Is Excel Still Relevant in 2025?

Since launching in 1985, Microsoft Excel has been the go-to spreadsheet application for businesses and professionals. For decades, Excel has powered business operations and data analytics dashboards.

In 2025, with the existence of AI, Power BI and Python to automate and speed up analytics workflows, many wonder if Excel is finally past its prime.

Fun fact: Excel was first launched on Apple Macbook, then later launched on Windows when it became a more popular OS.

Here’s the truth, Excel is here to stay. In fact, it continues to evolve, incorporating advanced features each year to stay aligned with the ever changing tech ecosystem. Whether you are a business owner, startup founder or a professional in any field, Excel is the most accessible, intuitive, widely used and accepted tool in the workplace.

Fun fact: Excel has over 750 million users worldwide.

Here’s why:

1. Low barrier to entry. Excel is easy to learn and start using immediately, unlike Python and Power BI which have steeper learning curves. Anyone can use Excel regardless of their technical background.
2. Excel is the global standard at the workplace. It is deeply embedded into business operations worldwide, from financial reporting, to marketing and logistics. Its intuitive interface ensures smooth collaboration, as nearly all professionals use and understand it.
3. Modern Excel offers advanced features. With features such as Power Query, Pivot tables and AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot, Excel now supports automation and advanced analytics which might have once required the use of Python and Power BI.
4. It is used alongside Python and Power BI. Excel is not in competition with Python and Power BI, but rather complements them. Data professionals often use all three; Excel for quick analysis, Power BI for visualization and Python for automation and modelling. Together, they create a powerful ecosystem for data management.

To answer the question, yes, Excel is still relevant in 2025. It might not be the most advanced tool for data analytics and management out there, but it continues to evolve to fit the future of work. Its strengths include simplicity, accessibility and reliability, which make it a timeless tool even as the ways which we handle data get more complex.