# Excel/Google Sheets: how AI models rank it, November 2026

Gane Index, November 2026 Edition. Named in 8 judge labels across 8 categories by 3 of 14 models. Page: https://www.gane.ai/index/finance/vendors/excel-google-sheets

## Standing by category

| Category | Share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Financial modeling and scenario planning](https://www.gane.ai/index/finance/planning/financial-modeling-and-scenario-planning/index.md) | 2% | 18 | 0% | 1 |
| [Cash flow forecasting](https://www.gane.ai/index/finance/treasury/cash-flow-forecasting/index.md) | 0% | 96 | 100% | 1 |
| [Corporate performance management](https://www.gane.ai/index/finance/planning/corporate-performance-management/index.md) | 0% | 81 | 100% | 1 |
| [Expense management](https://www.gane.ai/index/finance/spend/expense-management/index.md) | 0% | 58 | 100% | 1 |
| [Financial close management](https://www.gane.ai/index/finance/accounting/financial-close-management/index.md) | 0% | 38 | 0% | 1 |
| [Financial reporting and dashboards](https://www.gane.ai/index/finance/planning/financial-reporting-and-dashboards/index.md) | 0% | 100 | 100% | 1 |
| [Fixed asset accounting](https://www.gane.ai/index/finance/accounting/fixed-asset-accounting/index.md) | 0% | 108 | 100% | 1 |
| [SaaS metrics and analytics](https://www.gane.ai/index/finance/planning/saas-metrics-and-analytics/index.md) | 0% | 40 | 0% | 1 |

## What the models said for it

- "Excel or Google Sheets remains the #1 recommended starting point" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, Financial modeling)
- "Use Excel/Google Sheets with custom formulas for MRR, churn, LTV" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, SaaS metrics)
- "using pre-built Month-End Close Templates" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, Financial close manageme)

## And against it

- "Relying on Excel/Google Sheets or basic built-in modules in lightweight accounting software seems "free," but it carries significant hidden costs." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, Expense management)
- "Why to avoid: While fine for micro-businesses with fewer than ~20–50 assets, spreadsheets are one of the leading causes of audit failures" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, Fixed asset accounting)
- "spreadsheet-based reporting (Excel/Google Sheets) is likely becoming prone to errors, slow to consolidate, and difficult to audit" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, Financial reporting)
- "Manual data entry, high risk of error, no real-time updates. Best only for very early-stage startups with simple transactions." (Qwen 3.7 Flash, Cash flow forecasting)

## By model

| Model | First choice | Alternative | Mention | Warning | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| GPT-5.4 mini | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| Perplexity Sonar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grok 4.20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mistral Small | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Llama 4 Maverick | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Kimi K2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MiniMax M2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| GPT-6 Luna | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muse Glimmer 30B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Sources returned with these answers

The sites and pages cited by the answers that named Excel/Google Sheets, from 25 of the 31 answers that named it (only the models that return a source list).

### Domains cited

- reddit.com: 8
- datarails.com: 5
- capterra.com: 4
- fuelfinance.me: 4
- g2.com: 4
- netgain.tech: 4
- softwareadvice.com: 4
- softwaresuggest.com: 4
- sourceforge.net: 4
- autymate.com: 3

### Pages cited

- https://fuelfinance.me/blog/financial-modeling-software: 4
- https://autymate.com/blog/best-financial-modeling-software-in-2026-top-10-tools-with-pricing: 3
- https://datarails.com/blog/best-financial-modeling-software: 3
- https://golimelight.com/blog/fpa-software-for-small-business: 3
- https://mrisoftware.com/sg/blog/become-a-fixed-asset-management-master-by-avoiding-these-5-common-failures: 3
- https://softwaresuggest.com/financial-modeling-software: 3
- https://venasolutions.com/blog/best-financial-modeling-software: 3
- https://bassets.net/blog/fixed-asset-software-for-small-businesses: 2

## Record

- Method: https://www.gane.ai/index/finance/methodology
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as Gane Index, November 2026 Edition, www.gane.ai/index/finance.