Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet and simple data management program included in the Microsoft Office suite of programs from Microsoft Corporation.

Microsoft first released the spreadsheet program Multiplan in 1982.[2][3] This was successful on CP/M systems, but on MS DOS systems, the competing software Lotus 1-2-3 was stronger. When Microsoft developed Excel, the goal, according to Doug Klunder, was for the program to do everything 1-2-3 does and do it better.

The first version of Excel was released for the Macintosh in 1985, and the first Windows version (numbered 2.0 to keep pace with the Macintosh version) was released in November 1987. Lotus was late in porting 1-2-3 to Windows, which contributed to Excel passing 1-2-3 in sales statistics by 1988, which contributed to Microsoft's position as the leading software developer for the PC environment. Microsoft has continued to develop the software with regular new releases or updates approximately every two years. The current version is Excel 2016, also called Microsoft Office Excel 2016 and included as part of Microsoft Office 2016.