OpenAI's add-in reached general availability in May 2026 on every ChatGPT tier, including Free. It's a real agent, locked to GPT. The comparison comes down to model-lock vs model-choice: EBITDAI runs Kimi or DeepSeek, on included usage or your own key, and what heavy use costs.
Comparison as of August 2026. Competitor pricing and limits come from their public materials and can change.
| EBITDAI | ChatGPT for Excel | |
|---|---|---|
| Add-in price | $5/month (Lite) or $15/month (Pro); 20% off annually; Pro runs on your own key for every provider and includes the QuickBooks, Campfire and Stripe connectors. Free plan to start | Included with ChatGPT on all tiers, including Free (GA May 2026) |
| AI usage | AI usage included on every paid plan, dedicated to Excel rather than shared with chat and coding: 100x more usage than free on Lite, and 7.5x Lite's usage across every model on Pro. On Pro, your own key for every provider, at provider cost | Usage caps by tier that reset on a timer; sustained heavy use pushes you up the tier ladder |
| Model choice | Lite runs Meta Muse Spark 1.3 Contributor. Pro adds Kimi k3, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, DeepSeek V4 Pro, Gemini 3.8 Flash and both Meta Muse tiers, or your own Kimi, DeepSeek or Gemini key, switchable mid-session | GPT models only; no own-key option at any tier |
| Markup on your own key | None. Usage comes with every plan; on Pro you pay your provider directly at its prices | No own-key option (and third-party own-key add-ins often add platform fees, see note below) |
| Agentic in the workbook | Yes: reads, writes, formats, and audits your actual cells | Yes: a real agentic add-in |
| Financial-modeling doctrine | Built in: 3-statement models, debt schedules, working capital, SaaS ARR structure | General-purpose agent on OpenAI's models; you supply the methodology |
Sources: OpenAI's public tier and cap information as of August 2026, subject to change. Own-key note: even add-ins that advertise bring-your-own-key often meter it. GPT for Excel (Talarian, a separate third-party product) charges a $1 per 1M-token platform fee on top of your own key. EBITDAI adds zero markup to your provider's prices.
ChatGPT for Excel is GPT-only by design, like Claude for Excel is Claude-only and Copilot is Microsoft-picked. EBITDAI runs both Kimi and DeepSeek in one pane, on included usage or your own keys, switchable mid-session.
Mine the reviews of every incumbent AI add-in and the top complaint is consistent: not model quality, but the meter, opaque limits, timers, and surprise charges. ChatGPT for Excel's caps scale with the tier you pay for. EBITDAI's included usage is visible in the pane and funds Excel work only, and when it runs low you can buy extra usage on the spot, or Pro keeps you going on your own key at your provider's published prices, with nothing added on top.
We won't pretend to beat a free tier on price: for light, occasional use, free is free. But the moment your usage is real, own-key economics take over: a full model build on your own DeepSeek key costs a few cents, and a Kimi Code subscription is a flat $19/month for heavy daily use. Some third-party add-ins charge a platform fee even when you bring your own key; EBITDAI never does.
When providers cut prices or ship better models, you benefit immediately: pick DeepSeek's pay-per-token pricing or Kimi's flat rate, and switch whenever the market moves. No waiting for a bundled add-in to pass savings along.
ChatGPT for Excel is a strong general assistant. EBITDAI is deliberately narrower: financial-modeling doctrine, three-statement structure, debt schedules, working capital, SaaS ARR, ships as the agent's standing instructions, built by a CFA charterholder whose methodology sits behind $1B+ of raised capital.
This comparison cuts both ways. Pick ChatGPT for Excel if any of these describe you:
From $5/month. Your own Kimi, DeepSeek or Gemini key at cost on Pro. Begin for free today, no credit card.
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