A powerful spreadsheet and data management program

Microsoft Excel is a premium and most popular spreadsheet program on the market and an essential tool to organize, manipulate and analyze all kinds of data. You can download Excel as a standalone program, as part of the Office productivity suite, or through the Microsoft 365 subscription service. Even though there are very similar free alternatives such as Google Sheets or Sheets, Excel is still the must-use software for data analysis, managing lists, and business performance reporting. 

While Excel’s main forte is organizing large amounts of data, it also brings valuable features to manipulate, interpret, and present information clearly and visually. Just use its wide selection of formulas and calculations. In a blink of an eye, you can convert your data into charts, graphs, and data analysis visualizations. This makes it the perfect ally for worldwide businesses, researchers, and enterprises.

What does Microsoft Excel do?

Microsoft Excel allows users to format, calculate, and arrange data within a spreadsheet. By utilizing this software, data analysts and other users can enhance the visibility of information as new data is incorporated or modifications are made. Excel comprises a vast collection of cells organized in columns and rows, where data can be conveniently placed for organization and analysis.

What is Microsoft Excel used for?

MS Excel is a powerful and versatile tool to store and manipulate data and can be used for various applications. These are Excel’s main uses:

• Data storage and management – Thanks to its columns and rows of cells, Excel is the perfect tool to enter, edit, and organize all kinds of information.
• Data analysis – Excel includes many tools that let you perform basic and advanced arithmetic operations, such as sums, averages, or statistical measures. 
• Data visualization – One of Excel’s most exciting features is its ability to create charts and graphics of stored data. This is very helpful to visualize reports and also to communicate them in an easily understood format.
• Financial analysis – Excel simplifies business processes like creating budgets or forecasting financial results.
• Project management – Keep track of any project, task, or event thanks to Excel’s ability to create Gantt charts in just a few seconds.

What are Excel’s key features?

Microsoft Excel is a compelling software that lets you manipulate any data you store in its spreadsheets. Excel covers basic arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, etc.—to more advanced functions like LET, COS, or MAX/MIN. The software will also let you visualize these results in graphs and charts, making them more accessible to any audience.

Excel also brings some exciting features that will let you work with data faster and more productively. Thanks to its filters, you can find specific sets of results in seconds and summarize them in pivot tables. Another exciting feature is that Excel lets you link cells, making it possible to work with data from different sheets and workbooks. Also, you can change the layout and format of your columns and rows and add a color code to them. This makes it easy to spot any data you want within seconds.

Excel has you covered if you tend to have to work with large amounts of data. The program lets you import from other media, such as databases, text files, and web APIs. This speeds up considerably the process of creating a spreadsheet. You can also export your results in PDF or HTML formats, or upload them directly to OneDrive or Sharepoint, making it very easy to collaborate and share your results with others.

What’s new in Microsoft Excel 2021?

With the arrival of Windows 11, Microsoft Excel received a new version with new tools and features. These new features focus mainly on collaboration with other team members. We recommend you check this list before downloading Excel if you’re considering updating. In addition to a completely revamped interface, the 2021 version of the program includes the following:

• Co-authoring – You and your colleagues can work on the same Excel workbook in real time.
• Know who’s looking at your workbook – Shows who’s online working on your workbook.
• Improved commenting system – You can now edit, delete or resolve comment threads.
• XLOOKUP function – Search for data in a table or range by row or column. This is in contrast to VLOOKUP, which only searches vertically. It can return a value from the left or the right when there is a match, as opposed to VLOOKUP, which can only return values from the right.
• LET function – Assigns names to calculation results.
• Dynamic arrays – Write one formula to get a variety of values. Adds six new functions—FILTER, SORT, SORTBY, UNIQUE, SEQUENCE, and RANDARRAY.
• XMATCH function – Find an item’s relative position in an array or range of cells.
• Sheet views – This lets you create custom views in a worksheet.
• Support for OpenDocument format – Now you can use OpenDocument format or ODF 1.3 files.

How does Microsoft Excel work?

Excel is a powerful spreadsheet application, and while it is very intuitive for essential functions, it has a steep learning curve to learn to apply the most advanced ones. The program shows all data in cells organized in a grid of rows and columns. To interact with the data, the user needs to type out formulas to let them perform all calculations and manipulate data from other cells or ranges of cells. While some of these functions are basic, some can be highly complex. Therefore, referring to a beginner’s guide before venturing to Excel is always a good idea.

Once you become familiar with Excel, you can use different equations and formulas to process large amounts of data. Most users are proficient in spreadsheet software will know a few significant functions—VLOOKUP, CONCATENATE, and IFERROR, and features such as Pivot Tables, Remove Duplicates, and Text to Columns. 

What are the pros and cons of Microsoft Excel?

As you know by now, Microsoft Excel is an excellent tool to gather and analyze all data types. While it’s one of the most used programs in businesses around the world, it’s not perfect and has some limitations. There are both advantages and disadvantages to using Excel. These are the main ones:

Advantages:

• Powerful and Versatile – Excel can be used to store, organize, analyze, and manipulate all kinds of data, including numbers, text, or dates. It can also be used to visualize the results through graphs and charts.
• Customization – Users can change the layout and the formatting of the cells, rows, and columns to customize their spreadsheets from top to toe.
• Collaboration – Excel lets several users work on the same spreadsheet and workbook simultaneously.
• Compatibility – The program is widely used, and its files are compatible with most productivity tools.

Disadvantages:

• Steep learning curve – Excel is a very complex application to master and can overwhelm new users.
• Limited scalability – The program slows noticeably while working on large data sets.
• Prone to human errors – Excel can sometimes show incorrect results since it relies on users to insert data and functions correctly.

Can I get Microsoft Excel for free?

No, you can’t. Excel is a paid program—you must buy it first to download it. Excel comes in three different varieties—as a standalone program, as part of the Microsoft Office productivity suite, or as part of the Microsoft 365 subscription service. Each option has its pros and cons.

If you just want to use Excel, opt for its standalone program. It’s the most affordable option of the three, and its license key will let you download and use Excel as often as you want. 

If you think you might use Word or another of Microsoft’s productivity programs, choose Office. It might be more expensive, but its products are worth it. 

Finally, if you prefer to work on the go or use different devices to access your files, you should get a Microsoft 365 subscription. This is the best choice if you aim to collaborate with other users and teams online.

Does this mean you won’t be able to use Excel for free? Not at all. You can still use a Lite version of Excel that is free online from the official Office website. Once you get there, simply log in using your Microsoft account and start using Excel for free. You should know, however, that it’s an elementary version of the spreadsheet program, so some of its more advanced functions and features are unavailable.

Why is Microsoft Excel very popular?

Microsoft Excel is very popular for several reasons, including:

• Familiarity: Excel has been around for over three decades and has become a standard tool in many workplaces, making it a familiar tool for many people.
• Accessibility: Excel is widely available and can be used on multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, and mobile devices.
• User-Friendly: Excel is user-friendly and intuitive, even for beginners. Many users can learn the basics of Excel with little to no formal training.
• Integration: Excel easily integrates with other Microsoft Office programs, such as Word and PowerPoint, and other software applications, making it a powerful tool for managing data and creating reports.

The best tool to manage all your data

Microsoft Excel is the most powerful spreadsheet program on the market. Since its launch, it’s been a household name in data management and analysis, becoming a favorite among businesses and enterprises. Its steep learning curve might be discouraging for beginners, but it offers many essential, intuitive features. With the arrival of the 2021 version, the program just got better, focusing most of its new features on making collaboration even more straightforward. Overall, Excel is essential for anyone working with data or wanting to improve their productivity.

Excel for insightful spreadsheets – anytime, virtually anywhere, and with anyone

A modern take on Excel with new built-in tools help you get more out of your data.

• Enhanced by intelligence, Excel learns your patterns, organizing your data to save you time.
• Create spreadsheets with ease from templates or on your own, and perform calculations with modern formulas.
• New charts and graphs help you present your data in compelling ways, with formatting, sparklines, and tables to better understand your data.

Get premium versions of Excel and other Office apps like Word and PowerPoint by subscribing to Office 365. With Office 365 you’ll get great Excel features like real-time collaboration. Plus, you’ll receive exclusive, new features every month ensuring you’re always up-to-date.