To analyse a spreadsheet with AI, upload a clean, anonymised file to an assistant that can run real calculations. Ask a precise question, then check the key results in your spreadsheet. AI helps you spot trends and write formulas, but it can also produce a wrong total.
The attached file contains [description, e.g. monthly sales by product]. The data is anonymised. Columns: [column name = meaning]. Question: [precise question]. Run the calculations with code, show the method and give the equivalent Excel formulas. Flag missing or unusual values before drawing any conclusion.
Replace the parts in square brackets. Always reread the result before using it. Learn to write a good request
A work situation, an exercise with a real AI model, about 5 minutes.
| Tool | Hosting | Your data | Data processing agreement | Price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | EU as an option | Training can be turned off | Data processing agreement on business plans | Free, then from $8 / month | 75 |
| Claude | Hosted outside the EU | Training can be turned off | Data processing agreement on business plans | Free, then from $20 / month | 68 |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | Hosted in the EU | No training on your data | Data processing agreement available | From €21.84 / user/month | 96 |
Only checked listings appear in this table, from the most general to the most specialised. No paid placement.
Under review, listings still being checked: Julius AI, Tableau.
Prefer a tool that calculates with code or formulas and shows its method, rather than text that guesses the result.
An assistant built into Excel or your online spreadsheet avoids exports and works on the up-to-date file.
Check that the charts it produces can be exported and edited in your presentation tools.
Customer, payroll or accounting files need a plan without training, a data processing agreement and anonymised data.
ChatGPT is OpenAI’s chat assistant. It writes, summarises, translates and analyses files from written or spoken instructions. It comes as a free version, individual subscriptions and business plans.
Claude is Anthropic’s chat assistant. It writes, summarises and analyses long documents from instructions in everyday language. It comes as a free version, individual subscriptions and team plans.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is the AI assistant built into Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It draws on the emails, files and meetings the user can already access.
Julius AI analyses data files, such as Excel or CSV spreadsheets, from questions asked in everyday language. It produces charts and summaries.
Tableau is data visualisation and dashboard software made by Salesforce. Its AI features let you query data in everyday language and generate analyses.
It can reach the same result from a written question and explain how to build the table in Excel. For regular tracking, a pivot table in your file is more reliable and reusable. Use AI to explore your data faster.
It depends on the plan, because some free plans may use your conversations to improve their models. Anonymise personal data before uploading and choose a professional plan with a data processing agreement. Take the same care with sensitive financial figures.
Ask for the method and the formulas used, then redo two or three calculations in your spreadsheet. Also check the number of rows taken into account. A gap often comes from a forgotten filter or a misunderstood column.