# Excel or Google Sheets: how AI models rank it, October 2026

Finance AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition. Named in 4 judge labels across 3 categories by 4 of 14 models. Page: https://finance-ai-index.com/vendors/excel-or-google-sheets/

## Standing by category

| Category | Share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial modeling and scenario planning | 0% | 25 | 0% | 2 |
| Fixed asset accounting | 0% | 92 | 100% | 1 |
| FP&A platforms | 0% | 35 | 0% | 1 |

## What the models said for it

- "For very tight budgets: Start with Excel or Google Sheets with templates." (MiniMax M2.5, FP&A platforms)
- "Best for Maximum Flexibility on a $0 Budget: Excel or Google Sheets" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, Financial modeling)
- "Most Affordable Option (Essentially Free): Excel or Google Sheets" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, Financial modeling)

## And against it

- "Not ideal if you need strong audit controls or lots of assets" (GPT-5.4 mini, Fixed asset accounting)

## Movement since September 2026

Floor: 10 points of share, measured on the calibration repeat. A larger change is movement; a smaller one is noise.

- Financial modeling and scenario planning: 0% to 0%, ±0. Inside the floor by 10 points · rank 42 → 25 of 77.
- Fixed asset accounting: 0% to 0%, ±0. New · not ranked in September 2026 · rank 92 of 107.
- FP&A platforms: 0% to 0%, ±0. New · not ranked in September 2026 · rank 35 of 74.

## Record

- Method: https://finance-ai-index.com/methodology/
- Raw judge labels and full responses: https://finance-ai-index.com/data/
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as Finance AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, finance-ai-index.com.