Alt+E+S+V for Paste Special. Alt+E+S+T for formats only. The Windows Excel paste shortcuts you already know, running natively on your Mac — no menus, no relearning.
The exact key combinations from Windows Excel, now native on macOS.
Need more than paste shortcuts? See the full list of Excel shortcuts on Mac — AutoSum, formatting, navigation, and everything else, in one place.
No configuration, no remapping keyboard layouts by hand.
Every habit below is one you keep from Windows — hands on the keys, mouse untouched, the way you have always worked.
across huge reporting workbooks, filter and drill into pivot tables mid-conversation, and review live dashboards at the same speed you had on Windows —
without ever reaching for the mouse.
~7 hrs/month savedbetween relative and absolute references without breaking flow, audit formulas and trace precedents in seconds, then reformat an entire statement
minutes before the deadline.
~9 hrs/month savedup a messy handoff workbook in seconds, apply consistent number and currency formats across a whole sheet, and copy formatting only —
no slow ribbon crawl.
~5 hrs/month savedthe muscle memory you built on Windows — no retraining your hands, no second-guessing a keystroke, every saved second compounding
across your whole working day.
~7 hrs/month saved*Estimate based on typical power-user Excel workflows over a 22-day working month and the number of ribbon/menu trips a Windows shortcut replaces — actual time saved depends on how you use Excel.
Anyone who spent years in Excel on Windows and doesn't want to lose that speed on a Mac.
The shapeshifters who walk into any client’s office and make their numbers make sense — same keys on every machine, zero relearning.
The one-person finance teams — building the model, the deck and the roadmap before lunch, every keystroke earned.
The warriors who turn raw rows in Excel into the insights everyone else builds their decisions on.
The operators running invoicing, inventory and payroll solo — Excel stays fast, so the business keeps moving.
Running a virtual machine or dual-booting Windows just to use Excel shortcuts is overkill. Mac Excel Shortcuts app gets you there without the overhead.
| Feature | Mac Excel Shortcuts app | Parallels Desktop | Boot Camp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runs natively on macOS | Runs a full Windows VM | Boots into Windows instead | |
| Windows license required | None | Yes, extra cost | Yes, extra cost |
| RAM & disk overhead | Minimal — no VM | 4–8GB+ RAM, 60GB+ disk | 60GB+ dedicated partition |
| Switch between Mac apps & Excel instantly | Partial — still a VM under the hood | No — full reboot required | |
| Setup required | None — install & go | Install hypervisor + Windows + Office | Partition drive + install Windows + Office |
| Price | $49 one-time or $4.99/mo | Subscription + Windows license | Free app, but needs Windows + Office license |
| Get it now | — | — |
Feature availability compared as of this page's last update — check each vendor's site for current details.
Excel on Mac remaps almost every shortcut you know. Here's what changes by default — and what Mac Excel Shortcuts app gives back to you.
| Action | Windows shortcut | Native Excel on Mac | With Mac Excel Shortcuts app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paste Special | Alt+E+S+V | ⌃+⌘+V | Same as Windows |
| AutoSum | Alt+= | ⇧+⌘+T | Same as Windows |
| Fill Down | Ctrl+D | ⌘+D | Same as Windows |
| Freeze Panes | Alt+W+F+F | View menu only | Same as Windows |
| Toggle Filter | Ctrl+Shift+L | ⌘+Shift+L | Same as Windows |
| Sort A to Z | Alt+A+S+A | Data menu only | Same as Windows |
| Data Validation | Alt+A+V+V | Data menu only | Same as Windows |
| Insert Row | Alt+H+I+R | Home menu only | Same as Windows |
Generic remapping tools move key presses around. Mac Excel Shortcuts app understands Excel.
| Feature | Mac Excel Shortcuts app | Karabiner-Elements | BetterTouchTool | Keyboard Maestro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excel-native shortcuts, out of the box | ||||
| Multi-key Access Key sequences (Alt,E,S,V) | Possible with manual macros | |||
| Setup required | None — install & go | Manual key-map config | Manual app-specific config | Manual macro building |
| Free trial | 7 days or 10 shortcuts | Free & open source | ||
| Get it now | — | — | — |
Feature availability compared as of this page's last update — check each vendor's site for current details.
Try Mac Excel Shortcuts free for 7 days or 10 shortcuts, whichever comes first. Go unlimited, monthly or with a one-time lifetime license.
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One license covers a single Mac.
Everything you need to know about running Paste Special shortcuts on your Mac.
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Tips, tutorials, and updates from the MacCove team to help you get the most out of your automation.
Save is ⌘S and Save As is ⇧⌘S in Excel for Mac, with F12 as the Windows-style alternative. Here is how each works, how AutoSave changes things, and how to save as CSV UTF-8 or PDF.
Read moreUndo is ⌘Z in Excel for Mac. Redo is ⌘Y or ⇧⌘Z. Here is what each does, what cannot be undone, and what to do when Undo is greyed out.
Read moreOn a Mac, Ctrl+; inserts today's date and ⌘; inserts the current time. Here is how to insert both, when to use TODAY() and NOW() instead, and the common mix-up.
Read more
