Alteryx Platform vs. Microsoft Excel

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Alteryx Platform
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
The Alteryx AI Platform gives organization automated data preparation, AI-powered analytics, and machine learning with embedded governance and security. Its self-service functionality, with self-service data prep, machine learning, and AI-generated insights, gives enterprise teams with a simplified user experience allowing everyone to create analytic solutions that improve productivity, efficiency, and the bottom line. Alteryx Designer can be used to automate every analytics step…
$14,850
per year 3 users (minimum), cloud edition
Microsoft Excel
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application available as part of Microsoft 365 (Office 365), or standalone, in cloud-based and on-premise editions.
$6.99
per month
Pricing
Alteryx PlatformMicrosoft Excel
Editions & Modules
Designer Desktop
starting at $5,195
per year per user
Designer Cloud Professional Edition
Starting at $4,950
per year per user (minimum of 3 users)
Excel with Microsoft 365
$6.99
per month
Excel for 1 PC or Mac
$139.99
perpetual license
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Alteryx PlatformMicrosoft Excel
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Alteryx PlatformMicrosoft Excel
Considered Both Products
Alteryx Platform
Chose Alteryx Platform
Alteryx serves as a complementary product, performing all the data wrangling for the likes of Tableau Desktop and Microsoft PowerBI for visualization. Microsoft Excel serves as an easier means of automation for tasks that previously would have involved a lot of manual …
Chose Alteryx Platform
Alteryx is way better than Microsoft Excel. It visually lets you do things to the data, one tool at a time. And, you can just delete the tool if it did not do what you were wanting it to do. Excel is a nice app, but Alteryx expands the capability so much more, especially …
Chose Alteryx Platform
I prefer Alteryx Platform to all the above products. In my opinion, the Microsoft products (Excel, Power BI) are inferior, cheaper alternatives to Alteryx Platform.
Chose Alteryx Platform
The Server component of Alteryx is what our team drew to it. Having a centralized server and support team allows a lot of self service analytics
Chose Alteryx Platform
I still use SQL, Python, and Excel when I have to - but alteryx has largely replaced all three of these. Every operation I need to do in any of these I can do in alteryx and see what I'm doing each step of the way - so problem solving is also easier.
Chose Alteryx Platform
IMHO KNIME is not user friendly as much as Alteryx. Learning curve is long. Regardless is Open Source, the GUI is awful. To do same job in Alteryx you need to add many components and the configuration is very complex. Although the application is free, the server side is not.
I …
Chose Alteryx Platform
Knime is open source and free. It also positions itself a little on machine learning. But the user experience and the features available are far less powerful than Alteryx. I was a former user of Lavastorm (ancestor of Infogix Data360) and got acquainted with the low-code …
Chose Alteryx Platform
Alteryx has many connectors that allow it to bring data in from various systems and export it to various formats and systems (SQL Server, Oracle DB, ODBCs, etc.) There are also additional connectors available provided by third parties that can help with connecting to other …
Chose Alteryx Platform
Alteryx is feature-rich and allows our team to blend multiple data sources and types together with ease. We are able to really speed through workflow development while strengthening the quality of the output. I would say that Alteryx is able to outdo the other products in the …
Chose Alteryx Platform
Alteryx is basically a packaged version of Excel, which potentially less functionality but much 1) easier to learn and 2) greater power to process larger datasets.
Chose Alteryx Platform
Alteryx is much more repeatable, accurate, and reliable. It also is more efficient and loads faster than excel transformations.
Chose Alteryx Platform
Alteryx was faster in processing the data and had more user-friendly tools to automate the reporting function.
Microsoft Excel
Chose Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is legacy software and no one till now had matched the functionality of Excel. We can even automate daily tasks easily with help of macros. Also one can connect various data base to it and you are good to go without any other hassle. Google Sheets is …
Chose Microsoft Excel
We utilize Tableau and Alteryx in addition to Excel. We use Excel since we have a data dump that could be utilized in feeding for these two solutions. We select Excel for some manual work then plug the data into the other two tools for further analysis around text analytics …
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User Ratings
Alteryx PlatformMicrosoft Excel
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(138 ratings)
9.3
(77 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.8
(19 ratings)
9.7
(7 ratings)
Usability
9.2
(53 ratings)
8.4
(22 ratings)
Availability
7.3
(4 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Performance
8.8
(45 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Support Rating
9.2
(52 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
In-Person Training
7.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
8.6
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(5 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Configurability
7.3
(2 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Ease of integration
8.2
(3 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
7.3
(3 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.2
(2 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
7.3
(1 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
Alteryx PlatformMicrosoft Excel
Likelihood to Recommend
Alteryx
I would 100% recommend Alteryx to a friend, for me its friendly interface is the best, it has all the tools I need without the headache that programming is. It can be used for simple or complex analysis, so honestly, I don’t see a scenario where it wouldn’t suit. I’ve used Alteryx to make simple things I could do in Excel, for example, but it was less complex and faster to do in Alteryx, so why not? Its a very versatile tool.
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Microsoft
I don't really know another program as powerful as Excel. I've used Google Doc programs but do not feel they come close. So far, anytime I've needed a table of some sort for data, whether it's budget oriented or information off a survey, the best system has been Excel. We do web audits on occasion and we create an Excel worksheet featuring every URL of the pages we're auditing, notes, data about the content, information about files attached to the page and other information to help us determine what pages need updating, deleting or otherwise. We also use Excel primarily to export our Google Analytics to in order for us to create reports for clients that need to see specific information about their traffic.
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Pros
Alteryx
  • Pulling data from multiple disparate data sources.
  • Allows users to see the data at every step of the workflow to be able to cleanse, analyze, and optimize the data.
  • Provides an analytics platform that is easy for users of all levels to thrive in whether they are just starting out in their analytics journey or they have a master's degree in Data Science.
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Microsoft
  • It is very good at embedded formulas and tying cells to one another
  • It allows me to compare deals terms on a side-by-side basis and talk my clients through it easily.
  • It is very helpful as well in terms of allowing me to filter/sort results in many different ways depending on what specific information I am most interested in prioritizing.
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Cons
Alteryx
  • Steeper Learning Curve: Alteryx can have a steep learning curve for users who are new to the platform or have limited experience with data analytics. Enhancements to the user interface and user onboarding resources could help make the learning process more intuitive and accessible to a wider range of users.
  • Enhanced Data Visualization Capabilities: Alteryx offers basic data visualization capabilities, but there is room for improvement in terms of advanced visualizations and interactive dashboarding features. Adding more sophisticated chart types, interactive widgets, and customization options would enhance the data visualization capabilities within the platform.
  • Improved Error Handling and Debugging: Alteryx provides error handling mechanisms, but enhancing the error reporting and debugging capabilities would be beneficial. Improved error messages, better visibility into data flow, and debugging tools could help users troubleshoot and resolve issues more efficiently.
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Microsoft
  • Excel offers collaboration features that allow multiple users to work on the same spreadsheet, but managing changes made by different users can be challenging. Excel could improve its features by offering more granular control, better tracking of changes, and more robust conflict resolution tools.
  • Itcan be a barrier to productivity when importing and exporting data from other applications or file formats. To improve its features, it should offer better support for standard file formats and more robust error handling and reporting tools.
  • Excel can be challenging for finance students and working professionals, but it can be improved by offering more robust tutorials, better documentation, and more user communities and support forums.
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Likelihood to Renew
Alteryx
We've developed a working partnership with Alteryx. As an enablement suite, we're continuing to innovate and deliver great products with use of Alteryx in our solutions. Alteryx use expands to our global product development teams and is in use in multiple parts of our organization. Alteryx also delivers Experian demographic content to other clients in their product offering. We're highly likely to renew, but that decision is way above my pay grade.
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Microsoft
Excel remains the industry standard for spreadsheets and has maintained simple and straight-forward formula writing methods. Although there is a learning curve to do more complex calculations, there are countless help sites and videos on the Internet for almost any need.
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Usability
Alteryx
I've found that while some things might take a little longer to create, the flexibility of Alteryx allows you to perform any function needed. I haven't found a use that was not available in Alteryx yet. APIs and XMLs can be created to perform certain functions. In addition, CMD line commands can be sent using Alteryx to perform certain functions as well.
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Microsoft
I'm giving it a 7 because it is my go to. But the fact other prefer Google Sheets when working with a team does get irritating. I've used the online version of Microsoft Excel that other teams can get into and it still seems behind Google Sheets. It's a little clanky and slow? If that's even a term.
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Reliability and Availability
Alteryx
I use many programs and compared to others, Alteryx virtually never goes down, freezes up or gives an application error. Over a 4 year time period that I have used this program, any of these may have happened 3 times. It is an incredibly stable program that I feel completely confident in.
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Microsoft
I have rarely, if ever, had issues with its availability.
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Performance
Alteryx
I already gave the example of journal entries created in less than a second. What else can I tell you about.... I can tell you those 2 journal entries have historically had to be split into separate accounting systems so the outputs had to be very different (D365 vs Intacct) such that they are exactly ready for uploading. I can tell you I used to have some tire and battery queries hitting a line item detail table and they took hours to run UNTIL I asked IT for a view in SQL and now they're ready in about 5 minutes total. I guess I'd say if anything does take a long time - do some research with others and figure out what would speed them up
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Microsoft
Excel load and performs calculations immediately. It integrate well with all Microsoft Office applications and does not slow them down.
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Support Rating
Alteryx
Stellar, bar-none. Some of the best support folks of any vendor. The Alteryx Community is the most responsive and supportive. On the rare occasion of a release issue or bug, we've been able to get quick help to solve the core problem. Alteryx does not play the blame game. They genuinely help the users solve their issues or respond to questions
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Microsoft
I have not had to use it often, but it is good.
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In-Person Training
Alteryx
1st level of trainings which I've attended in Paris was easy and I was already knowing %90, that learning could have been an e-learning instead of in-person
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Online Training
Alteryx
Very good, detailed online trainings which you can take at your own pace, and strong certifications exists, certifications are extremely detailed and hard...
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Alteryx
There is really not much to it (the installation, that is). Once you get it installed, along with any of the add-ons (demographics, R, etc.), you are up and running almost immediately. There is really no additional setup. You can immediately begin blending data, running demographics, performing spatial queries, running predictive analysis, etc. And for many of these functions, the learning curve is quite easy.
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Alteryx
Alteryx is MUCH more user friendly. both provide the ability to code within them, but Alteryx has much nicer interface. The formula tools have a more simple language that is easier to learn than formulae in SSIS. Alteryx is easy to read with multi colored tools identifying what each one does. It also allows for macros. You can build your own tool to process records of data or batch records together.
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Microsoft
Out of Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI, IBM SPSS, and Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel is by far the most common tool used for anything data-related across organizations. Accordingly, our organization has also implemented Microsoft Excel as a first-step tool. We recently adopted Microsoft Power BI (the free version), and use it occasionally (mostly for creating dashboards), but it is less commonly understood by stakeholders across our organization and by our clients. Accordingly, Microsoft Excel is more user-friendly and because of its popularity, we can easily look up how to do things in the program online. Google Sheets is a comparable alternative to Microsoft Excel, but because it's cloud-based and we have sensitive data that needs to be protected, we chose against using this software. Finally, a few users (including myself) have access to and utilize IBM's SPSS. For my role, it's a helpful tool to do more rigorous analyses. However, because of its cost and limited functionality as a simple spreadsheet, we only use it for more complex analyses.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Alteryx
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
N/A I was not involved in this process.
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Scalability
Alteryx
Individual analysts can quickly generate results using their own copy of Alteryx Designer. But using the Server and developing macros for more complex needs can be time consuming.
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Microsoft
Each user can use it to whatever level of expertise they have. It remains the same so users can contribute to another's work regardless of whether they have more or less expertise
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Return on Investment
Alteryx
  • Error handling - allows controls to be built into workflows easily and allows them to be isolated and spat into control reports that can be easily reviewed and audited, thanks to the ability to create multiple outputs in one go.
  • Time-saving - saved huge amounts of time, especially when moving Excel processes into Alteryx.
  • Product development - allowed my firm to create products that we have been able to market and sell to clients.
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Microsoft
  • Excel has positively impacted the business as it has increased our efficiency.
  • It also saves us the time that we would have spent on making the calculations that it does for us.
  • Since it works on all devices and is compatible with both Windows and Mac, we do not have to invest in any other alternative.
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ScreenShots

Alteryx Platform Screenshots

Screenshot of Alteryx APA - Automating asset inputsScreenshot of Alteryx APA - Automating outcomesScreenshot of Alteryx APA - Data enrichment and insightsScreenshot of Alteryx APA - Data quality and preparationScreenshot of Alteryx APA - Data science and decisions