Kutools Combine alternatives: built-in Excel and browser options
By the Analistable team · Updated · 5 min read
Kutools for Excel's Combine wizard merges worksheets and workbooks in a few clicks, which is handy if you already own it on Windows. Built-in alternatives cover the same ground: Power Query's From Folder for repeatable merges, VSTACK in Microsoft 365 for stacking sheets, Consolidate for summing by label, and Move or Copy for gathering sheets. Browser tools help on Mac or locked-down machines where you cannot install add-ins.
Part of our guide: How to merge Excel files: every method compared
What Kutools Combine does
Kutools for Excel is a commercial add-in bundling hundreds of utilities. Its Combine feature walks you through a wizard with several modes, broadly: copy worksheets from many workbooks into one workbook, stack data from many sheets into one sheet, and consolidate values by position or label into a summary. It also has a separate Tables Merge utility for updating one table from another by a key column. It is fast to use and needs no formulas or queries.
Two practical constraints: it is a Windows add-in, so Excel for Mac and Excel for the web cannot use it; and it is paid software with a free trial. Exact modes and options vary between versions, so check the current documentation.
Built-in Excel equivalents
| You want to | Kutools | Built-in alternative | Repeatable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gather sheets from many workbooks into one | Combine (worksheets into one workbook) | Move or Copy sheet, or a VBA macro | Macro only |
| Stack many sheets into one table | Combine (into one worksheet) | Power Query From Folder, or VSTACK | Yes |
| Sum values by label across sheets | Combine (consolidate) | Data › Consolidate | Partly (link to source) |
| Update one table from another by key | Tables Merge | XLOOKUP or Power Query Merge | Power Query: yes |
The built-in routes take a little more setup but have one big advantage: they work on any machine with a recent Excel, so a colleague can re-run them without buying an add-in.
Power Query: the repeatable choice
For “combine every workbook in this folder into one sheet”, Power Query's Data › Get Data › From File › From Folder is the closest built-in match. It reads each file, takes a chosen sheet or table, appends them and adds a column with the source file name. Next month, drop new files in the folder and click Refresh. Full steps: combining files from a folder with Power Query. The catch is that the files need a consistent layout; files with different columns need extra care.
VSTACK and Consolidate for sheets in one workbook
If the sheets are already in one workbook, Microsoft 365's VSTACK stacks them with a formula that updates live:
=VSTACK(Jan:Mar!A2:E500)
=FILTER(VSTACK(Jan:Mar!A2:E500), VSTACK(Jan:Mar!A2:A500)<>"")The second version removes the blank rows padding each range. Data › Consolidate is the older tool for summing values by matching row and column labels across sheets; it produces a summary rather than stacked rows. See dynamic arrays for combining data.
Worked example: 12 branch workbooks
Twelve branch workbooks each contain a Sales sheet of about 800 rows with identical columns. The goal is one sheet with every row and a Branch column.
| Method | First time | Next month | Branch column |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kutools Combine | ~2 minutes | ~2 minutes (re-run wizard) | Add manually or via option, version-dependent |
| Power Query From Folder | ~10 minutes | Refresh (seconds) | Automatic (Source.Name) |
| Copy and paste | ~20 minutes | ~20 minutes | Typed by hand |
| Browser combine tool | ~2 minutes | ~2 minutes | Added automatically |
The result is about 9,600 rows (12 × 800) in every case; check your total against the sum of each file's row count. Kutools is fastest for a one-off; Power Query wins from the second month. The free combine Excel files tool processes files in your browser without uploading them, which helps on a Mac or when add-ins are blocked.
Common problems whichever method you use
- Header rows repeated: stacking whole sheets copies each sheet's header into the middle of the data. Start ranges at row 2, or use Power Query, which promotes headers per file.
- Different column orders: VSTACK and copy-paste stack by position, so a sheet with columns in a different order puts values under the wrong headers. Power Query appends by column name.
- Totals rows: a Total row at the bottom of each sheet ends up in the combined data and doubles your sums. Filter them out.
- Hidden sheets: some methods include hidden or template sheets; check the list of sources.
- Dates as text: files from different systems may store dates differently; fix types after combining.
Kutools' wizard has options for some of these, such as how many header rows to skip; built-in methods need you to handle them explicitly, which is more work but also more visible.
Combining for analysis rather than for a file
Sometimes the merged workbook is only a stepping stone to a question such as “total sales by branch and product this quarter”. In that case you can skip building the combined file. A PivotTable over a Power Query result held in the Data Model answers it inside Excel, and Analistable loads the separate branch files in your browser as tables and answers with SQL. Either way the source files stay as they were.
When Kutools is still worth it
- You already have a licence and use other Kutools utilities regularly.
- Merges are irregular and in different shapes each time, so building a query does not pay off.
- Users are uncomfortable with Power Query and need a guided wizard.
- You frequently combine sheets in unusual ways, such as by position, that the built-in tools make awkward.
Ablebits is the other well-known add-in suite in this space; we compare it separately in Ablebits Merge Tables Wizard alternatives. For all routes, see the merge Excel files hub.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Kutools for Excel free?
- No. It is paid software with a free trial period. Check the vendor's site for current licensing.
- Does Kutools work on Mac?
- Kutools for Excel is a Windows add-in and does not run in Excel for Mac or Excel for the web. Mac users can use Power Query, VSTACK or a browser-based combining tool instead.
- What is the free alternative to Kutools Combine?
- Power Query's From Folder connector for many files, VSTACK for sheets in one workbook (Microsoft 365), and Data › Consolidate for summaries, all built into Excel.
- Can I combine workbooks without any add-in or Power Query?
- Yes: right-click each sheet tab, choose Move or Copy and pick the destination workbook. It is manual, so it suits a handful of files rather than dozens.
- How do I add the source file name when combining?
- Power Query's From Folder keeps a Source.Name column automatically. With VSTACK, stack a column of sheet names alongside, or add a Branch column to each sheet before stacking.
- Can I undo a Kutools Combine?
- Combine writes the result to a new workbook or sheet, so your source files are not changed; delete the output to undo. Save a copy before using any utility that edits data in place.
- Is Power Query available in my version of Excel?
- It is built into Excel 2016 and later on Windows, and into recent Microsoft 365 versions of Excel for Mac. Excel 2010 and 2013 on Windows needed a separate Power Query download.
- Will combining keep my formulas?
- Copying sheets keeps formulas, though references to other workbooks may become external links. Power Query and stacking tools bring across values only.