# Cube vs Microsoft Excel: which do AI models recommend for financial modeling, September 2026

Finance AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition, Financial modeling and scenario planning. Two of twelve models named Cube first on the direct prompt; zero named Microsoft Excel. Page: https://finance-ai-index.com/planning/financial-modeling-and-scenario-planning/cube-vs-microsoft-excel/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cube | 11% | #3 of 8 | 0% | 18 | 9 of 12 |
| Microsoft Excel | 11% | #4 of 8 | 21% | 14 | 8 of 12 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Grok 4.1 Fast: cube first (first choices: Cube, Datarails) (alternatives: Drivetrain, Limelight, Pigment, Vena)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: cube first (first choices: Cube) (alternatives: Fathom, Float, Jedox, Jirav, Planful, Vena)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Mosaic, Pigment) (alternatives: Centage Planning Maestro, Cube, Datarails, Planful, Vena)
- Mistral Small: neither first, one named (first choices: Datarails, Limelight) (alternatives: Cube, Planful, Vena)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Limelight) (alternatives: Abacum, Cube, Datarails, Pigment, Planful)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither first, one named (first choices: Datarails) (alternatives: Abacum, Cube, Lucanet xP&A, Mosaic, Vena)
- Kimi K2: neither first, one named (first choices: Datarails) (alternatives: Aleph, Centage Planning Maestro, Cube)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither first, one named (first choices: Datarails) (alternatives: Cube, Drivetrain, Mosaic, Planful)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither first, one named (first choices: Datarails) (alternatives: Cube, Planful)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither named
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither named (first choices: Datarails) (alternatives: Abacum, Anaplan)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither named (first choices: Datarails, Drivetrain) (alternatives: Anaplan, Planful, Vena)

## What the models said about Cube

- "Cube: This is currently one of the fastest-growing tools in this space.... | Loves Excel and hates change | Cube |" (Qwen 3.7 Flash, direct prompt, first choice)
- "For a general mid-sized B2B company, Cube gives the best cost/value balance and adoption ease." (DeepSeek V4 Flash, paraphrase prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Microsoft Excel

- "Microsoft Excel | General‑purpose financial modeling | Dominant in finance, powerful formulas, Python in Excel, AI Copilot, wide ecosystem" (GLM 4.7 FlashX, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets remain the practical sweet spot, offering functionality, familiarity, and affordability." (Claude Haiku 4.5, budget prompt, first choice)
- "For many small businesses, the absolute best tool is the one you likely already own." (Qwen 3.7 Flash, budget prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all twelve 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.