How to Use Windows Excel for Mac in 2025
Can you use Excel on a Mac? Does Excel work on Mac? If you have queries related to the same or want to know how to use Windows Excel for Mac, you can take the help of this guide.
Excel is one of the most commonly used spreadsheet editing programs from Microsoft. Microsoft Excel was the first spreadsheet editor for Windows, and its advanced features and functionalities have made it possible for the tool to be the most popular and the most commonly used spreadsheet editor for Windows even after so many decades.
Excel is available for multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and others. However, the functionality of the tool can differ on all operating systems. Microsoft Excel is quite actively used on Windows and Mac, and it has the most common features between the two operating systems.
However, even with so many similarities between Excel for Mac and Excel for Windows, the two differ a lot. For example, important features like autosave, Side-by-Side view, SmartTag, comprehensive VBA code capabilities, Extended ASCII characters, Power Pivot support, Quick Access Toolbar (QAT), Paste only formulas, Page Break View, etc., are unavailable in Excel for Mac, but are available in the tool for Windows.
This is the main reason why, even if you are a Mac user, you may wish to use Windows Excel on a Mac. It is indeed possible to use the tool of one operating system on another. This entire guide will explain the ways to use Windows Excel on a Mac.
Methods to Run Windows Excel on Mac
The process to run Windows Excel on a Mac is very straightforward. You have multiple options to use Excel on a Mac. First, we will show you the most straightforward way to use the official Excel for Mac. Therefore, if you only wish to use Windows Excel on a Mac, you will find the following solutions. So, let’s proceed without any further ado.
Method 1: Use the Official Excel for Mac
One of the easiest ways to use Excel on Mac is to download, install, and use the official one from the App Store. If you wish to use Excel on Mac for basic tasks related to editing the spreadsheet, you can opt for the official version. You can visit the official App Store webpage of Excel for Mac, download the tool, and install it. Using this version of Excel, you can get multiple things done with ease.
However, if you want to use advanced features like the option to connect to multiple data sources, VBA animation, data connectivity using SQL, Text, HTML, and more, you can use Windows Excel on Mac using the solutions offered below.
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Method 2: Use Windows Excel on Mac Using Parallels Desktop for Mac
Using Parallels Desktop is one of the most reliable ways to use Windows Excel on a Mac. Parallels Desktop is an app for macOS that allows you to download and run a variety of Windows apps and programs on macOS. This is the reason why you can easily use Windows Excel on a Mac device. All you have to do is download Parallels from its official website, install Windows using the tool, and thereafter use Excel using Parallels Desktop.
With the help of Parallels, you can run multiple Windows apps on a Mac, including PowerBI, Tableau, Jira, Trados, MySQL Workbench, Camtasia, Adobe Creative Cloud, WinZip, QuickBooks, and the list goes on. Apart from apps, you can also play games on a Mac using Parallels. This includes popular game titles like Assassin’s Creed, Lethal Company, Rocket League, and more.
Method 3: Use VMware Fusion for Mac
Yet another method to use Windows Excel on a Mac is to download and install VMware Fusion for Mac. The app is similar to Parallels Desktop and acts like a virtual desktop for Mac. Using the software, you can easily use Windows Excel for Mac.
The process to use VMware Fusion is quite simple. What you have to do is download VMware Fusion for Mac, install the Windows operating system, download Windows Excel, and install it on the system. Lastly, you can run Windows Excel on Mac right from the VMware Fusion for Mac app.
With the help of VMware Fusion for Mac, you can run multiple apps on a Mac apart from Windows Excel. This includes popular software titles from the Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, and many others. Additionally, the tool also allows you to play multiple games on a Mac using VMware Fusion for Mac.
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Summing Up: How to Use Windows Excel for Mac?
Previously, we had a look at some of the best ways that can help you use Windows Excel on a Mac. When it comes to Excel for Mac vs Windows, the Windows version of Excel has multiple additional features that the Mac version of Excel does not yet possess. If a Mac user wants to use these features on macOS, the only way to do that is by using a third-party virtual desktop app like Parallels or VMware Fusion.
If you need any help in choosing the right app to run Windows Excel on Mac, or you have some queries related to the process, you can ask the same in the comments section below. Also, if you liked this guide, you can subscribe to our newsletter and follow our social media pages for daily blog updates.
