Make or buy
Replacing Excel: when does a custom solution pay off?
By Dominik Natter · Last updated on 3 November 2026 · 10 min read
In short
Replacing Excel pays off once a file has become the database behind a core process: several people work in it at the same time, mistakes cost money, and only one person understands the formulas and macros. For small processes, a tidied-up workbook, Microsoft Lists or Power Apps is often enough. A dedicated web application makes sense when many users are involved, when data has to flow to your ERP or accounting system, and when permissions and audit trails are required. It costs CHF 25,000 to 50,000 as an internal tool and CHF 40,000 to 150,000 as a full replacement.
When should you stop using Excel as a database?
A custom solution pays off when an Excel file is no longer one person's tool but the database behind a process. Typical examples are the job list in the workshop, test equipment management in production, or project planning that scheduling, sales and management all work in at the same time.
Three questions help you assess your situation. Do more than two or three people regularly work in the same file? Do orders, invoices or appointments depend on its content? Is data copied by hand into an ERP, the accounting system or to customers? As a rule of thumb: if you answer yes to two of these questions, it is worth reviewing the alternatives.
That does not automatically mean custom software. Often a tidied-up workbook, a Microsoft list or an ERP module is enough. A custom solution makes sense when the process is what sets your business apart, when several systems need to work together, or when permissions and traceability are required. Read more in our guide "Standard or custom software: how to decide".
- of thoroughly audited business spreadsheets contained errors, according to Raymond Panko
- at least 86%
- entry price for a custom internal tool, up to CHF 50,000
- CHF 25,000
- entry price for a full replacement, up to CHF 150,000
- CHF 40,000
- weeks until the first stage is in production
- 6 to 10
Seven warning signs that Excel has reached its limits
Excel is a good tool for calculations and analysis. As a database for several people, it lacks what makes a database: fixed rules for input, permissions per person and a reliable record of changes.
What Excel lacks as a database
Excel as a database
- No fixed rules for input
- No permissions per person
- No reliable record of changes
A database
- Fixed rules for input
- Permissions per person
- A reliable record of changes
Spreadsheet errors are well researched. Raymond Panko of the University of Hawaii reviewed audits of real business spreadsheets. In the more recent audits using thorough methods, at least 86 percent of the spreadsheets examined contained errors. The review dates from 2000, but the underlying problem remains: a spreadsheet does not check whether a formula is right.
These signs show that you have hit the limit:
- Only one person understands the file. Formulas, macros and hidden sheets are not documented anywhere. If that person is absent, the process stops.
- Version chaos: copies such as Job_list_final_v3.xlsx sit on the network drive, on desktops and in email attachments. Nobody knows for sure which one is current.
- Working at the same time is not possible. The file is locked because a colleague has it open, or changes overwrite each other.
- Macros hold the process together. They only run on certain computers and become a risk with every Office upgrade.
- Formula errors are noticed late. A wrong reference or an overwritten formula distorts prices, stock levels or hours without any warning.
- Permissions and traceability are missing. Anyone who can open the file can see and change everything. Who changed which value and when is often impossible to tell.
- Personal data is scattered across copies. Customer data, salaries or absences sit in files that are passed around by email.
Excel with multiple users at the same time: what works and what doesn't
Simultaneous editing is possible in Excel, but only under certain conditions. According to Microsoft, you need a Microsoft 365 subscription. The file must be stored in OneDrive or SharePoint Online and saved as xlsx, xlsm or xlsb. An on-premises SharePoint server does not support co-authoring.
If a single person opens the file in an Excel version that does not support co-authoring, Microsoft says everyone else receives a locked message. In companies with mixed Office versions, this happens all the time.
Even when co-authoring works, the core problem remains. Anyone can change any cell. There are no mandatory fields, validation rules or record-level permissions. That is fine for a list three people maintain. For a process that orders and invoices depend on, it usually is not.
Excel macros and Access: what the end of Office support means
Many Excel and Access solutions run on Office versions that no longer receive security updates. According to Microsoft, there are no further security updates or technical support after the end of support.
14 October 2025
End of support for Office 2016 and 2019
Applies to Office, Excel and Access 2016 and 2019.
13 October 2026
End of support for Office 2021
Applies to Office 2021 and Office LTSC 2021.
Moving to Microsoft 365 solves the licensing problem, but not necessarily the macro problem. Since 2022, or early 2023 depending on the update channel, Office for Windows blocks macros in files from the internet by default. This covers email attachments and downloads, in Excel as well as in Access. Microsoft notes that the block can also hit files on a network share that is not classified as trusted, for example when it is accessed by its IP address.
The block makes sense, because Microsoft describes macros as a common route for malware. For your business it means that a macro-based solution needs ongoing care from IT, trusted locations or signed macros. Without that care, the process stops after the next upgrade.
Access databases have an additional limitation. Access only runs on Windows and not in the browser. Access on the road, from a second site or for customers is only possible through workarounds.
What are the alternatives to Excel for businesses?
There are seven realistic options. They differ in how much logic they can handle, how many people can work with them and how well they connect to other systems. The table summarises costs and limitations.
- Tidy up Excel: data validation for input, Excel tables instead of loose ranges, one sheet per purpose and short documentation. This is the cheapest route and often the right first step.
- Microsoft Lists or SharePoint lists: a browser-based list with mandatory fields, choice fields and version history. It is included in many Microsoft 365 plans and works well for inventories, task lists or simple requests.
- Power Apps: forms and small applications built on lists or Dataverse. With Microsoft 365 you can use standard connectors. According to Microsoft, premium connectors such as SQL, custom connectors and Dataverse require a separate Power Apps licence for every user.
- Airtable and other no-code tools: databases with a spreadsheet look, quick to set up. The plans have limits: Airtable allows 50,000 records per base on the Team plan and 125,000 on the Business plan. Check where the data is stored and what the contract says.
- ERP module: many ERP systems offer add-on modules for service, projects, production or quality. If your process follows the standard, this is often the best route, because the master data is already in the ERP.
- Industry software: ready-made solutions exist for many industries, such as trades, fiduciary services or laboratories. They bring experience from many businesses but require you to adapt your process to the software.
- Custom software: a web application maps your process exactly, runs in the browser and is connected to your ERP and accounting system. It pays off when the process is your competitive edge, when many people use it or when several systems need to work together.
Alternatives to Excel compared
| Alternative | Cost | Suitability and limit |
|---|---|---|
| Tidy up Excel | mainly internal time | Suitable for few users and a stable process. Limit: no record-level permissions, no check of formulas. |
| Microsoft Lists or SharePoint | included in many Microsoft 365 plans | Suitable for simple lists with several users. Limit: little logic, integrations only via additional tools. |
| Power Apps | Premium USD 20 per user per month | Suitable for forms in a Microsoft environment. Limit: premium connectors and Dataverse only with this licence. |
| Airtable and no-code | USD 20 to 45 per user per month | Suitable for small teams that want to start fast. Limit: 50,000 to 125,000 records per base, data stored with the vendor. |
| ERP module | quote from your ERP partner | Suitable if the process follows the standard. Limit: the process adapts to the module. |
| Industry software | licence plus implementation | Suitable if an established solution exists for your industry. Limit: little room for your own processes. |
| Custom internal tool | CHF 25,000 to 50,000 | One process, one department, 2 to 4 months. Plus 15 to 20% a year for maintenance. |
| Full custom replacement | CHF 40,000 to 150,000 | Several processes and integrations, 3 to 8 months, first stage in production after 6 to 10 weeks. |
How to decide
Decide based on the process, not the tool, and calculate over several years.
Read more in our guide "What does custom software cost in Switzerland and Liechtenstein?".
These criteria help you decide:
- Number of users: as a guideline, Excel or a list is often enough for up to three people. From ten people upwards, per-user licences and permissions carry real weight.
- Business-critical: would operations stop if the solution were down for a day? Then you need proper operations, backups and a named owner.
- Integrations: does data need to be exchanged with your ERP, accounting system, online shop or customers? With a custom solution, each system integration costs CHF 3,000 to 15,000 and eliminates double entry.
- Permissions and traceability: do auditors, customers or a certification require you to show who changed what?
- Data protection: if the file holds customer data, salaries or absences, the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection and, in Liechtenstein, the GDPR require appropriate data security, which an Excel file passed around by email can hardly provide.
- How distinctive the process is: is it standard, or is it what defines your business?
- Total cost over five years: per-user licences versus project costs plus 15 to 20 percent a year for maintenance and operations. Read more in our guide "Software maintenance costs: what do maintenance and operations cost per year?".
How to replace Excel in stages
Do not replace Excel on a single cut-over date, but area by area. A full replacement costs CHF 40,000 to 150,000 and takes three to eight months, a single internal tool CHF 25,000 to 50,000. It starts with a fixed-price preliminary study for CHF 4,000 to 9,000. Read more in our guide "Modernise or rebuild a legacy PHP application? How to decide".
01
Inventory
Which files, sheets, formulas and macros exist, and who uses them for what?
02
First stage
The area with the biggest pain point is replaced first and is in production after six to ten weeks. Everything else keeps running in Excel for the time being.
03
Data migration
Clean up the data, migrate it in a trial run, review it with your specialists.
04
Integration
The ERP and accounting system are connected, and double entry disappears.
05
Switchover
Training, parallel operation if needed, then the old file is archived as read-only.
Excel has three particular features. First, the logic sits in formulas and macros spread across many sheets. The inventory therefore clarifies which calculations are actually needed. Some of them are often out of date.
Second, Excel data is rarely clean. Typical issues are merged cells, text in number columns, colours used as status, one sheet per year and duplicates with slightly different spellings. Data migration is therefore a stage of its own, with rules for duplicates and gaps, at least one trial run and a review with your specialists.
Third, Excel often stays in the picture, but in a new role. The new application becomes the leading data source, and Excel is used for analysis via an export.
When you should stay with Excel
Replacing Excel is not an end in itself. Stay with Excel, or simply tidy up the file, if any of these points apply:
- One or two people use the file, and it is documented.
- The file is used for calculations, scenarios or analysis, not as a central database.
- The process is still changing constantly. A flexible spreadsheet is then better than software you have to keep rebuilding.
- The benefit is small. If the file causes one hour of work a week, neither a project nor a per-user licence will pay off.
- An ERP module or industry solution covers 80 percent of the process, and the rest is not a competitive advantage.
Where this information comes from
Microsoft Office and Excel
End of support: Microsoft Lifecycle, overviews “Ending Support in 2025” and “Ending Support in 2026” on learn.microsoft.com.
Macro blocking: Microsoft Learn, “Macros from the internet are blocked by default in Office”.
Co-authoring: Microsoft Support, “Collaborate on Excel workbooks at the same time with co-authoring”.
Licence prices and tool limits
Power Apps: Microsoft, Power Apps pricing page, and Microsoft Learn, “Power Platform licensing FAQs”. Microsoft Lists: Microsoft Learn, “SharePoint limits”. Airtable: pricing page and help article “Airtable plans”. Licence prices are the vendors' list prices in US dollars.
Spreadsheet errors
Raymond R. Panko, “Spreadsheet Errors: What We Know. What We Think We Can Do”, Proceedings of the European Spreadsheet Risks Interest Group, 2000.
Data protection
Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection and the EU General Data Protection Regulation, which applies in Liechtenstein through the EEA Agreement. This guide is not legal advice.
Price ranges
The price ranges for custom solutions are guideline figures excluding VAT and match our service and solution pages. A price only becomes binding with the cost ceiling from the preliminary study.
As of: November 2026.
| Tidy up Excel | mainly internal time | Suitable for few users and a stable process. Limit: no record-level permissions, no check of formulas. |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Lists or SharePoint | included in many Microsoft 365 plans | Suitable for simple lists with several users. Limit: little logic, integrations only via additional tools. |
| Power Apps | Premium USD 20 per user per month | Suitable for forms in a Microsoft environment. Limit: premium connectors and Dataverse only with this licence. |
| Airtable and no-code | USD 20 to 45 per user per month | Suitable for small teams that want to start fast. Limit: 50,000 to 125,000 records per base, data stored with the vendor. |
| ERP module | quote from your ERP partner | Suitable if the process follows the standard. Limit: the process adapts to the module. |
| Industry software | licence plus implementation | Suitable if an established solution exists for your industry. Limit: little room for your own processes. |
| Custom internal tool | CHF 25,000 to 50,000 | One process, one department, 2 to 4 months. Plus 15 to 20% a year for maintenance. |
| Full custom replacement | CHF 40,000 to 150,000 | Several processes and integrations, 3 to 8 months, first stage in production after 6 to 10 weeks. |
Frequently asked questions
Can several people work in an Excel file at the same time?
Yes, but only under certain conditions. According to Microsoft, you need a Microsoft 365 subscription, the file must be stored in OneDrive or SharePoint Online and saved as xlsx, xlsm or xlsb. If one person opens it in a version that doesn't support co-authoring, everyone else is locked out. Even then, Excel offers no mandatory fields, validation rules or record-level permissions.
Is Power Apps a good alternative to Excel?
For simple forms and lists in a Microsoft environment, often yes. According to Microsoft, premium connectors such as SQL, custom connectors and Dataverse require a Power Apps licence for every user, and Power Apps Premium has a list price of USD 20 per user per month, billed annually. With many users, complex logic or an ERP outside the Microsoft world, it is worth comparing it with a custom solution.
What should we do with an old Access database?
First check which Office version it runs on. Access 2016 and 2019 have received no security updates since 14 October 2025, and Access 2021 since 13 October 2026. If several people rely on the database for an important process, a web application with a central database is usually the more sustainable option. Tables and queries can be carried over.
What happens to the data in Excel or FileMaker?
It is cleaned up and migrated. Migration is a stage in its own right: we analyse the existing data, define rules for duplicates and gaps, and carry out at least one trial run before the switch.
Can we switch over gradually?
Yes, and we recommend it. The area causing the most pain is replaced first, while the old solution carries on for the rest. The benefit shows early and the risk per step stays small.
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