The best AI for Excel depends on the job and where your spreadsheet lives. Microsoft Copilot works inside Excel itself, Gemini works inside Google Sheets, and ChatGPT and Claude can read a spreadsheet you upload, then explain the data or write formulas for you. Whichever you use, check every formula it writes before you rely on it.
If you only want help writing formulas, you don't need anything built into Excel. A chat assistant can write a formula from a plain description, and it'll explain each part so you can follow it. The built-in tools come into their own when you want the AI to work on the data in front of you without copying anything across.
So there are really two kinds of help. The first is AI inside the spreadsheet, such as Copilot in Excel or Gemini in Sheets, which can see your workbook and act on it. The second is a chat assistant you upload the file to, such as ChatGPT or Claude, which reads the data and tells you what it finds or what to type. Most small businesses end up using a bit of both.
Match the tool to the job
Writing and fixing formulas
This is where AI saves the most time for most people. ChatGPT and Claude are both good at turning a plain description into a formula and explaining why an existing one returns an error. Copilot in Excel can suggest formula columns based on the data in your table. Describe your columns clearly and say which version of Excel you're on, because some newer functions aren't in older versions.
Example prompt: "Write a formula that adds up column D only where column B says Paid and the date in column A is this month."
Cleaning messy data
Exported data is rarely tidy. Names in capitals, extra spaces, dates in three formats, duplicates. Copilot and Gemini can work on the data in place, while ChatGPT and Claude can look at an uploaded file and tell you what needs fixing and how. For a one-off clean-up, I'd ask a chat assistant for the steps and do them myself so I can see what changed. Keep a copy of the original export too, so you can go back if a clean-up step removes something it shouldn't have.
Example prompt: "Find the duplicate customers in this sheet and tell me how to merge them without losing any orders."
Summarising and spotting trends
This is the job where uploading a file to ChatGPT or Claude works well. Ask what stands out, which months were strongest, or which products are slipping, and you'll get a plain-English summary you can sanity-check. Copilot can do this inside Excel too if your plan includes it. Treat the summary as a starting point and look at the numbers it points to.
Example prompt: "Summarise the main changes in sales by product between the first and second half of the year."
Building charts and pivot tables
Copilot in Excel can create charts and pivot tables from your data when you ask in plain language, which saves a lot of clicking if you've never built a pivot table. With ChatGPT, its data analysis feature can produce charts from an uploaded file, though you'll then need to rebuild them in your workbook if you want them to update.
Example prompt: "Make a pivot table showing total sales by region and month, with the biggest region first."
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Working in Google Sheets instead
If your spreadsheets live in Google Sheets, Gemini is the built-in option and comes with certain Google Workspace plans, so check whether yours includes it. ChatGPT and Claude work just as well with Sheets, because you can download the sheet and upload it, or paste in the columns you need help with. If you're starting from scratch, my guide to building a spreadsheet template in Google Sheets covers the structure that makes AI help easier later.
Example prompt: "Write a Google Sheets formula that pulls the latest status for each project from the Updates tab."
What I wouldn't hand to AI
AI is a fast helper, but it doesn't know your business and it can be confidently wrong. These are the places I'd keep a human firmly in charge:
- Sensitive client data. Don't upload spreadsheets with client names, contact details, payroll or health information to a chat assistant unless you've checked how that tool handles your data and your business settings allow it. Remove or replace personal details first.
- Final numbers without checking. Anything going to a client, your accountant or the tax office needs checking against the source data. Spot-check a few rows by hand and make sure totals match.
- Formulas you can't read back. If AI writes a formula you don't understand, ask it to explain each part in plain English before you use it. If you can't follow it, you won't spot it when it breaks.
- Decisions that need context. AI can tell you which product sold least. It can't tell you that it was out of stock for a month.
AI tools for spreadsheets at a glance
| Tool | Where it works | What it's good at |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Copilot in Excel | Inside Excel, with a Microsoft 365 plan that includes Copilot (check which plans include it) | Formula columns, charts, pivot tables and summaries without leaving your workbook |
| Gemini in Google Sheets | Inside Google Sheets, with certain Google Workspace plans | Help with formulas, organising data and summaries for Sheets users |
| ChatGPT | Chat, with file upload and data analysis | Explaining data, writing and fixing formulas, quick charts from an uploaded file |
| Claude | Chat, with file upload and analysis | Reading spreadsheet files, explaining formulas step by step, written summaries |
| Formula helper add-ins | Add-ins for Excel or Sheets | Turning plain descriptions into formulas inside the sheet |
If your workbook is a mess to begin with, AI will struggle too. My guide to building a basic Excel spreadsheet template for your business shows a clean layout that makes every tool here work better.
Make an AI spreadsheet tool? See how to get it featured on this list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI for Excel?
It depends on the job. Copilot works inside Excel if your Microsoft 365 plan includes it. ChatGPT and Claude are good for writing formulas and explaining uploaded spreadsheets. Gemini suits you if you work in Google Sheets.
Can ChatGPT write Excel formulas?
Yes. Describe what you want in plain language and it'll write the formula and explain it. Always test the formula on a few rows before you rely on it.
Do I need Copilot to use AI in Excel?
No. Copilot is the built-in option, but you can upload a spreadsheet to ChatGPT or Claude, or paste in your columns, and ask for help without any add-in.
Is it safe to upload my spreadsheet to an AI tool?
Check how the tool handles your data and what your business plan allows before you upload. Remove client names and personal details first, and keep sensitive files out of chat tools.
