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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Money in Excel was a real Microsoft product, but it is no longer active. Microsoft launched it in the United States on June 15, 2020, for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers. Support ended on June 30, 2023, so the workbook cannot refresh accounts, import new transactions, add connections, or reconnect disconnected accounts today.
The original announcement remains useful as a historical explanation, not as a current setup guide. If you still have a workbook, preserve its data before moving to another service.
What Money in Excel was
Money in Excel was a Microsoft-provided financial workbook, Excel add-in and automated account-connection service—not a separate edition of Excel. At launch, it used Plaid to connect eligible financial institutions and bring information into an Excel workbook.
- Bank, credit-card, investment and loan accounts could be connected.
- Transactions and account balances were imported into worksheets.
- The Snapshot view, categories, charts, calculations and tables helped users review spending.
- Selected alerts could flag subscription-price increases, bank or overdraft charges and unusually large purchases.
Microsoft described the product in its June 15, 2020 announcement: Introducing Money in Excel.
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When it launched and who could use it
Money in Excel launched on June 15, 2020, initially in the United States. Eligibility was tied to Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions during the service’s active period. The launch guidance recommended using a PC or Mac, with optimal performance on Windows 10 and Edge or Chrome. U.S. availability did not imply worldwide bank or regional support.
How the original setup worked
The following is the historical launch workflow. It is not a working activation procedure now.
- Download the Money in Excel template from Microsoft.
- Open the workbook in Excel and follow its prompts.
- Use the Plaid connection screen to select eligible financial institutions and authorize access.
- Allow the workbook to import available transactions and balances.
- Review the Snapshot and transaction worksheets, then customize categories, formulas, charts and tables.
- Use the workbook’s update control to retrieve later transactions while the service was supported.
How Plaid handled account connections
Plaid was the third-party connection provider, not a Microsoft-owned banking system. Microsoft said that, after authorization, Plaid could access balances, transaction history and associated account information such as the account owner’s name and address. Microsoft also said Plaid would not receive the user’s Microsoft 365 subscription login information and would not share financial-institution login credentials with Microsoft. Those statements describe the launch architecture, not a blanket security guarantee for every account or replacement service.
Why the workbook appealed to spreadsheet users
- Familiar interface: users could work in Excel rather than learn a separate budgeting app.
- Flexible analysis: formulas, tables, categories and charts could be changed to suit a household’s system.
- Consolidated view: supported accounts appeared in one workbook.
- Automated imports: transactions did not have to be entered manually while connections were functioning.
- Subscription inclusion: it was presented as a benefit for eligible Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers rather than a separate Money in Excel subscription.
Important limitations at launch
- The initial release was U.S.-only.
- Use required an eligible Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription.
- Institution compatibility depended on Plaid and the accounts it supported.
- Connecting accounts required trusting a third-party data-connection service.
- It was an Excel-centered budgeting workbook, not a full-featured replacement for every personal-finance application.
- Its automated features depended on Microsoft continuing to operate the service—a dependency that ultimately mattered.
What changed on June 30, 2023
Microsoft ended Money in Excel support effective June 30, 2023, saying it would focus on other areas where it could have a greater impact. Microsoft’s end-of-support FAQ describes the resulting limits.
| Capability | Current status |
|---|---|
| Open an old workbook | May still be possible if you have the file and a compatible Excel installation. |
| Receive new transactions | No. |
| Refresh existing accounts | No. |
| Add new accounts | No. |
| Reconnect disconnected accounts | No. |
| Keep data already in the workbook | Yes; it remains in your file. |
| Microsoft access to Money in Excel data | Microsoft says it no longer has access after shutdown. |
An Excel file opening normally does not mean the service is operating. Any balances or transactions shown in an old workbook should be treated as historical and potentially stale.
What to do if you still have a Money in Excel workbook
- Make a local copy. Save the workbook outside OneDrive as well as keeping the cloud copy.
- Create a second backup. Use another drive or storage provider so one damaged or deleted file is not your only copy.
- Preserve usable data. Export transaction tables to a standard format such as CSV where practical.
- Reconcile the ending balances. Compare the last imported balances with current statements before migrating.
- Do not expect restoration. Microsoft says the discontinued service cannot restore the data after shutdown.
- Disconnect your old workflow from your new one. Treat the workbook as an archive, then establish fresh connections in the replacement service.
Can you still download or activate it?
You should not rely on the old “Download now” language in the 2020 announcement. An archived template or a copy already stored in OneDrive is not an active Money in Excel service, and account synchronization no longer operates. Do not subscribe to Microsoft 365 solely to obtain Money in Excel.
Choosing a replacement
The best option depends on whether you want Excel itself, a guided budgeting method or a broader financial dashboard.
Tiller: closest to the Excel workflow
Microsoft identified Tiller as a transition option for former Money in Excel users. Tiller feeds financial data into Excel or Google Sheets and is the most direct conceptual fit for someone who wants automated spreadsheet feeds. Its Excel page currently states that the price after a 30-day trial is $99 per year; verify the live offer because prices and terms can change. Tiller’s own transition guidance says its Excel add-in feature set differs from the former Money in Excel experience and from Tiller’s Google Sheets offering. It is a separate paid service, not a Microsoft feature.
YNAB: structured, deliberate budgeting
YNAB suits users who want a guided method for assigning income and planning spending. It is an app-led budgeting system rather than an Excel workbook, so spreadsheet-level formula and layout control is more limited. Check the official pricing page for the current subscription amount.
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Quicken: broader personal-finance management
Quicken offers multiple products and tiers for users who need more comprehensive tracking than a budgeting workbook. It is more complex and less Excel-native; current features and prices depend on the plan shown on Quicken’s comparison page.
Monarch Money: app-centered household dashboard
Monarch Money is designed for a modern, ad-free dashboard consolidating household accounts and activity. It is subscription-based and not a spreadsheet replacement. Monarch’s pricing information says subscriptions can be billed monthly or annually and that users are notified before price changes.
Microsoft’s current Excel templates: manual budgeting
Microsoft 365 subscribers continue to have access to premium budget templates, but templates do not restore automated bank feeds. You would need manual entry or CSV imports and your own formulas. They are appropriate when staying in Excel matters more than automatic aggregation.
Privacy considerations when switching
Any replacement that connects financial accounts introduces a third-party data relationship. Review the provider’s current privacy, security and institution-support information before authorizing access. Plaid’s historical role in Money in Excel does not establish how another service handles credentials or transaction data. Microsoft’s statement that it no longer has access to Money in Excel data also does not remove privacy considerations for old workbook files stored locally or in OneDrive.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: “Money in Excel is Now Available” was accurate on June 15, 2020, but it is obsolete today. The service ended on June 30, 2023. Preserve any existing workbook as historical data, then choose Tiller for an Excel-centered paid workflow or select a budgeting app or manual template based on how you want to manage money now.
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