MarketXLS vs Bloomberg Terminal for Excel Users
Last updated: September 28, 2026
MarketXLS and Bloomberg Terminal both put market data into Excel, but they serve different users. MarketXLS is an Excel and Google Sheets add-in focused on stocks, ETFs, options, and fundamentals, with published plans from $850 to $2,400 per year. Bloomberg Terminal is an institutional multi-asset platform with its own terminal software, news, messaging, and an Excel add-in, sold by quote.
Choose Bloomberg Terminal if your work depends on fixed income, commodities depth, Bloomberg News, or Bloomberg messaging. Choose MarketXLS if you mainly pull equity and options data into Excel and want a published price you can buy without a sales process.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Bloomberg Terminal if:
- Fixed income and credit: You price bonds, build curves, or analyze credit, which is a core Bloomberg Terminal strength and not a MarketXLS focus.
- News and messaging: You rely on Bloomberg News or Bloomberg messaging (IB) with counterparties.
- Multi-asset global coverage: You need commodities, rates, and global markets beyond the US, Canadian, UK, German, and Australian markets MarketXLS covers.
- Firm requirements: Your firm or clients require a Bloomberg Terminal.
Choose MarketXLS if:
- Equities and options in Excel: Your work is mostly stocks, ETFs, funds, and options pulled into spreadsheets with formulas.
- Real-time data at a published price: Real-time streaming US stock and options data is included in the Advanced ($1,500/year) and Business ($2,400/year) plans.
- Mac or Google Sheets: You work in Excel on Mac, Excel for the web, or Google Sheets.
- Self-service: You want to install an add-in and start without a sales call or terminal setup.
MarketXLS vs Bloomberg Terminal at a glance
This table compares what each product offers an Excel user. Bloomberg details are general descriptions; confirm specifics and pricing with Bloomberg.
| Feature | MarketXLS | Bloomberg Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Published plans: Standard $850/year, Advanced $1,500/year, Business $2,400/year billed annually Quarterly billing also available. Cancel anytime. | Quote-based subscription Contact Bloomberg for pricing and contract terms |
| Main interface | Excel add-in and Google Sheets add-on No separate terminal or web app needed | Bloomberg Terminal software With an Excel add-in |
| Excel access | Excel add-in with 1,000+ functions Windows desktop add-in, plus a Microsoft 365 add-in for Excel on Mac and the web (formulas use the mxls. prefix) | Bloomberg Excel add-in BDP, BDH, and BDS formulas |
| Real-time stock data | US stocks: 15-minute delayed on Standard, real-time streaming on Advanced and Business Quotes from QuoteMedia | Real-time multi-asset data Exchange entitlements vary |
| Options data | Option chains, Greeks, historical option chains, options profit calculator End-of-day on Standard, real-time streaming on Advanced and Business | Options and derivatives analytics |
| Market coverage | US, Canadian, UK, German, and Australian markets ASX live data needs an additional Barchart subscription | Global multi-asset coverage Equities, fixed income, FX, commodities |
| Fixed income | Not a focus MarketXLS centers on equities, ETFs, funds, and options | Core strength Bond, rates, and credit analytics |
| News and messaging | Not a news terminal; no messaging | Bloomberg News and Bloomberg messaging (IB) |
| Google Sheets | Google Sheets add-on Same pricing as MarketXLS for Excel | Not covered on this page; check with the vendor |
| Setup | Self-service install of the add-in Book a demo at /book-demo if you want a walkthrough | Terminal installation and account setup through Bloomberg |
| Support | Email support@marketxls.com or call 1-877-778-8358 (US toll-free) | Bloomberg help desk |
What MarketXLS costs
MarketXLS publishes three US plans. Compare them with the quote Bloomberg gives you for the same number of users.
| MarketXLS plan | Billed annually | Billed quarterly | US stocks and ETFs | Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $850/year ($70/month) | $255/quarter ($85/month) | 15-minute delayed | End-of-day |
| Advanced | $1,500/year ($125/month) | $450/quarter ($150/month) | Real-time streaming | Real-time streaming |
| Business | $2,400/year ($200/month) | $720/quarter ($240/month) | Real-time streaming | Real-time streaming |
Prices are for non-professional users and include data and exchange fees; taxes may apply. Professional users have different entitlements and exchange fees. Forex is 15-minute delayed on Standard and Advanced and real-time on Business.
Where Bloomberg Terminal is stronger
- Fixed income and credit: Bond pricing, yield curves, and credit analysis are core Bloomberg Terminal functions.
- Commodities and global macro: Bloomberg covers commodities, rates, and economic data across global markets.
- News: Bloomberg News is built into the terminal.
- Messaging: Bloomberg messaging (IB) connects users across firms, and many trading desks rely on it.
- Institutional standard: Many sell-side and institutional desks use Bloomberg Terminal as their default platform.
If any of these is central to your work, Bloomberg Terminal is the better fit.
Where MarketXLS is stronger
- Published pricing: Plans are listed on the MarketXLS pricing page, from $850 to $2,400 per year billed annually, with quarterly billing and cancel-anytime subscriptions.
- Formulas in your own workbook: Functions such as =Last("AAPL"), =QM_GetHistory("AAPL"), and =hf_revenue("AAPL", 2024) return data straight into cells, and VBA can call MarketXLS functions.
- Options in Excel: =QM_GetOptionChain("AAPL") returns an option chain, streaming functions return live Greeks on the Advanced and Business plans, and the options profit calculator models strategy payoffs.
- Excel on Windows, Mac, and the web, plus Google Sheets: The Windows desktop add-in, the Microsoft 365 add-in (Mac and Excel for the web), and a Google Sheets add-on share one function library.
- Floating license: One license can be used on any machine, one machine at a time.
Moving Excel workbooks from Bloomberg to MarketXLS
Bloomberg formulas do not run in MarketXLS, so workbooks are rebuilt with MarketXLS functions rather than imported. Bloomberg formulas such as BDP and BDH are proprietary to the Bloomberg add-in.
Map each data point to its MarketXLS function in the formula library at /formulas: =Last("AAPL") for the last price, =QM_GetHistory("AAPL") for price history, hf_ functions such as =hf_revenue("AAPL", 2024) for statement data, and =QM_GetOptionChain("AAPL") for option chains. To walk through your own workbook, book a demo at /book-demo or email support@marketxls.com.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
For users who mainly pull stock, ETF, fund, and options data into Excel, MarketXLS covers that work with 1,000+ Excel functions. It does not replace Bloomberg for fixed income analytics, commodities depth, Bloomberg News, or Bloomberg messaging. Real-time US stock and options data requires the MarketXLS Advanced or Business plan.
MarketXLS uses its own function names. For a single data point use functions such as =Last("AAPL") or =PERatio("AAPL"); for price history use =QM_GetHistory("AAPL"); for statement data use hf_ functions such as =hf_revenue("AAPL", 2024). Bloomberg formulas do not run in MarketXLS, so workbooks are rebuilt with MarketXLS functions.
MarketXLS publishes its prices: Standard $850/year, Advanced $1,500/year, and Business $2,400/year billed annually, or $255, $450, and $720 per quarter. Bloomberg Terminal is sold by quote, so compare these prices with the quote Bloomberg gives you.
Yes. Mac users install the MarketXLS Microsoft 365 add-in from Microsoft AppSource and sign in with their MarketXLS account; formulas use the mxls. prefix, for example =mxls.Last("MSFT"). MarketXLS also works in Google Sheets.
Bloomberg Terminal is stronger for fixed income and credit analytics, commodities and global macro data, Bloomberg News, and Bloomberg messaging. MarketXLS focuses on equities, ETFs, funds, and options in Excel and Google Sheets.
I invite you to book a demo with me or my team to save time, enhance your investment research, and streamline your workflows.