
- PivotTables and charts
- PivotTables calculate, summarize and analyze data to show comparisons, patterns and trends, and work with PivotCharts, slicers and timeline controls.
- Power Query
- Imports or connects to external data from files, databases, the web and Azure, then reshapes it before loading. It is available in Excel for Windows, Mac and the web; support on Mac and the web is newer than on Windows.
- Python in Excel
- Python formulas run in the grid using Anaconda libraries such as pandas and Matplotlib. It comes with eligible Microsoft 365 plans; a $24 per user / month add-on gives faster premium compute.
- Co-authoring
- Several people can work in one workbook stored in OneDrive or SharePoint Online and see each other's changes within seconds. In the Windows and Mac apps this requires a Microsoft 365 subscription.
- Templates
- Microsoft offers free Excel templates in more than 40 categories as ready-made starting points for common spreadsheets.
Quadratic
- AI analysis in the sheet
- Ask a question in plain English and the AI writes the formulas, Python or SQL cells and charts that answer it. Any generated cell can be opened and edited to check the work.
- Python, SQL, JavaScript and formulas
- Cells can run code as well as spreadsheet formulas, and the results are returned to the grid. The vendor says sorting, filtering and AI analysis stay fast at 100 million rows.
- Live data connections
- Connects to databases including Postgres, MySQL, Snowflake, BigQuery and MS SQL Server, and to QuickBooks, Plaid, Google Analytics and Mixpanel. CSV, Excel and PDF files can be imported.
- Real-time collaboration
- Teammates work in the same file at once and see each other's mouse movements. Sharing is limited on the Personal plan and unlimited from Pro.
- MCP and developer API
- MCP-enabled agents such as Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT can read and write a live sheet, and an API triggers AI runs and reads and writes cells from your own code.
- Desktop app and self-hosting
- A desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux stays in sync with the web app. Quadratic can also be self-hosted with Docker or on AWS under a license key that is free for individuals.
Plans
Microsoft Excel
Free$0
Excel for the web for 1 person, with sharing and real-time collaboration and 5 GB of cloud storage. Works on web, iOS and Android.
Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99
per month, or $99.99 per year
1 person signed in on up to 5 devices, 1 TB of cloud storage, and the Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps with Copilot.
Microsoft 365 Apps for business$10.00
per user / month, paid yearly
Desktop versions of Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook for up to 300 employees, with 1 TB of cloud storage per user.
Microsoft 365 Family$12.99
per month, or $129.99 per year
Everything in Personal for 1 to 6 people, with 1 TB of storage per person. AI features are for the subscription owner only.
Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99
per month, or $199.99 per year
Everything in Family, plus extensive Copilot usage and agentic AI features such as advanced research and analytics.
Office Home 2024$179.99
one-time purchase for 1 PC or Mac
Classic 2024 desktop versions of Excel, Word, PowerPoint and OneNote, with no upgrade path to the next major release.
Quadratic
Personal$0
For individuals: a monthly AI message limit on the default model, limited sharing, editable files and connections, and limited support.
Pro$18
per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
$20 in AI credits per user a month, access to all AI models, extra privacy controls, file export, and unlimited sharing, files and connections.
Business$36
per user / month, billed annually ($40 billed monthly)
Everything in Pro with $40 in AI credits per user a month, plus the option to buy more AI usage on demand, billed at cost.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom AI usage, single sign-on, a self-hosting option and dedicated support.
Ways to pay less
Microsoft Excel
- Annual discount
Save up to 17% by paying yearly
Microsoft 365 Personal is $99.99 a year against $9.99 a month, Family $129.99 against $12.99 and Premium $199.99 against $19.99.
- Education
Students save 50% on Microsoft 365 Personal
Verified college and university students get Microsoft 365 Personal at half price. Student status has to be re-verified each year to keep the discount.
- Education
Office 365 A1 free for eligible schools
Educators and students with an eligible education email address get Office 365 A1 at no cost, which includes the web versions of Excel and the other core apps.
- Nonprofit
Nonprofit staff pricing on Microsoft 365 E3
Eligible nonprofits can buy Microsoft 365 E3, with desktop, web and mobile versions of Excel, for $9.75 per user / month paid yearly.
- Lifetime license
Office Home 2024 one-time purchase
$179.99 buys the classic 2024 desktop versions of Excel, Word, PowerPoint and OneNote for 1 PC or Mac, with no subscription.
Quadratic
- Annual discount
Save 10% with yearly billing
Pro is $18 per user a month billed annually against $20 billed monthly, and Business is $36 against $40. The pricing toggle labels this as saving 10%.
- Education
Free Education plan
Students, teachers and researchers who sign up with a valid education email address get unlimited sheets, code, teammates and connections free. AI prompts are limited as on the free tier.
