The 2nd edition is out now!
The 2nd edition covers additionally Python in Excel and xlwings Lite. It also adds a few new projects that make use of modern technologies, including DuckDB, Parquet files, pretrained machine learning models from Hugging Face, and the OpenAI API.
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xlwings (Open Source)
This it the core Python package. It requires a local installation of both Excel and Python and works on Windows and macOS.
- Write Python scripts to automate Excel
- Write macros in Python and run them at the click of a button
- Write user-defined functions (UDFs) in Python (Windows-only)
- Build custom add-ins
- Interact with Excel from Jupyter notebooks
- BSD 3-Clause License
xlwings Lite
xlwings Lite is the easiest way to get started with xlwings. Simply install xlwings Lite from Excel's add-in store and start writing Python code directly in Excel.
- No local Python installation required
- Works on Windows, macOS, and Excel on the web (incl. the free version of Excel)
- Custom Functions
- Access to the Excel object model
- Python code is stored inside the workbook
- Free via Microsoft's add-in store
- Commercial license for self-hosting
xlwings Server
For professional developers who want to build a modern Excel add-in without the hassle. Self-hosted solution that runs Python on the server.
- No local Python installation required
- Fits professional dev workflows: version control, testing, and CI/CD
- Can be installed on Linux Servers, incl. Azure Functions, etc.
- Works with Excel on Windows, macOS, and Excel on the web
- Custom Functions
- Access to the Excel object model
- SSO Authentication via Entra ID
- Role-based Access Control (RBAC)
- Python code is stored on the server
- Use the task pane to create user interfaces
- Commercial license
What Our Users Say
We use xlwings to automate the data feeds of one of our analytical spreadsheet tools, which saves us 1–2 days of tedious manual work every month. Data sources include REST APIs, CSV files via SFTP, and web scraping.
Jolanda Stadelmann, Founding Partner, zCapital
xlwings has saved me hundreds of hours in my current role. I replaced the VBA reporting with it and instead of taking 20–30 hours a month I can get the reports run in 6–7 hours.
Adam Wood, CFA, Analyst at a large U.S. custody bank