Extensions > Plugins > Add-ins > Add-ons > Libraries > Frameworks > Connectors
For big technical engineering software, the ecosystem built around add-ins, modules, extensions, and similar components stands out for its dynamism and versatility. These supplemental elements can be used to address the constant demand for new features, improved workflows, and novel industry requirements, rather than big core updates.
Prices for such additions can range widely, reflecting variations in sophistication, licensing agreements, and the depth of integration offered. Some solutions remain free or open-source, while others command higher costs due to advanced functionalities or specialized vendor support.
Notably, popular engineering platforms often gain mass appeal because of extensive plugin libraries or a robust framework encouraging third-party contributions.
Customization can serve as a major attraction; engineers select from modules, widgets, and utilities to construct work environments closely matching their unique workflows or researchers their unique field.
- Python Libraries
- Python Frameworks
- Excel Add-ins
- Excel
- Automation, Data Analytics, PLM & ERP, Process Control, Simulation
- Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Process Improvement, Process Mapping, Process Optimization, Risk Management, Value Stream Mapping
The iGrafx platform for business process management and analysis offers Excel integration to import data for process modeling or export process information and reports to Excel.
Features:
- Business process modeling and analysis (BPMN, value stream mapping), process simulation, performance monitoring, risk and compliance management, Excel data import for process mapping, export process maps/data/reports to Excel, workflow automation
Pricing:
- Paid
- Comprehensive platform for enterprise process management, Excel integration allows leveraging spreadsheet data for modeling and analysis, facilitates data-driven process improvement and reporting.
- Commercial enterprise software, Excel integration is a feature within the larger iGrafx platform, primarily for users involved in business process management and operational excellence initiatives.
Best for:
- Business analysts, process improvement professionals, and enterprise architects using the iGrafx platform for process modeling and analysis who need to integrate with Excel for data input or reporting.
- Excel
- Civil Engineering, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Geotechnics
- Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geotechnics, Project Management, Quality Management, Software, Software as a Service (SaaS)
gINT is a geotechnical and geoenvironmental data management and reporting software. It offers robust capabilities to import data from and export reports to Excel.
Features:
- Borehole log drafting, fence diagrams, cross-sections, lab testing data management, geotechnical reporting, data import/export with Excel (for logs, lab data, project info), customizable report templates
Pricing:
- Paid
- Industry standard for geotechnical data management and reporting, powerful for creating professional borehole logs and other geotechnical deliverables, Excel integration facilitates data input and custom reporting.
- Commercial software (can be expensive), primarily a standalone application, Excel integration is for data exchange and reporting, not for performing gINT functions within Excel.
Best for:
- Geotechnical engineers, engineering geologists, and geoenvironmental professionals who use gINT for managing and reporting subsurface data and need to integrate with Excel for data input or custom report generation.
- Excel
- Data Analytics, Finance, Mathematics, Simulation
- Financial, Machine Learning, Open Source, Risk Management, Simulation, Software, Statistical Analysis
An Excel add-in that provides functions from the finmath lib, an open-source Java library for mathematical finance, enabling quantitative finance calculations in Excel.
Features:
- Mathematical finance functions, interest rate models, derivative pricing (e.g., options, swaps), Monte Carlo simulation for finance, stochastic calculus tools, term structure models, risk management calculations
Pricing:
- Free
- Free and open-source, brings sophisticated quantitative finance models into Excel, useful for financial engineering and risk management, based on a well-documented Java library.
- Requires Java and potentially some setup to link with Excel, using the functions might require understanding of quantitative finance and the finmath lib API, less user-friendly than commercial financial add-ins for non-programmers.
Best for:
- Quantitative analysts, financial engineers, and students in mathematical finance who want to perform advanced financial calculations and modeling in Excel using functions from the finmath Java library.
- Excel
- 2D Graphics, Data Analytics, Statistics
- Design for Six Sigma (DfSS), Design Thinking, Efficiency, Process Improvement, Quality Control, Quality Management, User experience (UX), User Interface (UI)
An Excel add-in utility that simplifies the process of adding labels to XY scatter chart data points, which can be cumbersome in native Excel.
Features:
- Label XY scatter plot points, use data from other cells as labels, customize label position, format labels, works with existing Excel charts, saves time for labeling many data points
Pricing:
- Paid
- Significantly improves the process of labeling data points on Excel XY scatter charts, very useful for presentations and reports where point identification is crucial, easy to use.
- Commercial software (though relatively inexpensive), specific utility focused on labeling XY charts, functionality is now partially covered by newer Excel versions (though this still offers more control).
Best for:
- Excel users who frequently create XY scatter plots and need a more efficient and flexible way to label individual data points for clarity and presentation.
- Excel
- 3D Graphics, Data Analytics, Geotechnics, Mathematics
- 3D, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), Design Optimization, Prototyping, User experience (UX), User Interface (UI)
An Excel add-in that creates 3D surface plots, 3D scatter plots, and contour plots from XYZ data directly within Microsoft Excel.
Features:
- 3D surface plots, 3D scatter plots, contour plots from XYZ data, customizable plot appearance (colors, lighting, rotation), no programming required, simple user interface
Pricing:
- Paid
- Easy way to generate 3D surface and scatter plots in Excel without complex programming or external software, good for visualizing XYZ data, simple to use.
- Commercial software, primarily a plotting tool with limited analytical capabilities, customization options might be less extensive than dedicated 3D graphing packages, performance with very large datasets could be a limitation.
Best for:
- Excel users needing to quickly and easily create 3D surface plots, 3D scatter plots, or contour plots from their XYZ data directly within the spreadsheet environment.
- Excel
- AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Data Analytics, Mathematics, Simulation
- Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Open Source, Software, Software Development Kit (SDK), User Interface (UI)
An open-source Python library that makes it easy to call Python from Excel and vice versa. It allows scripting Excel with Python and creating Python-based UDFs.
Features:
- Automate Excel with Python, write User Defined Functions (UDFs) in Python, control Excel via Python scripts, use Python libraries (NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, scikit-learn) with Excel, embed Matplotlib plots in Excel, real-time data streaming
Pricing:
- Free
- Free and open-source, powerful for automating Excel and extending its capabilities with Python, enables leveraging the entire Python scientific stack, good for developers and data scientists who prefer Python.
- Requires Python installation and some Python knowledge, UDF performance for very frequent calls can be a concern (though improvements are ongoing), deployment of solutions can be more complex than self-contained VBA.
Best for:
- Python developers, data scientists, and analysts who want to control, automate, and extend Microsoft Excel using Python, leveraging its rich scientific and data analysis libraries.
- Excel
- Data Analytics, Finance, Mathematics, Project Management, Simulation
- Financial, Project Management, Risk Analysis, Simulation, Statistical Analysis
An Excel add-in for performing Monte Carlo simulations and risk analysis, allowing users to model uncertainty and analyze potential outcomes directly in spreadsheets.
Features:
- Monte Carlo simulation, probability distributions, sensitivity analysis, scenario analysis, correlation modeling, forecasting, custom VBA functions for simulation, results visualization (histograms, charts)
Pricing:
- Paid
- Integrates Monte Carlo simulation capabilities into Excel, user-friendly for building risk models and performing uncertainty analysis, good for financial modeling and project risk assessment.
- Commercial software, may have fewer advanced features or distribution types compared to more specialized risk analysis suites (@RISK, ModelRisk), documentation and community support might be less extensive.
Best for:
- Excel users needing to incorporate Monte Carlo simulation for risk analysis and forecasting into their spreadsheet models, particularly in finance and project management.
- Excel
- AI and Machine Learning, Bioinformatics, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Quality, Statistics
- Machine Learning, Process Improvement, Quality Control, Quality Management, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Process Control (SPC), Statistical Tests
A powerful and comprehensive statistical analysis add-in for Microsoft Excel, offering a wide range of tools for data analysis, modeling, and visualization across various fields.
Features:
- Descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing (t-tests, ANOVA, chi-squared, etc.), regression (linear, nonlinear, logistic), multivariate analysis (PCA, FA, clustering, discriminant analysis), time series analysis, Design of Experiments (DOE), survival analysis, conjoint analysis, sensory analysis, machine learning tools (basic), extensive charting capabilities
Pricing:
- Paid
- Extensive suite of statistical methods, user-friendly interface within Excel, good for users who prefer Excel environment but need advanced statistical capabilities, strong visualization options, modules for specific fields (e.g., marketing, ecology).
- Commercial software (can be expensive with all modules), some very advanced or specialized algorithms might still be better handled by standalone packages (R, SAS, SPSS), performance can be slow with extremely large datasets.
Best for:
- Statisticians, data analysts, researchers, and professionals across various disciplines (business, science, engineering) who need a comprehensive and user-friendly statistical analysis toolkit integrated with Microsoft Excel.
Disclaimer: due to complexity, the prices and the vast features of the software, the directory above is based on a mix of personal hands-on experience with some of them and an online information collected. In other words, we have tested some of them, but not all of them. Furthermore, many of these software have versions or plugins extending their features.
If you see any info that is not accurate anymore, or we made a mistake, or could be completed, or suggest another software solution, reach us via the comment section or the contact form.
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