Microsoft Office can boost your productivity via its Word, Excel, and PowerPoint offerings. And you can extend each piece of software’s functionality even more via add-ins, which are Office’s version of plugins. Here is a list of the best of the bunch.
The Benefits Of Microsoft Office Plugins and Add-ins
As mentioned, a Microsoft Office plugin or add-in can help you extend the functionality of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint so you can enjoy more bells and whistles than what comes out of the box. As you will see on our list, add-ins can make your life a lot easier by streamlining specific tasks, so you do not have to waste time doing them manually, such as eliminating duplicate entries, inserting videos into presentations, or creating readable content without having to type a single word.
Beyond the extended functionality plugins provide, many Microsoft Office add-ins are also affordable. In fact, you will find that many are free, so you will not have to pay a thing to enjoy their added features.
If you are not a Microsoft Office user or want to upgrade to Office 365, you can sign-up for an official Microsoft 365 subscription.
The Top Microsoft Office Plugins and Add-ins
There is no shortage of add-ins for Microsoft Office. To give you a sampling of each, here are add-ins you can install to get more out of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Microsoft Word Add-Ins
Do you use Microsoft Word to write content for work or school? Try these Word add-ins to make the word processor even more powerful.
Dictate Add-in for Word
Have you ever had an exciting idea pop into your head that could be used for an article for freelance work or perhaps a school project? Unless you had the time to sit down and type out that idea, it might have been forgotten. With the Dictate add-in for Word, you do not have to sit down and type a thing, as you can simply say what you want to be typed, and the plugin will put it on the page. By letting you dictate content into Word, Dictate makes multitasking or working on the go easy.
DocSync 365
If you work extensively with Word and Excel, you know that it can be time-consuming to update related data in both applications. With DocSync 365, you can connect Excel data with Word to keep both updated without switching back and forth.
Pixabay Images for Microsoft Office
Blog post creators can use the Pixabay Images Microsoft Office add-in to insert images directly into their posts without leaving Word.
Pexels
Similar to Pixabay Images, Pexels lets you search for and insert images into your Word docs without leaving the software.
Sorc’d
When creating written content like blog posts, proposals, or whitepapers, you must cite your sources. Sorc’d is a citation tool that simplifies this process by letting you snip and cite essential sections of material with just a few clicks.
Grammarly
You do not need to hire a proofreader if you have Grammarly at your disposal, as the software will check your work for spelling and grammatical errors while giving suggestions on how to improve your writing style. If you have a Grammarly account, you can use its Office add-in to use the software without leaving Word.
DocuSign
Are you drafting a legal document in Word that requires signatures? With the DocuSign Office add-in, you can sign or tag specific spots for a signature within Word while editing the document.
Office Tabs
You can take your Word multitasking to another level with Office Tabs. The Microsoft Office plugin lets you work on several documents at once by arranging them into tabs, just as if you were using a web browser.
Excel-to-Word Document Automation
When shifting between Excel and Word, it is easy to make clerical errors as you copy, paste, and edit bits of data. The Excel-to-Word Document Automation Microsoft Office plugin reduces the risk of such errors since it lets you easily link and update content between Excel spreadsheets and Word or PowerPoint documents. Whether you need to bring a chart, table, list, image, etc., from Excel into Word, this add-in will help you do it easily in the same format.
Symbols And Characters
The next time you need to add a special symbol or character to your Word docs, use the Symbols and Characters add-in to do it with ease. It includes multiple search options to find precisely what you are looking for.
Handy Calculator
While Word is mainly used for typing and written content, you may need to perform a mathematical calculation here and there. Handy Calculator lets you do just that within Word.
Microsoft Excel Add-Ins
Take your Excel experience to another level with these Microsoft Office plugins.
Duplicate Remover
There is no need to hurt your eyes and waste time scanning for duplicate entries manually. With Duplicate Remover, the plugin will do the job for you so you can clean up and process data within minutes.
Use Duplicate Remover to scan a range of cells to pinpoint unique or duplicate entries. You can also use it to color duplicate cells for easy management.
People Graph
Do you want to convert your Excel data into easily digestible, eye-catching charts and graphs? People Graph will help you do it using several professional graph themes and three chart types.
Split Text To Columns
The Split Text to Columns Microsoft Office plugin is ideal for splitting text into different columns when using Excel. It lets you divide values into different cells, add custom delimiters, and more.
XLTools.net Data Cleansing
You can clean up your Excel data in minutes with the XLTools.NET Data Cleansing Office add-in that can process thousands of rows automatically to clear them of unwanted characters, combine multiple sheets, etc.
Random Generator
Use the Random Generator Excel add-in to instantly populate spreadsheets with stand-in text so you can test formulas and perform other actions.
ToDo List Pro
Multitaskers will love the ToDo List Pro Excel and PowerPoint plugin that lets you create a to-do list without leaving the software. If an essential task comes to mind, use ToDo List Pro to type a reminder into your spreadsheet or presentation, so you do not forget it. With an autosave feature, your reminders will never be lost.
Microsoft PowerPoint Add-Ins
Thanks to these Microsoft Office add-ins, multitasking with PowerPoint has never been easier.
Web Video Player
You can instantly strengthen any presentation with video, and the Web Video Player PowerPoint add-in lets you insert YouTube and Vimeo videos by copying and pasting their URLs into your slides.
Mentimeter
Do you require instant feedback from your PowerPoint presentations? You can get it through Mentimeter’s interactive slides that ask your audience questions to get their input in real-time, which is then presented via colorful visuals.
Scan&Paste
Scan pictures into your PowerPoint slides with the Scan&Paste Office plugin that uses your phone to snap QR codes.
Web Viewer
The next time you need to display a web page during a presentation, use Web Viewer. It will let you embed the page within your PowerPoint presentation to avoid clunky switching.
Pixton Comic Characters
Add life to your presentations with the Pixton Comic Characters Office add-in that lets you add illustrated characters with a few clicks. In doing so, you could boost retention of the information you presented, allowing you to make a lasting impact on your audience.
Lucidchart Diagrams For PowerPoint
The Lucidchart for Microsoft Office plugin lets you build mockups, flowcharts, mind maps, Venn diagrams, UML diagrams, and more to make your slides stand out.
We may be compensated by vendors who appear on this page through methods such as affiliate links or sponsored partnerships. This may influence how and where their products appear on our site, but vendors cannot pay to influence the content of our reviews. For more info, visit our Terms of Use page.