thinkcell, formerly written think-cell, is a desktop add-in for PowerPoint and Excel that builds waterfall, Gantt, Mekko and 40+ other business charts linked to Excel data. It suits consultants and analysts who chart every week. There is no free plan: after a free trial, prices start at $8.90 per user per month billed annually, and charts start with the $28.60 Suite package.
think-cell is now written thinkcell
The vendor now uses the name thinkcell, without the hyphen, across its site and packages. The domain is still think-cell.com and the company is Think-Cell Software GmbH in Berlin. We found no dated announcement of the change.
Checked October 4, 2026
The bottom line
Worth it for analysts and consultants who chart in PowerPoint every week; overkill for occasional slides.
6.9
Our score
6.9 / 10
Conversion Gems editorial verdict
From $8.90/user/mo billed annually; charts $28.60
Features9/10
9 - 40+ chart types, Excel data links, layout tools, slide library and AI tools across its packages.
Value6/10
6 - no free plan; Suite is $28.60 per user per month billed annually for 1 to 4 users.
Ease of use6/10
6 - works inside familiar PowerPoint, but chart and layout tools take practice.
Ecosystem5/10
5 - tied to desktop PowerPoint and Excel on Windows and Mac; no web version listed.
Support7/10
7 - user manual, knowledge base, video tutorials, Academy courses and technical support.
What it really is
A desktop PowerPoint and Excel add-in that makes consulting-style charts and tidy layouts fast.
Our take
thinkcell is the tool people reach for when a deck needs waterfall, Gantt or Mekko charts that tie back to Excel. The Suite package is the real product; Essentials is a slide library and layout kit without charts, and the AI packages add generation and translation on top. It is desktop-only, paid per user per year, and worth it mainly if charts are a weekly job.
Why we rate it
Its chart depth and Excel linking inside PowerPoint save real time on data-heavy decks.
The catch
No free plan, annual per-user billing, charts only from the Suite package up, and no PowerPoint for the web support listed.
Best for
Consultants building data-heavy decks
FP&A and finance teams reporting in PowerPoint
Project managers who need Gantt charts in slides
Not good for
Google Slides or Keynote users
People who only make a few slides a month
Teams working only in PowerPoint for the web
Friction report
Time to value
Quick for a first chart; faster workflows take practice or thinkcell Academy courses.
Scale breakpoint
AI usage limits apply across all users, regardless of team size.
Walled garden
Moderate: slides stay PowerPoint files, but thinkcell charts are edited with the add-in.
thinkcell pricing
Package
Price per user per month (1 to 4 users)
What it adds
Essentials
$8.90
Team slides, templates and image library; alignment and sizing tools
Suite
$28.60
40+ chart types incl. waterfall, Gantt and Mekko; Excel data links
AI Suite
$46.54
AI slide building, Excel analysis, summaries, translation in 70+ languages
AI Suite Plus
$97.60
5x tokens for complex AI tasks
From thinkcell's pricing page, checked 4 October 2026. US dollars, billed annually; per-user prices fall for 5 or more users (for example Suite is $24.20 at 10 users).
Frequently Asked Questions
thinkcell is priced per user per month, billed annually. For 1 to 4 users the US prices are $8.90 for Essentials, $28.60 for Suite, $46.54 for AI Suite and $97.60 for AI Suite Plus, with lower per-user prices for larger teams (checked 4 October 2026).
No. There is a free trial with full AI Suite features and no credit card, which expires on its own. After that you need a paid licence. thinkcell also lists student, professor and startup programs on its pricing page.
Yes. It installs as an add-in for desktop PowerPoint and Excel: Office 2013 to 2024 or Office 365 desktop apps on Windows, and Office 2019 to 2024 or Office 365 on Mac with macOS 11 or later. PowerPoint for the web is not listed.
Think-Cell Software GmbH, founded in Berlin in 2002, makes thinkcell. According to Wikipedia, the private equity firm Cinven bought a majority stake in June 2021.
The vendor's site and product now use the name thinkcell without the hyphen, while the domain is still think-cell.com. We found no dated announcement of the change; the software and licences are the same product.
think-cell alternatives
Other presentation and chart tools in our directory:
Beautiful.ai: Presentation app that lays out slides for you automatically.
Plus AI: AI add-in that creates and edits slides in Google Slides and PowerPoint.
Datawrapper: Chart and map maker for websites and publications.
Pitch: Collaborative presentation workspace for teams.
