Can I solve all data analytics problems by using MS Excel only?

Answer 1

In my experience, the answer is yes. The catch is that its a lot of work for many data analytics problems which is why people quickly move on to Python, R, etc..

Answer 2

I have not worked in Python or R, but these are indeed very popular.

The trick question I guess here is "all"! The Solver Excel add-in allows you to to a solve a number of optimization problems. Simulation problems such as MonteCarlo can be done in Excel; the infamous triangular probability distribution formula can be created as an add-in function in Excel (https://www.wyzant.com/resources/files/723635/triangular_probability_functions_in_excel).

Regressions, including logistic regressions can also be solved in Excel. The types of problems that are not easily represented in Excel are decision trees. So, if you are in college, and if your professor asks you to use one of his/her licensed software (Crystal Ball, Frontline Solver or Palisade@Risk, or other), remember that once you are out you may no longer have access to these licensed tools; learn the concept with the licensed tool they offer, but study alternatives in parallel.