Best Chrome Extensions for Excel Keyboard Shortcuts in Google Sheets

Updated April 2026 · 5 minute read

Google Sheets is missing the Excel muscle memory finance professionals rely on every day — Alt+H,B,A for borders, Ctrl+1 for format cells, the whole F-key family. Several Chrome extensions fill the gap. Here's an honest comparison of the four that matter, with notes on which is the right fit for FP&A, investment banking, and financial modeling workflows.

The short answer

• SheetDog — the only extension that combines Excel-style keyboard shortcuts with AI editing inside Google Sheets. Built for finance.
• SheetWhiz — the most mature shortcut-only extension; also works in Google Slides.
• ShortieCuts — broadest coverage of Excel ALT sequences; consumer-friendly, less finance-specific.
• SheetKeys — Vim-style shortcuts (open source). Different philosophy — not for Excel-trained users.

1. SheetDog — Excel shortcuts + AI editing

SheetDog is a Chrome extension that brings 30+ Excel-style keyboard shortcuts to Google Sheets and adds AI-powered natural language editing on top. It's the only tool that combines both. Built specifically for finance — DCF models, three-statement models, FP&A workflows.

• Alt sequences (Alt+H,B,A for borders, etc.) and Ctrl chords
• Plain-English AI commands like "format this as a DCF model" or "add a YoY growth row below revenue"
• Spreadsheet data goes directly from your browser to the AI provider — never touches SheetDog servers
• Free tier includes all 30+ shortcuts; AI editing is included with Pro ($9/month) and a 21-day free trial of Pro

Best for: finance professionals who want Excel's muscle memory and the ability to describe spreadsheet changes in plain English. sheetdog.app

2. SheetWhiz — shortcuts for Sheets and Slides

SheetWhiz brings Excel-style shortcuts, auditing tools, and modeling functionality to Google Sheets and Google Slides. Built for finance, FP&A, investing, and operations. The standout feature is fully customizable key mappings, so you can match the muscle memory you already have.

Best for: users who want shortcuts in both Sheets and Slides, and who prefer to remap keys to their personal preference. SheetWhiz does not include AI-powered editing or model generation.

3. ShortieCuts — broadest Excel ALT-key coverage

ShortieCuts integrates over 300 Excel-style commands into Google Sheets, including formula tracing, Goal Seek, and a TTS macro. The extension automatically detects when you're in Google Sheets and enables Excel ALT-key shortcuts.

Best for: heavy Excel users who want as close to one-to-one ALT-key parity as possible. Less specialized for financial modeling than SheetDog or SheetWhiz, and no AI editing.

4. SheetKeys — Vim-style shortcuts (open source)

SheetKeys adds Vim-style keyboard shortcuts to Google Sheets. It's a different philosophy from the other three — designed for developers and power users who already use Vim, not for users coming from Excel. Open source on GitHub.

Best for: programmers and Vim users. Not the right fit if you're used to Excel's ALT and Ctrl chord conventions.

Built-in Google Sheets shortcuts (free, but limited)

Google Sheets has a built-in "Enable compatible spreadsheet shortcuts" toggle in the keyboard shortcuts menu. It covers some common Excel keys but is missing the ALT-key sequences (Alt+H,B,A, etc.) that finance users rely on most heavily. Worth turning on, but not a substitute for an extension.

How to choose