Workbooks vs. Excel Add-in
Both Workbooks and the Excel Add-in help you build and view financial reports, but they work differently and serve different workflows. Workbooks run entirely in a browser, so anyone on your team can open them from any device without installing anything. The Excel Add-in lives inside Microsoft Excel on a Windows desktop, which gives you the familiar Excel environment but comes with constraints around installation, file management, and collaboration.
FAQ
General Benefits
Feature
Workbook
Excel Add-in
Accessibility
- Works in a browser on any device, including mobile. No installation is required.
- Built on modern technology for better performance.
- Simpler, more intuitive interface.
- Must be installed on a Windows desktop. Mobile and unmanaged devices are not supported.
- Requires a separate login from the main application.
File Management
- Files are stored in a central location inside the application, which reduces the risk of outdated versions being shared.
- File access is visible directly from the interface.
- You can copy an entire folder and its contents in one step.
- Files can be saved anywhere on a computer or network, which makes them harder to track and organize.
- There is no central place to manage file access.
Collaboration
- Everyone always sees the latest version automatically when they open a workbook.
- Workbooks can be embedded directly into your ERP or other applications.
- Distribution does not require an Excel license.
- When you update a shared report, you must resend the file for recipients to see the changes. Distributions must also be manually updated with the new file.
- Excel Add-in files cannot be embedded in an ERP or other applications.
- Setting up distributions requires an Excel license.
Visualizations
- Built-in form controls such as dropdowns and date pickers can be added without any technical background.
- Similar controls are available in Excel but require Excel developer tools and additional formatting effort.
Security
- Security settings are managed directly inside the application, without involving IT.
- You can grant access to specific user groups when saving or publishing a workbook.
- Because files are stored outside the application, there is no central place to manage access.
Software Updates
- Workbooks update automatically when your server is updated. All users get the same version at the same time.
- The Excel Add-in must be updated manually on each computer where it is installed.
Prebuilt Reports
- Includes a larger library of prebuilt financial reports and dashboards.
- Includes prebuilt financial reports, but the selection is more limited than workbooks.
Feature Comparison
Feature
Workbook
Excel Add-in
Selection Page
- Accessible from any browser or device. Excel is not required to adjust filters or run reports.
- Clean layout that is easy to use.
- Only available inside Excel on a desktop.
Drill Down Wizard
- Results appear in a side panel on the same page, so you can compare figures without switching tabs.
- Several display options are available.
- Hyperlinks let you navigate to the related record in your ERP directly from the results.
- Dynamic caching speeds up data loading.
- Works on formula cells and measures in a data extraction.
- Results open in a separate sheet. You must switch between sheets to compare figures.
- No display options and no ERP hyperlinks.
- Only works on cells that contain a formula.
Formula Wizard
- Use the search bar to find fields without scrolling through the full list.
- Combine multiple filters using AND and OR conditions, including grouped filter logic.
- Preview the result before applying the formula.
- When a cell uses more than one formula, you can name each one to keep them organized.
- No search bar. You must scroll through the full field list to find what you need.
- Filters cannot be combined with AND and OR conditions, and grouping is not supported.
- No preview option. You only see the result after the formula is applied.
- You must manually select which dimensions to cache to optimize report loading time.
Data Extraction Wizard
- Data is placed in a formatted table automatically.
- Adjacent columns are part of the extraction's definition and are managed through the wizard.
- You can copy an entire extraction, including adjacent columns, to reuse it in another report.
- Automatic data refresh is available so reports stay current without manual action.
- Display options such as a Top 5 Customers view let you focus on the most relevant data.
- Data is not formatted as a table automatically. You must select and format the cells manually.
- Adjacent columns are not part of the extraction's definition and do not update automatically when the extraction changes.
- No automatic refresh. Data updates only when you open the file or trigger a manual refresh.
Pivot Wizard
- Automatic refresh is available, so pivot results stay current without manual steps.
- Pivot results must be refreshed manually each time.
Hide Zero Values
- The Hide Zeros feature removes rows or columns with zero values in one step.
- No Hide Zeros feature. Each row must be hidden individually.