AIgo Notes10 FREE Excel Add Ins to Boost Your Productivity
Top 10 Useful Free Excel Add-ins You Probably Didn't Know Existed
If you're an Excel user, get ready to boost your productivity! Here are 10 free and lesser-known Excel add-ins that can make your work easier—ranging from diagramming tools to macroeconomic data importers. Below, you'll find key details on each one and how you can use them.
How to Install an Excel Add-in
- Open Excel.
- Go to the Insert tab and select Get Add-ins.
- Search by name or browse categories.
- Click on an add-in for more info, then click Add to install.
1. Wikipedia Add-in
- Easily insert images and information from Wikipedia directly in Excel.
- Adds a panel to search entries, browse sections, and drag images/text into your sheet.
- For tables, use Power Query for better control and data cleaning.
2. FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
- Access over 800,000 macroeconomic data series from various sources.
- After install, find FRED on the ribbon.
- Use Quick Start to browse popular US and international data.
- Insert specific metrics (e.g., unemployment rates) and fetch fresh data with "Get Data".
- Offers data manipulation and information about data usage.
3. Mini Calendar and Date Picker
- Insert a dynamic calendar onto your sheet for easy date selection.
- Click dates to insert them into active cells.
- Resize or move as needed; options to insert current time and adjust calendar settings (e.g., start week on Monday).
- Keep it visible with frozen panes.
- Remove by clicking the arrow and selecting Delete.
4. Functions Translator
- Useful for collaborating in different languages.
- Choose "From" and "To" languages and translate Excel function names and formulas.
- Paste formulas for translation; handles language differences (such as separators).
- Note: Newest Office 365 functions may not be supported yet.
5. Symbols and Characters
- Adds a sidebar for inserting emoticons, currency symbols, fractions, special language characters, and more.
- Helpful search options (e.g., add progress circles for tracking tasks).
- Note: Undo (Ctrl + Z) may not work with this add-in.
6. QR4Office
- Generate QR codes from URLs or text and insert them into Excel.
- Adjust quality, size, and version of the QR code as needed.
7. draw.io (diagrams.net) Add-in
- Import flowcharts, design diagrams, floor layouts, etc., into Excel sheets.
- Integration with OneDrive; insert diagrams and edit directly from Excel.
- Updates reflect in your spreadsheet after editing in draw.io.
8. Bing Maps
- Plot and visualize location-based data on interactive maps within Excel.
- Select your data and insert a map with automatic plotting.
- Supports location zooming and dynamic updates with Excel tables.
9. Advanced Formula Environment
- Provides a more user-friendly interface for writing, editing, and organizing formulas and named ranges.
- Create new "custom functions" without manually writing LAMBDA; offers descriptions, argument definitions, and improved editing compared to Name Manager.
10. Excel-to-Word Automation
- Connect Excel data to Word (or PowerPoint) documents, updating content dynamically.
- Supports sample content insertion and updates; can map specific cells to Word placeholders.
- Free and paid versions available.
Bonus: Managing Your Add-ins
Uninstalling
- Go to Insert > Add-ins > My Add-ins.
- Refresh list if needed.
- Click More Options on an add-in and select Remove; the add-in and related tabs will disappear.
Summary Table
| Add-in | Main Functionality | |---------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | Wikipedia | Insert info & images from Wikipedia | | FRED Data | Import macroeconomic data series | | Mini Calendar/Date Picker | Quick date insertion and management | | Functions Translator | Translate Excel functions/formulas between languages | | Symbols & Characters | Insert special symbols and localized characters | | QR4Office | Generate and insert QR codes | | draw.io/diagrams.net | Embed and edit diagrams & flowcharts | | Bing Maps | Visualize geographic data on maps | | Advanced Formula Env. | Advanced formula management and custom functions | | Excel-to-Word Automation | Link, update Excel data in Word/PowerPoint |
Let us know which add-ins you found useful or if you have favorites not on the list!