Xlwings vs Pyxll: Which is Better?

When integrating Python with Excel for automation, two powerful libraries are xlwings and pyxll. Both allow Python to interact with Excel, but they have different approaches and use cases.

1. Overview

🔹 What is xlwings?

xlwings is a Python library that automates Excel by interacting with it through COM (Windows) or AppScript (Mac). It allows reading, writing, and modifying Excel files while keeping Excel open and active.

🔹 What is pyxll?

pyxll is a commercial add-in that integrates Python directly into Excel, allowing users to write Python functions as Excel functions (UDFs), create macros, and handle real-time data updates.

2. Feature Comparison

Feature	xlwings	pyxll
Read/Write Excel Files	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Modify Existing Files	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Run Python Code in Excel	✅ Yes (Through VBA macros)	✅ Yes (As an add-in)
Define Custom Excel Functions (UDFs)	⚠️ Limited	✅ Yes (Full UDF support)
Performance on Large Data	🐢 Slower (Due to COM interface)	🚀 Faster (Direct Excel integration)
Real-Time Data Updates	❌ No	✅ Yes
Requires Excel to Be Open	✅ Yes	❌ No (Can work in background)
Platform Support	✅ Windows & Mac	✅ Windows only
Pricing	✅ Free & Open Source	❌ Paid (Commercial License)

3. Performance Differences

Scenario	xlwings	pyxll
Processing Large Datasets	🐢 Slower (Limited by COM interface)	🚀 Faster (Optimized for performance)
Calling Python Functions from Excel	⚠️ Requires VBA wrapper	✅ Seamless with add-in
Real-time Updates (Stock Prices, Sensors, etc.)	❌ No	✅ Yes

4. Code Comparison

🔹 Calling a Python Function from Excel

Using xlwings

pythonCopy codeimport xlwings as xw

def my_function():
    wb = xw.Book.caller()  # Access open workbook
    sheet = wb.sheets['Sheet1']
    sheet.range("A1").value = "Hello from Python"

Requires Excel to be open.
Needs a VBA macro to trigger the Python function.

Using pyxll

pythonCopy codefrom pyxll import xl_func

@xl_func
def add_numbers(a: float, b: float) -> float:
    return a + b

The function can be directly used in Excel like =add_numbers(A1, B1).
No need for VBA macros.

5. When to Use Which?

✅ Use `xlwings` if:

✔ You need a free and open-source solution.
✔ You want to automate Excel by reading/writing data without complex integration.
✔ You are comfortable working with VBA for function execution.
✔ You are working on Mac (since pyxll is Windows-only).

✅ Use `pyxll` if:

✔ You need high-performance real-time functions and UDFs.
✔ You want to call Python functions directly from Excel without VBA.
✔ You require real-time data updates (e.g., stock prices, IoT).
✔ You don’t mind paying for a commercial license.

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