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  • The Excel and SQL Server experts blog

  • Johannes Åkesson
    SQL Spreads Co-founder

  • How to Update an SQL Table from Excel: Easiest Method

    Posted Feb 27th, 2025 By in Connect Excel and SQL With | No Comments

    Many teams struggle to find safe and easy solutions for updating SQL tables. We often hear from team members in charge of data management who have to direct crucial resources to building or maintaining tools for SQL data management, wary of letting business users handle udpates on their own. SQL Spreads – an Excel Add-In …

  • Top 5 Profisee Alternatives: 2025 edition

    Posted Feb 15th, 2025 By in Master Data Management With | No Comments

    Profisee offers thorough MDM capabilities for larger companies looking for a potentially more affordable alternative to the industry giants. However, compared to its competitors, it can still prove a tough buy-in, leaving users to look for better options. SQL Spreads emerges as a top alternative for teams looking for an effective – and cost-efficient – …

  • SQL Spreads release 7.6.3

    Posted Jan 31st, 2025 By in Release Updates With | No Comments

    In this release, we have made several improvements to Forecasting and KPI data collection scenarios. We have also added the long-awaited feature that allows using Excel formulas to calculate values saved back to SQL Server.

    Additionally, we have introduced an automatic check for new SQL Spreads updates and simplified the process of sending details to SQL Spreads support.

  • Top 5 Vena Solutions Alternatives for FP&A

    Posted Jan 27th, 2025 By in Mastering Excel Data With | No Comments

    Are you looking for a more streamlined FP&A and financial forecasting solution than Vena Solutions? In this article, we’ll show you five top Vena alternatives that can help your finance team budget and plan more effectively – and reveal how SQL Spreads not only makes the switch straightforward, but also offers the flexibility and value your …

  • How to insert data from Excel to SQL Server

    Posted Jan 20th, 2025 By in Connect Excel and SQL With | 7 Comments

    Most people do not know that there is a really simple way to copy and paste data from Excel to SQL Server. In this article, I will show you what you need to know to copy and paste data from Excel to SQL Server.
    I will go through and show the technique using simple step-by-step instructions, and I will also cover a few special cases that are great to know.

  • Top Devart Excel add-in alternatives in 2025

    Posted Jan 8th, 2025 By in Connect Excel and SQL With | No Comments

    Is Devart falling short on essential safeguards in your needs for secure and reliable SQL data management? Many teams have looked for alternatives to Devart’s Excel add-ins because of security limitations and lagging performance. Plenty of these users found SQL Spreads to be an excellent alternative, highlighting its intuitive approach to role-based permissions and faster …

  • Power BI write back to SQL Database: 2 methods

    Posted Jan 3rd, 2025 By in Power BI and SQL Server With | No Comments

    Power BI dashboards and reports often pull data from a SQL Server database, but what happens when you need to update that data? For businesses, having Power BI write-back to SQL functionality is critical for staying agile. In this article, we’ll explore two methods for writing back to SQL, including the SQL Spreads Excel Add-In, …

  • Connect Power BI to SQL Server: Step-by-step Guide

    Posted Dec 24th, 2024 By in Power BI and SQL Server With | No Comments

    Power BI makes it easy to visualize your data, but first, you need to connect it to SQL Server. This guide walks you through the process step -by -step. With SQL Spreads Excel Add-In, business users can bring in and update SQL Server data themselves — all from Excel — ensuring that your Power BI …

  • Top CData Excel Add-in Alternatives in 2025

    Posted Dec 23rd, 2024 By in Connect Excel and SQL With | No Comments

    Is CData proving too complex or not user-friendly enough for your SQL data management needs? You’re not alone. Plenty of our users migrated to SQL Spreads from CData’s Excel add-in, attracted by an exceptionally intuitive interface and the promise of a leaner stack. Here’s everything you need to know about the top CData competitors this …

  • The Best Alternative to Microsoft Access in 2025

    Posted Dec 7th, 2024 By in SQL Spreads, Connect Excel and SQL With | No Comments

    If you’ve been frustrated with Microsoft Access’s limitations or wondering if it’s still worth using in 2025, you’re not alone. With businesses moving towards more scalable and flexible solutions, SQL Spreads Excel Add-In is a powerful, user-friendly alternative. In this article, we’ll explore why Access is losing popularity and how this lean tech stack alternative …

  • Top Alternatives to Microsoft MDS in 2025

    Posted Nov 22nd, 2024 By in Master Data Management With | No Comments

    Are you looking for an effective solution for master data management as Microsoft Master Data Services approaches its end of life? We’ll walk you through these top alternatives as MDS replacements that offer robust features tailored to your organization’s unique data management needs – and show you how SQL Spreads not only makes the transition …

  • Top Alternatives to Microsoft Power Apps for SQL Data Management in 2024 

    Posted Nov 15th, 2024 By in Master Data Management With | No Comments

    Looking for a way to simplify SQL data management? Check out these top Power Apps alternatives that make it easier to build SQL data management solutions without requiring excessive technical skills and suited to your organization’s unique needs. Microsoft Power Apps – a major market player Microsoft Power Apps is a development platform that – …

  • How to Export Data from SQL Server to Excel

    Posted Nov 8th, 2024 By in Connect Excel and SQL With | No Comments

    For organizations that use SQL Server and Excel extensively, there is often a need to export data from SQL Server to Excel. In this article, we’re going to look at how to export data from SQL Server to Excel using 3 methods. We’ll also introduce a valuable feature in the SQL Spreads Excel Add-In that allows …

  • Excel GROUPBY Function – Guide and Examples

    Posted Nov 6th, 2024 By in Mastering Excel Data With | No Comments

    Microsoft recently released two new aggregation functions in Excel – GROUPBY and PIVOTBY. Both these functions are useful when you want to quickly summarize data in your Excel spreadsheet. In this article we’re going to look at how to use the GROUPBY function, and in the next article we’ll cover the more powerful PIVOTBY function. …

  • SQL Spreads release 7.5.6

    Posted Sep 17th, 2024 By in SQL Spreads, Release Updates With | No Comments

    SQL Spreads 7.5.6 is now available for download. Resolved an issue with the new setting for lookups, enabling the creation of dependent drop-down lists. Download the latest version of SQL Spreads »

  • SQL Spreads release 7.5.5

    Posted Sep 13th, 2024 By in SQL Spreads, Release Updates With | No Comments

    SQL Spreads 7.5.5 is now available for download. Fixed issue with connecting to Azure using Azure AD Authentication Download the latest version of SQL Spreads »

  • SQL Spreads release 7.5.4

    Posted Sep 3rd, 2024 By in SQL Spreads, Release Updates With | No Comments

    We’re excited to announce the release of SQL Spreads 7.5.4, which focuses on improving the Tree Filters and Intro dialogs, as well as addressing various bug fixes. New Features and Enhancements Redesigned Introductory Dialogues: We have redesigned the introductory dialogues to provide a more intuitive user experience. This includes a new option to restart the …

  • Power BI Dashboards: Examples & Use Cases

    Posted Aug 30th, 2024 By in Power BI and SQL Server With | No Comments

    Power BI is a Business Intelligence (BI) platform. With Power BI, users can get data, analyze it, and create visualizations that help turn data into actionable information for their business.  In this article, we’re going to look at creating Power BI dashboards and reports, and give some examples of how and when to use them. …

  • How to perform an INSERT in SQL Server

    Posted Aug 1st, 2024 By in SQL Guides for Excel Users With | No Comments

    Inserting data into SQL Server is a fundamental operation for business users who need to add new records to their databases. This guide will walk you through the process of using the INSERT statement in SQL Server, providing comprehensive steps and code snippets you can use directly in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). Understanding the …

  • How to perform a DELETE in SQL Server

    Posted Aug 1st, 2024 By in SQL Guides for Excel Users With | No Comments

    Deleting data in SQL Server is a critical operation for business users who need to remove obsolete or incorrect records from their databases. This guide will walk you through the process of using the DELETE statement in SQL Server, providing comprehensive steps and code snippets you can use directly in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). …

  • How to create a database in Excel

    Posted Aug 1st, 2024 By in Mastering Excel Data With | No Comments

    Creating a database in Excel is a straightforward process that can help you manage and analyze your data efficiently. Whether you need to keep track of personal information, business records, or project details, Excel offers powerful tools to build and maintain a database. Follow these steps to create a database in Excel: 5 steps on …

  • How to perform a SELECT INTO in SQL Server

    Posted Aug 1st, 2024 By in SQL Guides for Excel Users With | No Comments

    The SELECT INTO statement in SQL Server is a powerful tool for creating new tables and copying data from existing tables or queries. This guide will walk you through the process of using the SELECT INTO statement in SQL Server, providing comprehensive steps and code snippets you can use directly in SQL Server Management Studio …

  • How to perform an UPDATE in SQL Server

    Posted Jun 28th, 2024 By in SQL Guides for Excel Users With | No Comments

    Updating data in SQL Server is a common task for business users who need to ensure their data remains accurate and up-to-date. This guide will walk you through the process of using the ‘UPDATE’ statement in SQL Server, providing easy-to-follow steps and code snippets you can use directly in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). Understanding …

  • How to Build a KPI Dashboard with Power BI

    Posted May 21st, 2024 By in Power BI and SQL Server With | No Comments

    In this article, we’re going to show you how to build a KPI dashboard in Power BI for managers. The example we’ll work through uses our KPI data collection template, used by operational level administrators to collect KPI metrics. This template was built with SQL Server, Excel and the SQL Spreads Excel Add which is …

  • SQL Spreads release 7.4.1

    Posted Mar 29th, 2024 By in Release Updates With | No Comments

    We’re excited to announce the latest enhancements and fixes in SQL Spreads to make your data management experience smoother and more secure. Here’s what’s new in SQL Spreads 7.4.1: Enhanced Tree Filters: Tree Filters have been improved and are now shown only for individual Excel sheets, and changes in a Tree Filter only refresh the …

  • Use Case: How to build a KPI Excel template with SQL Server

    Posted Mar 6th, 2024 By in Connect Excel and SQL With | No Comments

    In this article, we’re going to show you how to build a KPI Excel template using SQL Server and an Excel Add-In. Many organizations collect performance metrics related to aspects of their business and then use KPIs to measure and track performance against targets. However, the process of collecting the data is often a manual …

  • Temporal Tables and how to use them in SQL Server

    Posted Feb 1st, 2024 By in SQL Guides for Excel Users With | No Comments

    If you want to keep track of when changes were made to your data, or see how data changes over time, you need to start using temporal tables in SQL Server. Microsoft introduced this great feature in the 2016 version of SQL Server, but is still relatively unknown. A common associated challenge with tracking changes …

  • SQL Spreads release 7.3.0

    Posted Jan 31st, 2024 By in SQL Spreads, Release Updates With | No Comments

    SQL Spreads 7.3.0 is now available for download. Enhanced SharePoint integration for SQL Spreads documents by implementing document locking for Editors. In the SQL Spreads Designer, the database and table filters are now displayed by default in the Database tab. Optimized connectivity with Azure Data Warehouse/Azure Synapse. Refined the introductory dialogues for a more intuitive …

  • Get started with Azure SQL

    Posted Jan 26th, 2024 By in SQL Guides for Excel Users With | No Comments

    In this article, we’re going to show you how to get started with Azure SQL. Azure SQL is one of the many services offered on Azure, Microsoft’s comprehensive cloud computing platform. And it enables organizations to run workloads and develop applications in regional data centers around the globe. Introduction to Azure SQL Azure SQL is …

  • Artificial Intelligence Add-Ins for Excel

    Posted Dec 6th, 2023 By in Mastering Excel Data With | No Comments

    In this third article, in our series about using AI in Excel, we’re going to look at the best third party Artificial Intelligence Add-Ins for Excel that bring the power of AI technology to your spreadsheets. In the past year or so, there has been a great deal of interest in using AI more generally …

  • Excel AI Tools: built-in AI technology in Excel

    Posted Dec 2nd, 2023 By in Mastering Excel Data With | No Comments

    In our second article looking at Excel AI tools, we’re going to look at existing features and functionality in Excel that use AI technology to some extent. Make sure you also check out our earlier article on the new experimental LABS.GENERATIVEAI function. This allows you to send prompts from within Excel to a generative AI …

  • SQL Spreads release 7.2.5

    Posted Nov 10th, 2023 By in SQL Spreads, Release Updates With | No Comments

    SQL Spreads 7.2.5 is now available for download. Fixed issue with the new Show intro button being shown in Data Editor mode. Download the latest version of SQL Spreads »

  • SQL Spreads release 7.2.4

    Posted Nov 8th, 2023 By in SQL Spreads, Release Updates With | No Comments

    SQL Spreads 7.2.4 is now available for download. Improved the Intro dialogs shown during the first start of the trial. Added a button in the SQL Spreads tab to show the Intro again. Minor bug fixes. Download the latest version of SQL Spreads »

  • Update View in SQL Server using Excel – Step by Step Guide

    Posted Sep 8th, 2023 By in Connect Excel and SQL With | No Comments

    In many businesses, it’s common to use Views to present database tables in a user-friendly way. With SQL Spreads, you can update a View in SQL Server from within Excel. SQL Spreads allows you to work with SQL Server Views, making it easy to display data side by side in Excel, similar to any other …

  • AI in Excel: the LABS.GENERATIVEAI function

    Posted Aug 30th, 2023 By in Mastering Excel Data With | No Comments

    Excel is a powerful tool for data analysis, but did you know that there is a new function that provides the power of generative AI in Excel. The experimental LABS.GENERATIVEAI function allows you to send prompts from within Excel to a generative AI model and then return the results from the model back to your …

  • SQL Spreads release 7.2.0

    Posted Aug 28th, 2023 By in Release Updates With | No Comments

    SQL Spreads 7.2.0 is now available for download. Added a new intro dialog with info about the trial. Added a check if Excel is running before installation, and auto-restart of Excel after the installation. Added a lock to prevent a user with a Data Editor license to install and use the SQL Spreads trial in …

  • How to copy a table in SQL Server

    Posted Jul 18th, 2023 By in SQL Guides for Excel Users With | No Comments

    In this article we’re going to show you a quick and easy way to copy a table in SQL Server. The new Copy SQL Server Table feature in SQL Spreads means that you can copy a table from one database to another in just a few clicks from within Excel. Introduction Although it’s not something …

  • SQL Spreads release 7.1.2

    Posted Jul 14th, 2023 By in Release Updates With | No Comments

    SQL Spreads 7.1.2 is now available for download. In this new release we are introducing the new SQL Server tools which allows you to do more SQL Server operations from within Excel. The SQL Server tools contains these three features: The Table Creator – to create SQL Server tables based on data in Excel. The …

  • SQL Spreads: a front end for SQL Server

    Posted Jul 5th, 2023 By in Connect Excel and SQL With | No Comments

    There are several options available if you are looking for a front end for SQL Server. Like most things, what is best for you will depend on a number of factors. In this article, we’re going to look at the things to consider when choosing a front end for SQL Server and how the SQL …

  • Master Data Services Excel Add-in: What to Know and Alternatives

    Posted Jun 20th, 2023 By in Master Data Management With | No Comments

    In a previous article, we provided an overview of Master Data Management (MDM). In this article, we’re going to look at Microsoft’s platform for supporting the discipline of MDM: “Master Data Services”. Specifically, we’re going to look at how the Master Data Services Excel Add-in can be used to organize your MDM data models and …

  • SQL Spreads release 7.0.8

    Posted May 29th, 2023 By in Release Updates, SQL Spreads With | No Comments

    SQL Spreads 7.0.8 is now available for download. This release fixed a couple of minor issues. Fixed issue with columns with data type Time not updating correctly. Fixed issue with Change tracking not working when only one of the ModifiedBy or ModifiedOn was used. Fixed issue with labels for number of loaded rows not shown …

  • Tree Filters in Excel: an easy way to view and filter SQL data

    Posted May 11th, 2023 By in Connect Excel and SQL With | No Comments

    With the rise of data democratization in the workplace, more people across the organization are working with datasets on a day-to-day basis. SQL Spreads makes this easier for people by letting them use Excel to update and manage data in SQL Server. One of the reasons people enjoy working in Excel is the familiarity of the UI …

  • SQL Spreads release 7.0.5

    Posted Mar 30th, 2023 By in Release Updates With | No Comments

    SQL Spreads 7.0.5 is now available for download. The new SQL Spreads 7.0 has two major improvements: The first improvement is the batch processing of updates, inserts and deletes from Excel to the SQL Server. We have measured speed improvements of up to 18 times with this new release, compared to the older 6.2 release. …

  • Cleansing data in SQL Server

    Posted Jan 30th, 2023 By in Master Data Management With | No Comments

    We come across ‘dirty’ data all the time. It’s one of the realities of working with data on a regular basis. With the rise of data democratization in the workplace, more people across the organization are exposed to the problem of dirty data and are also more likely to be involved in the cleansing process. …

  • SQL Spreads release 6.2.15

    Posted Dec 22nd, 2022 By in SQL Spreads, Release Updates With | No Comments

    SQL Spreads 6.2.15 is now available for download. Improved Intro screens shown during first time start-up. Fixed issue when moving columns if Excels table header filters are turned off. Fixed issue with items with quotes not working in Fixed List Lookups. Fixed issue when switching server when the document has key Lookups. Fixed issue with …

  • How a Business Analyst can help with data conversion projects

    Posted Nov 25th, 2022 By in Master Data Management With | No Comments

    Businesses today are required to manage more data than ever before. Change is also occurring at a faster rate. Organizations therefore need to be agile with regard to data management and this means being able to move data around from one system to another or between parties with relative ease. In this article we’ll discuss …

  • Master Data Management Tools for Azure

    Posted Nov 7th, 2022 By in Master Data Management With | No Comments

    Maintaining a “single source of truth” is critical for all organizations. The discipline of Master Data Management (MDM) is one of the means to achieve this. In this article, we’re going to look at some Master Data Management tools for Azure. Introduction Master Data Management (MDM) is an information management discipline focusing on data quality and …

  • Master Data Management Tools for SQL Server

    Posted Oct 21st, 2022 By in Master Data Management With | No Comments

    Maintaining a “single source of truth” is critical for all organizations. There are many Master Data Management (MDM) tools out there to help achieve this. In this article, we’re going to look at some Master Data Management tools for SQL Server. Introduction Master Data Management (MDM) is an information management discipline focusing on data quality …

  • SQL Union: How to Combine Result Sets

    Posted Sep 2nd, 2022 By in SQL Guides for Excel Users With | No Comments

    This is the sixth in a series of articles aimed at introducing the basics of SQL to Excel users. This article shows how to combine data from one or more data sets using the SQL UNION operator. UNION is one of a number of ‘set operators’ in SQL that are used to join the results …

  • What is the equivalent of the IF THEN function in SQL?

    Posted Aug 24th, 2022 By in SQL Guides for Excel Users With | No Comments

    This is the fifth in a series of articles aimed at introducing the basics of SQL to Excel users. This article shows how to use the IF THEN function in SQL. If you’re interested in the other articles, check them out here: Introduction to SQL for Excel Users What is the equivalent to VLOOKUP in …

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