When Will Money in Excel Be Available in the UK? (And Alternatives)
Question details
Users in the United Kingdom are unable to access the Money in Excel personal finance tool and want to know its release date or availability status.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to use the automated personal finance and budgeting tool (Money in Excel) outside the US with a Microsoft 365 subscription.
- Observed behavior
- The Money in Excel service is unavailable to UK users, offering no direct way to sync UK bank accounts natively within the application.
Before attempting to install financial add-ins, verify your Microsoft 365 subscription tier and account region settings, as Money in Excel's original rollout was strictly limited to US-based Personal and Family plans.
Utilize Built-in Personal Finance Templates
Since Money in Excel is restricted to the US (and subsequently discontinued by Microsoft), the best native solution is to use Excel's rich library of manual budget templates.
Microsoft provides numerous free templates that handle income tracking, expense categorization, and savings goals seamlessly without needing a region-locked add-in.
Launch Microsoft Excel and click on 'File' followed by 'New' to access the template gallery.
In the search bar at the top of the window, type 'Budget' or 'Personal Finance' and press Enter.
Select a template that fits your needs, such as 'Personal monthly budget' or 'Family budget', and click the 'Create' button.
Since automatic UK bank syncing isn't supported, export your bank statements as a CSV file from your UK bank's online portal and copy-paste the data into your new template.
Integrate Third-Party Finance Add-ins for UK Banks
To replicate the automated transaction syncing of Money in Excel, you can use third-party tools specifically designed for UK financial institutions.
Manage Your Finances Securely with WPS Office
If you are looking for an unrestricted way to manage your personal finances without worrying about region locks, WPS Office is an excellent free alternative. It offers a massive library of professional budgeting templates perfectly suited for UK users, while remaining fully compatible with Microsoft Excel formats.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Install WPS Office for free from the official website and open WPS Spreadsheet.
- 2. Browse Templates: Navigate to the 'New' tab and search for 'Budget' in the integrated template library.
- 3. Start Tracking: Download your preferred financial tracker and immediately start managing your UK finances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Money in Excel restricted to the United States?
Money in Excel relied on a specific third-party financial data service called Plaid to securely connect to bank accounts. Because this integration was initially configured and optimized only for US-based financial institutions, the feature remained region-locked.
Is Microsoft planning to release Money in Excel globally?
No. In fact, Microsoft officially discontinued the Money in Excel feature for all users effective June 2023. They will not be releasing it in the UK and instead recommend using standalone Excel budget templates or premium third-party partner apps.
Can I bypass the UK restriction by changing my region settings?
While changing your Microsoft account and Windows system region to the United States might make the Money in Excel add-in visible or downloadable, it will not function properly. The underlying data connector does not support UK bank accounts, meaning you still won't be able to sync your transactions.
