2026 Complete Guide

Best Excel Password Remover 2026 — Complete Comparison

Choosing an Excel password remover in 2026 starts with one crucial question: which type of Excel protection are you dealing with? There are four separate layers — sheet protection, workbook structure protection, VBA project password, and file-open encryption — and no single tool handles all four equally well. This guide compares the main options: free DIY methods, the free command-line route through John the Ripper and hashcat, desktop software, online tools, and professional GPU-based recovery services. We tell you which approach fits each layer, what it costs, and where most tools quietly fail.

The four Excel protection layers — quick reference

Excel's password protection is not a single feature. It is four independent systems with different architectures, different vulnerabilities, and different recovery profiles.

Sheet protection — prevents editing within a sheet. Stored as XML element in xl/worksheets/sheetN.xml. Structurally removable. Cost: free.
Workbook structure protection — prevents sheet rename/delete/hide/move. Stored in xl/workbook.xml. Structurally removable. Cost: free.
VBA project password — prevents viewing macro code. Stored as the obfuscated DPB verifier in the PROJECT stream of xl/vbaProject.bin (or an OLE storage inside a legacy .xls). Structurally removable. Cost: free.
File-open password — encrypts the workbook: AES on .xlsx (2007+), 40-bit RC4 on legacy .xls. Real encryption. Requires cryptographic recovery. Cost: free (hashcat, if you have a GPU) or paid (professional service).

Category 1 — Free and low-cost DIY methods

The free structural methods cannot touch file-open encryption — they exploit the fact that sheet, workbook and VBA protection are verification gates, not encryption. For a file-open password the free route is a GPU cracker, which is a different kind of undertaking.

XML edit — unzip the .xlsx, delete <sheetProtection> or <workbookProtection> XML elements, rezip. Works on any modern Excel file. No tool needed beyond a ZIP archiver and text editor.
VBA macro (Chr loop) — runs within Excel, tests equivalent-hash passwords for legacy sheet protection. Works on .xls and older .xlsm files. Not effective on SHA-512 protected sheets.
VBA project password edit — replace the obfuscated DPB value in the PROJECT stream of vbaProject.bin (ideally the ID/CMG/DPB/GC lines together). The packaged open-source project for this is Excel-only: github.com/Sorlas/Excel-VBA-Project-Password-Remover.
Google Sheets round-trip — import .xlsx to Google Sheets, re-export. Strips sheet and workbook protection. May alter formatting in complex workbooks.
LibreOffice — a further DIY option for sheet and workbook protection: open the .xlsx in LibreOffice and re-save. As with any round-trip, check complex formatting afterwards.
Hashcat (modes 9400/9500/9600, 9700/9800) and John the Ripper (office2john) — free, open-source GPU/CPU password crackers. Handles file-open encryption but requires capable hardware and a technical setup.

Free does not mean effortless

Hashcat can recover file-open passwords for free, but you need a GPU, the skill to extract the hash (office2john) and patience: the 100,000-iteration SHA-512 derivation puts a high-end consumer GPU in the region of tens of thousands of candidates per second, so a 10-character random password is effectively unrecoverable on a single GPU — the useful cases for local hardware are short or dictionary-based passwords. Professional services bundle the hardware and the attack strategy at a cost that is often lower than buying a GPU.

Category 2 — Desktop software (PassFab, Stellar, Elcomsoft, iSeePassword)

Desktop Excel password recovery tools (PassFab for Excel, Stellar Excel Password Recovery, Elcomsoft Advanced Office Password Recovery, iSeePassword, Excel Password Recovery Lastic) offer a polished GUI and automated hash extraction. They range from $25 to $80 for a license, with the professional-grade products above that.

John the Ripper is the free command-line counterpart: its office2john utility extracts the hash that desktop products and services then work on.

Strengths: user-friendly interface, automated mode detection, integrated dictionary attacks. They handle all four protection layers (each tool claims) and work offline.

Weaknesses: they use your local GPU or CPU, which is far slower than a cloud cluster. For a modern mode 9600 file with a strong password, desktop software may take months of continuous runtime. You also pay upfront whether the password is recovered or not.

Verdict: good for structural removal (sheet, workbook, VBA) which is already free. For file-open encryption, desktop software is only practical for weak/short passwords on a high-end GPU.

Category 3 — Professional GPU recovery services (web-based)

Professional services like officepassword.net run GPU hardware and orchestration a single desktop cannot match: multiple GPUs, cloud instances and high-throughput candidate generation. The candidate rate depends entirely on the file's format — on a modern AES workbook (mode 9600) that means tens of thousands of candidates per second per GPU, while legacy 40-bit RC4 files (mode 9700) run at hundreds of millions per second.

Strengths: no software to install, pay only on success (most reputable services), intelligent attack ordering (dictionary plus rules first, then Markov, then masks), and support for the full Office hash-mode family — 9400/9500/9600 for the modern AES generations, 9700-9720 and 9800-9820 for the legacy RC4 variants, and 25300 for the Office 2016 SheetProtection hash.

Weaknesses: requires internet connection to upload the file, privacy concerns for sensitive documents, cost scales with recovery difficulty (though capped relative to the value of the data).

Verdict: the practical option for modern file-open encryption (mode 9600) with passwords of moderate complexity. For legacy files the keyspace is often finite — the standard 40-bit RC4 variant (mode 9700) is routinely recoverable — so officepassword.net runs a free analysis first and charges only when the password is found. Where a legacy file uses the 128-bit RC4 variant (mode 9800 $4), recovery depends on password strength like any other file.

Category 4 — Online instant unlock websites

A growing number of websites claim 'instant Excel password removal' for a flat fee. Almost all of them target structural protection (sheet/workbook/VBA) and apply the same free XML edit you could do yourself. They charge $10-30 for what takes 30 seconds.

Warning signs: (a) they guarantee success without seeing your file first, (b) they do not distinguish between sheet protection and file-open encryption, (c) they charge for what free methods accomplish.

Legitimate online services distinguish structural removal from cryptographic recovery and offer different pricing or workflows for each. If a site claims to 'remove any Excel password instantly' for $19, it is almost certainly selling a free XML edit.

Feature comparison matrix

The following table compares all major Excel password removal options across the four protection layers:

Sheet protection removal: Free DIY (XML edit) = yes; PassFab = yes; Stellar = yes; Professional service = yes; Online unlock sites = yes (but overpriced for this)
Workbook protection removal: Free DIY = yes; PassFab = yes; Stellar = yes; Professional service = yes; Online = yes
VBA project password removal: Free DIY = yes (replace the DPB protection fields in the PROJECT stream); PassFab = no (its product covers password-to-open, password-to-modify and sheet protection); Stellar = limited; Professional service = yes; Online = varies
File-open password (modern AES): Free DIY = hashcat or John the Ripper only (requires GPU); PassFab = slow (local GPU); Stellar = slow; Professional service = fastest option; Online = scam if they claim 'instant'
File-open password (legacy RC4): Free DIY = hashcat (fast); PassFab = fast; Stellar = fast; Professional service = supported (routine for 40-bit mode 9700; strength-dependent for the 128-bit mode 9800 $4); Online = varies
Office 2024: Free DIY = hashcat mode 9600, no new mode needed; PassFab = check version; Stellar = check version; Professional service = supported; Online = rarely supported

Recommendations by scenario

Scenario A — You can open the Excel file but cannot edit cells or rename sheets. This is sheet or workbook protection. Use the free XML edit method. Do not pay for this.

Scenario B — You can open and edit but cannot view VBA macro code. This is a VBA project password. Replace the DPB protection fields in the PROJECT stream yourself, or use the Excel-only open-source project github.com/Sorlas/Excel-VBA-Project-Password-Remover (free). Do not pay for this.

Scenario C — Excel asks for a password before opening the file. This is file-open encryption. Check whether the file is legacy .xls using the standard 40-bit RC4 scheme (hashcat mode 9700) — there the keyspace is finite and recovery is routinely feasible. Note that legacy .xls can also use a 128-bit RC4 key (mode 9800 $4), where recovery depends on password strength. For modern .xlsx, run a free analysis with a professional service to determine feasibility and cost. Hashcat is an option if you own a high-end GPU and have time.

Scenario D — The file is from Office 2024. Office 2024 uses the same encryption as Office 2013+ (AES-256-CBC with a 100,000-iteration SHA-512 key derivation), covered by hashcat mode 9600 once the hash is extracted. There is no Argon2ID option and no new mode to install. Before assuming a key-recovery route exists, check whether the file was rights-managed (IRM / AD RMS / Microsoft Purview Information Protection) rather than password-encrypted — only rights-managed content has a service-held key; for a password-encrypted file there is no escrow path and Microsoft states it cannot recover the password. For personal files, pick a password you will not forget and store it in a password manager rather than relying on recovery.

Choosing the right tool for your situation

1
Identify the protection layer
Can you open the file at all? If yes = structural (sheet/workbook/VBA). If a password is demanded first, check whether it is a password to open or a password to modify before assuming the worst.
2
For structural protection
Use free methods: XML edit for sheet/workbook, and the DPB edit in the PROJECT stream for VBA. Takes 1-2 minutes.
3
For file-open encryption on legacy .xls
The standard 40-bit RC4 variant (hashcat mode 9700) has a finite keyspace and is routinely recoverable. Legacy .xls can also use a 128-bit RC4 key (mode 9800 $4), which depends on password strength. Use hashcat, or a service that charges only on success.
4
For file-open encryption on modern .xlsx
Assess password strength. Short/weak passwords are recoverable; long random passwords are not. Run a free professional analysis before paying.
5
Never pay upfront for structural removal
Anyone charging for sheet/workbook/VBA removal is selling what free tools do in seconds. Only pay for cryptographic file-open password recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best free Excel password remover?

For sheet/workbook protection: any ZIP archiver (7-Zip, WinRAR) plus a text editor. For VBA project passwords: the DPB edit in the PROJECT stream, or the Excel-only open-source project Sorlas/Excel-VBA-Project-Password-Remover on GitHub. For file-open passwords: hashcat or John the Ripper, if you have a compatible GPU.

Is PassFab for Excel worth the money?

For structural protection (sheet/workbook/VBA), no — free methods work identically, and its product page does not claim VBA removal at all. For file-open encryption on a modern file, PassFab uses your local GPU which is much slower than a multi-GPU service. Consider a pay-on-success service instead.

Can any tool remove an Excel password instantly?

Only structural protection (sheet/workbook/VBA) is instant — because it requires zero computation. File-open encryption cannot be instant for any password of meaningful strength. Be sceptical of any tool promising 'instant' file-open password removal.

Do online 'instant unlock' websites work?

They work for structural protection only, which is already free. They cannot instantly crack file-open encryption. If you upload a file-open-encrypted workbook to one of these sites, they will either fail or redirect you to a GPU recovery service.

Which tool works on Office 2024 encrypted files?

Office 2024 uses the same encryption as Office 2013+ — AES-256-CBC with a 100,000-iteration SHA-512 derivation — so it is covered by hashcat mode 9600 once the hash is extracted with office2john. There is no Argon2ID and no 96100/96200 mode, and no hashcat newer than 7.1.2 is required.

What is the cheapest paid option for file-open recovery?

Pay-on-success professional services. You pay nothing if the password is not found. Desktop software charges upfront regardless of outcome. For legacy .xls in the standard 40-bit RC4 format (mode 9700), most services offer a fixed low price because the keyspace is finite; the 128-bit variant (mode 9800 $4) is priced as a normal recovery.

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