Datarails vs Microsoft Excel
Eight of twelve models named Datarails first on the direct prompt; zero named Microsoft Excel. Datarails was named by eleven of the twelve models and Microsoft Excel by eight and Datarails carries 21 labels and Microsoft Excel 14, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in ten categories this edition.
Named in eleven categories this edition.
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; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the financial modeling and scenario planning page.
By framing
DatarailsFirst choices, of twelve modelsMicrosoft Excel
Every model, every framing
| Model | Direct | Paraphrase | Comparative | Budget-constrained | Scale-constrained | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | | | ||||
| GPT-5.4 mini | | | ||||
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | | |||||
| Perplexity Sonar | | |||||
| Grok 4.1 Fast | | | | | | |
| Mistral Small | | | ||||
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | | | ||||
| Llama 4 Maverick | | | ||||
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | | | ||||
| Kimi K2 | | | ||||
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | | | | |||
| MiniMax M2.5 | | | |
Datarails Microsoft Excel first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Datarails on the left and Microsoft Excel on the right.The direct prompt
Datarails first, Microsoft Excel not the choice
8 of 12 modelsMicrosoft Excel was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.Neither was the first choice, one was named
2 of 12 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.Neither was named
2 of 12 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.
By buyer segment
Microsoft Excel6%#9 of 13Datarails2%#10 of 13Datarails19%#1 of 8Microsoft Excel11%#4 of 8Datarails0%#– of 7Microsoft Excel0%#– of 7What the models said about Datarails
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Three of three in this category shown.
“Avoid pricier dedicated tools like Finmark ($50+/month) or Datarails until revenue grows” Grok 4.1 Fast · budget prompt · hard negative
“Datarails is widely considered the best financial modeling software for most mid-market B2B companies” MiniMax M2.5 · direct prompt · first choice
“If you rely heavily on Excel and want a seamless transition, Datarails is the top pick.” Mistral Small · direct prompt · first choice
What the models said about Microsoft Excel
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Three of four in this category shown.
“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
Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.