Should I choose Excel or DataHub Pro?

Choose Excel if the task is genuinely a spreadsheet task and one person owns it; it typically costs included in Microsoft 365. Choose DataHub Pro if your data already lives in spreadsheets and you want dashboards, forecasting and a branded report produced for you on a schedule without building a data model or hiring an analyst — $19.99 per seat flat, or $199 a year, with unlimited users on the workspace. DataHub Pro is not a warehouse-scale BI platform: if you need a semantic layer, row-level security across thousands of users, or SQL-native modelling over a data warehouse, Excel is the better fit.

4 Best AI Plugins & Add-ins for Excel (2026)

Q: What are the best AI plugins for Excel?

For in-grid help, Microsoft Copilot in Excel and Ajelix are the leading AI add-ins — strongest for generating formulas and filling cells. For full analysis of an entire file (dashboards, forecasting, segmentation) a companion tool like DataHub Pro goes further than a formula plugin, because it runs auditable analysis across the whole dataset rather than one cell at a time.

Q: Is there a free AI plugin for Excel?

Yes. Ajelix has a limited free tier for formula generation, and DataHub Pro has a free-forever tier for full-file analysis. Microsoft Copilot in Excel is a paid M365 add-on with no permanent free tier.

Q: Can an AI plugin analyse my whole spreadsheet?

Most AI add-ins work cell-by-cell — generating a formula or filling a column. To analyse an entire spreadsheet (build a dashboard, forecast a series, segment customers) you need a tool that reads the whole file, like DataHub Pro, which also returns the underlying calculations so the result is auditable.

The best AI plugins and add-ins for Excel in 2026 come in two kinds: companion apps that analyse the whole file — DataHub Pro (free tier, nothing to install, $19.99 per seat) — and in-grid add-ins that write formulas and fill cells — Microsoft Copilot in Excel (needs Microsoft 365), Ajelix and Arcwise. Install an add-in for formula help; use a companion app for analysis, forecasts and dashboards.

Try it on your own file → · Updated 13 September 2026

DataHub Pro runs 67 analyses on an uploaded spreadsheet in the browser, free and unlimited, with no add-in and no macro.

Upload the actual file and get the actual answer — pivots, forecasts, cohorts, variance and anomaly detection against your own numbers, not a worked example.

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"AI plugin for Excel" can mean two very different things: an in-grid add-in that writes formulas and fills cells, or a companion tool that analyses the whole file. Here's an honest ranking of both — with what each is genuinely best at, and the free options.

Which should you choose?

Choose Excel if the task is genuinely a spreadsheet task and one person owns it. Choose DataHub Pro if your data already lives in spreadsheets, you want the analysis and the branded report done for you on a schedule, and you don't have an analyst to hand.

Excel is the better choice when…

The task is genuinely a spreadsheet task and one person owns it. It is a mature, capable product and there are jobs it does better than we do.Typical cost: included in Microsoft 365.

DataHub Pro is the better choice when…

You work in Excel or CSV, you need dashboards, forecasts and a board-ready report without building a data model, and you want it to arrive automatically each week or month with your own branding on it.$19.99 per seat flat, or $199/year — unlimited users on the workspace.

Where we are not the right fit: we are not a warehouse-scale BI platform. If you need a semantic layer, row-level security across thousands of users, or SQL-native modelling over a data warehouse, pick Excel or a comparable enterprise tool — you will outgrow us and we would rather say so here than after you've paid.

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The short version

· Best for whole-file analysis: DataHub Pro — dashboards, forecasts and reports from the file, with an audit trail.

· Best native add-in: Microsoft Copilot in Excel (if you pay for M365 Copilot).

· Best formula add-in: Ajelix — formulas, VBA and templates in one place.

· Best free: DataHub Pro free tier (whole-file analysis); Ajelix’s limited free tier (formulas).

Two kinds of "AI plugin" — pick the right one

Most "AI plugins for Excel" are formula assistants: you describe what you want in plain English and they write the formula, regex or script, or fill a column with AI. Brilliant for the cell-level grunt work. But they don't analyse your data — they don't build a dashboard, forecast a trend, or segment your customers. For that you want a companion analytics tool that reads the whole file. The list below covers both, clearly labelled. No affiliate links; pricing taken from each vendor in June 2026.

Tool	Type	Best for	Free tier	From
DataHub Pro	Companion app	Whole-file analysis & reports	Yes	$19.99/seat
Copilot in Excel	Native add-in	In-grid AI on M365	No	~$30/user/mo
Ajelix	Add-in/web	Formulas, templates, VBA	Limited	$9/mo
Arcwise	Add-in	AI in Google Sheets/Excel	Limited	Paid

1. DataHub Pro — companion app

From $19.99/seat · free tier

Not a formula add-in — a full analytics layer for the file you already have. Upload an Excel/CSV and get KPI dashboards, Holt-Winters forecasts, cohort/RFM analysis, anomaly detection and plain-English Q&A, then export a branded Word/PowerPoint report. Every answer ships with the pandas operations it ran, so the numbers are auditable.

ProsAnalyses the whole dataset, not one cell; auditable (no hallucinated numbers); one-click reports; flat pricing; free tier.

ConsNot an in-grid formula generator; you upload the file rather than work inside Excel.

Try it free on your own file →

2. Microsoft Copilot in Excel — native add-in

~$30/user/mo

The built-in AI, available with a Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription. Summarises ranges, suggests formulas and answers questions about the sheet you're in.

ProsNative to Excel; no third-party add-in; good general assistant.

ConsRequires a paid Copilot add-on; limited deep analysis/forecasting.

3. Ajelix — add-in / web

From $9/mo

A popular Excel/Sheets AI toolkit: formula generator and explainer, template generator, VBA scripts and translation. Strong, affordable formula helper.

ProsBroad formula/VBA toolset; cheap; works with Excel and Sheets.

ConsCell/formula-level, not whole-file analytics; free tier is limited.

4. Arcwise — add-in

Paid

An AI copilot for spreadsheets with data connectors and context-aware help. More analyst-oriented than a pure formula bot.

ProsContext-aware AI; data connectors; analyst-friendly.

ConsPrimarily Google Sheets-first; paid.

Which should you install?

If you just want help writing formulas, Ajelix is the one to start with, and Copilot is worth it if you already pay for M365. But if what you actually need is to turn the spreadsheet into a dashboard, forecast or board report — the work a formula plugin can't do — use DataHub Pro alongside Excel. Many teams run both: a formula add-in for cell work, and DataHub Pro for the analysis and reporting.

Go beyond formulas

Upload your spreadsheet and get an auditable dashboard, forecast, and report in about two minutes — free to try.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best AI plugins for Excel?

For in-grid help: Microsoft Copilot and Ajelix. For analysing a whole file (dashboards, forecasting, segmentation), a companion tool like DataHub Pro goes further than a formula plugin.

Is there a free AI plugin for Excel?

Yes — Ajelix has a limited free tier for formulas, and DataHub Pro has a free-forever tier for full-file analysis.

Can an AI plugin analyse my whole spreadsheet?

Most add-ins work cell-by-cell. To analyse the whole file — and see how each number was calculated — use a tool like DataHub Pro that reads the entire dataset and returns an audit trail.