# Microsoft Excel vs Vena: which do AI models recommend for financial modeling, October 2026

Finance AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, Financial modeling and scenario planning. Zero of fourteen models named Microsoft Excel first on the direct prompt; one named Vena. Page: https://finance-ai-index.com/planning/financial-modeling-and-scenario-planning/microsoft-excel-vs-vena/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel | 14% | #1 of 14 | 24% | 17 | 12 of 14 |
| Vena | 12% | #3 of 14 | 5% | 21 | 11 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Qwen 3.7 Flash: vena first (first choices: Vena, Workday Adaptive Planning) (alternatives: Fathom, PlanGuru)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither first, one named (first choices: Datarails, Planful) (alternatives: Anaplan, Vena)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Aleph, Cube) (alternatives: Abacum, Bob Finance, Pigment, Vena)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Cube) (alternatives: Datarails, Jirav, Planful, Vena)
- GPT-6 Luna: neither first, one named (first choices: Workday Adaptive Planning) (alternatives: Cube, Vena)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither named (first choices: Datarails) (alternatives: Cube, Drivetrain, Planful, Prophix One)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither named (first choices: Datarails, Limelight) (alternatives: Abacum, Workday Adaptive Planning)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither named (first choices: Cube, Datarails, Drivetrain, Jirav) (alternatives: Abacum)
- Mistral Small: neither named (first choices: Abacum) (alternatives: Cube, Datarails)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named
- Kimi K2: neither named (first choices: Drivetrain) (alternatives: Mosaic, Pigment)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither named (first choices: Datarails) (alternatives: Abacum, Cube, Lucanet xP&A, Mosaic)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither named (first choices: Drivetrain) (alternatives: Abacum, Cube, Datarails, Pigment)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: neither named (first choices: Datarails) (alternatives: Cube, Drivetrain, Mosaic, Planful)

## What the models said about Microsoft Excel

- "If you want to project a company's budget/revenue, use Excel for flexibility, or Cube to automate it." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "If your company already pays for Microsoft 365, use Excel instead rather than buying another tool." (GPT-6 Luna, budget prompt, first choice)
- "the best choice is usually Microsoft Excel if you need maximum flexibility at the lowest cost" (Perplexity Sonar, budget prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.