Microsoft Excel is the most widely used spreadsheet tool globally, being a cornerstone of business analytics, data visualization, and financial modeling. With over 750 million users, Excel has been evolving since its first release in 1987. Among its numerous versions, Excel 2016 and Excel 2019 are two of the most popular. Each version brings unique features and upgrades aimed at improving productivity and ease of use. In this article, we will explore 21 key features that distinguish Excel 2016 from Excel 2019, helping you understand which version might best meet your needs.

Key Differences Between Excel 2016 and Excel 2019

Though both Excel 2016 and Excel 2019 are part of the larger Microsoft Office suite, Excel 2019 includes significant improvements that enhance data visualization, usability, and collaboration.

New Functions in Excel 2019 Excel 2019 introduced several functions that were not available in Excel 2016. Notable among these are:

CONCAT: This function replaces CONCATENATE and supports both range and cell references.
IFS: A better alternative to nested IF functions, allowing for more efficient condition-based calculations.
MAXIFS and MINIFS: These functions make it easier to find the highest or lowest values within a range that meets specific criteria.
TEXTJOIN: Joins text from multiple ranges, with a user-defined delimiter separating each.
These functions improve both the speed and ease of complex data calculations, making Excel 2019 a more advanced tool for data analysts.

Visual Enhancements: Improved Charts and Graphics

New Chart Types Excel 2016 introduced new charts such as Pareto, Waterfall, and TreeMap, but Excel 2019 takes it a step further by adding Funnel Charts and Map Charts.

Funnel Charts: Ideal for tracking sales processes, where the funnel narrows as prospects move through stages.
Map Charts: Excel 2019 allows users to create geographical maps with ease, which is particularly useful for businesses operating in multiple regions.
Enhanced Visual Elements Excel 2019 also offers better visuals with the ability to insert Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). These SVGs can be scaled and customized without losing quality, allowing for more professional-looking reports.

Data Analysis: Power Query and Power Pivot

Excel 2016 introduced the Power Query and Power Pivot tools, which allow users to import and transform data from various sources. Excel 2019 refines these tools with improved connectors that support faster data importation and more advanced transformation capabilities. Users can now pull data from cloud-based systems, such as Azure, and local databases with greater ease.

Ink and Pen Improvements

For users who rely on touch-enabled devices, Excel 2019 offers significant improvements in the Ink feature. With customizable pen sets and effects like galaxy, lava, and rainbow, Excel 2019 allows for more intuitive annotations directly on the spreadsheet. This feature is beneficial for professionals working on the go who need to make quick, visual changes to their documents.

Collaboration and Shareability

Real-Time Collaboration While Excel 2016 was praised for introducing real-time collaboration through cloud services like OneDrive, Excel 2019 makes collaboration even easier. You can now restore changes, insert recent links, and view version histories directly within the spreadsheet, making teamwork more seamless.

Security and Compliance

One of the major enhancements in Excel 2019 is the introduction of Data Loss Protection (DLP). This feature allows organizations to create policies for sensitive data, ensuring that important information such as social security numbers or financial details are not shared accidentally.

Ease of Use and Accessibility

Both versions include the Accessibility Checker. However, Excel 2019 goes further by offering one-click fixes for accessibility issues, ensuring that your spreadsheets are accessible to all users.

Tell Me What You Want to Do Introduced in Excel 2016, the Tell Me function allows users to search for specific commands by typing a question or phrase. This feature remains unchanged in Excel 2019 and is helpful for new users unfamiliar with the interface.

Why Choose Excel 2019 Over Excel 2016?

Advanced Functions: If you frequently work with large datasets or complex formulas, Excel 2019’s new functions will significantly enhance your productivity.

Enhanced Data Visualization: The introduction of Funnel and Map charts, along with the ability to insert and manipulate SVGs, gives Excel 2019 an edge in professional data presentation.

Collaboration: While Excel 2016 introduced co-authoring features, Excel 2019 improves upon these by adding better sharing and version control features, making it ideal for teams.

Similarities Between Excel 2016 and Excel 2019

Despite the differences, the core experience remains similar between Excel 2016 and 2019. Both versions share foundational features like:

The Ribbon: Introduced in earlier versions, the ribbon remains intuitive and familiar in both 2016 and 2019.

Pivot Tables: While Excel 2019 has enhanced capabilities, basic PivotTable functionality remains similar across both versions.

Quick Analysis: Both versions offer the Quick Analysis tool, allowing users to quickly apply formatting and summaries to their data.

Requirements and Pricing

Both Excel 2016 and Excel 2019 require Windows 10 or later versions of the Mac operating system. However, Excel 2019 offers more advanced features that justify its slightly higher cost. It is important to note that Excel 2019 is available through a one-time purchase, making it more cost-effective than the subscription-based Microsoft 365 service.

Conclusion

Choosing between Excel 2016 and Excel 2019 depends on your specific needs. If you are a casual user or only require basic spreadsheet functions, Excel 2016 will suffice. However, for professionals, analysts, or businesses dealing with large datasets and requiring advanced functions, Excel 2019 is the superior option.

Excel 2019 brings several new features that make it a better choice for data visualization, analysis, and collaboration. By understanding the enhancements in Excel 2019, you can make a more informed decision about upgrading your software.
To explore more about Excel 2019's features, check out Microsoft's official page. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel