Tool review · Data

Excel Copilot review

Excel Copilot is an AI tool in the data category from Microsoft. Its strengths are meets people inside the tool they already use; cuts time on formula writing. The main caution: requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. In our profession matrix it scores highest for accountants, financial advisors and real estate agents.

What it is

Excel Copilot adds a chat and analysis assistant to Microsoft Excel. It can suggest formulas, build tables and charts, and summarize data from a plain-language request.

Key features

• Formula suggestions and explanations
• Chart and table generation
• Data summaries and insights
• Works inside existing workbooks

Pricing

Excel Copilot is a paid product with plans starting at $30/mo. There is no permanent free tier, so budget for a paid plan or a trial.

Who it fits

Professions where Excel Copilot scores highest in our matrix, with the workflow we recommend for each.

• Accountants: Accountants use Excel Copilot to get from raw numbers to a chart someone outside the team can actually read.
• Financial Advisors: Financial advisors lean on Excel Copilot to catch the anomaly a manual pass through the data would have taken hours to spot.
• Real Estate Agents: Real estate agents use Excel Copilot to get from raw numbers to a chart someone outside the team can actually read.
• Insurance Agents: Insurance agents lean on Excel Copilot to catch the anomaly a manual pass through the data would have taken hours to spot.
• HR Managers: Hr managers use Excel Copilot to query datasets in plain language, generate first-pass visualizations, and surface trends for deeper analysis.
• Project Managers: Project managers lean on Excel Copilot to catch the anomaly a manual pass through the data would have taken hours to spot.
• Management Consultants: Management consultants use Excel Copilot to query datasets in plain language, generate first-pass visualizations, and surface trends for deeper analysis.
• Auditors: Auditors use Excel Copilot to get from raw numbers to a chart someone outside the team can actually read.

How to get started

Check that the underlying data model is clean, and verify generated calculations against a known answer before sharing results.

Alternatives to consider

• Power BI Copilot (Microsoft, $20/mo): Power BI Copilot lets people ask questions of their data in natural language and generates report pages and summaries in Microsoft Power BI.
• Tableau Pulse (Salesforce, $75/mo): Tableau Pulse, from Salesforce, delivers personalized metric summaries and AI-generated insights to business users so they see changes without building dashboards.
• ThoughtSpot (ThoughtSpot, Custom): ThoughtSpot is a search-driven analytics platform where users ask questions in natural language and get charts and answers from company data.

Independent review by the AI by Career editorial team. Last reviewed September 2026. No paid placement or affiliate influence; see our editorial policy.