Microsoft Excel vs Google Sheets
Zero of fourteen models named Microsoft Excel first on the direct prompt; zero named Google Sheets. Microsoft Excel was named by thirteen of the fourteen models and Google Sheets by nine and Microsoft Excel carries 19 labels and Google Sheets 10, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in thirteen categories this edition.
Named in sixteen categories this edition.
Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the financial modeling and scenario planning page.
By framing
Microsoft ExcelFirst choices, of fourteen modelsGoogle Sheets
Across every category in the November 2026 Edition, Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets were named in the same answer eighty-five times, of the 172 answers naming Microsoft Excel and the 133 naming Google Sheets. In those answers Google Sheets took the first choice four times and Microsoft Excel three.
Every model, every framing
| Model | Direct | Paraphrase | Comparative | Budget-constrained | Scale-constrained | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | | |||||
| GPT-5.4 mini | | | ||||
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | | |||||
| Perplexity Sonar | | |||||
| Grok 4.20 | | | | |||
| Mistral Small | | |||||
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | ||||||
| Llama 4 Maverick | ||||||
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | | |||||
| Kimi K2 | | |||||
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | | |||||
| MiniMax M2.5 | | |||||
| GPT-6 Luna | | |||||
| Muse Glimmer 30B | |
Microsoft Excel Google Sheets first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Microsoft Excel on the left and Google Sheets on the right.The direct prompt
Neither was named
14 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.
By buyer segment
Microsoft Excel22%#1 of 16Google Sheets22%#2 of 16Microsoft Excel19%#1 of 11Google Sheets12%#3 of 11Microsoft Excel0%#– of 11Google Sheets—not namedWhat the models said about Microsoft Excel
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Three of three in this category shown.
“For the absolute best value, Microsoft Excel is the top choice due to its low cost (or free if already owned) and unmatched flexibility.” Mistral Small · budget prompt · first choice
“Microsoft Excel is widely regarded as the best financial modeling software for companies with a limited budget.” Grok 4.20 · budget prompt · first choice
“The most cost-effective starting point. Many successful companies use Excel through their early stages.” Kimi K2 · budget prompt · first choice
What the models said about Google Sheets
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Three of three in this category shown.
“For a truly limited budget, Google Sheets or Excel remains the most cost-effective choice.” MiniMax M2.5 · budget prompt · first choice
“Absolute limited budget → Excel/Google Sheets + free templates such as EasyFinancialModels” Muse Glimmer 30B · budget prompt · first choice
“For a truly limited budget, start with Google Sheets or Excel with free templates” Kimi K2 · budget prompt · first choice
Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.