Excel vs Numbers Comparison: Is Excel Better Than Numbers?

Excel is one of the most widely used spreadsheet programs around. However, Numbers, the Apple equivalent to Excel, offers similar services in their capable version of spreadsheet software. 

With this in mind, should you switch to Numbers? Or, is Excel still the right choice for you? Our Excel vs Numbers comparison article will answer that question!

While Excel may seem like the way to go regarding spreadsheet applications, it’s not the only option. This article gives you all the information needed to choose between either option. 

Read on to discover which of the spreadsheet programs best works for your needs!

What is the difference between Excel and Numbers?

The main difference between Numbers and Excel is the primary platform they function on. While Excel is part of the Microsoft Office suite available on Windows and then on other OS, Apple Numbers is primarily designed for Apple devices. It’s part of the iWork productivity suite.

Excel’s first version was developed in 1985 and has been going strong. Many don’t know that Excel was first developed for a Mac computer in its first version. But by 1990, the first Microsoft Office Suite was born, introducing three core software programs, Word 1.1, Excel 2.0, and PowerPoint 2.0. By 2010 when Office 365 came into being, Excel had become an integral part of the suite. 

Excel remains one of the most feature-rich spreadsheet programs available for users. Its multi-platform compatibility and user-friendly interface have made it the most popular spreadsheet program available. While we’ll explore some key features in this blog post, we have our full Excel review post for you to get enough knowledge on this tool. 

Considered the Apple version of Excel, Apple Numbers was developed in 2007, this was more than three decades after Excel debuted. While Excel is the more popular version, Numbers capitalizes on its more restricted access to the Apple Ecosystem. It offers similar features to Excel and has a sleek, user-friendly, and visually appealing interface. 

Another reason for its rise in popularity is its superiority amongst other spreadsheet programs in representing graphs. There’s more to Apple Numbers than meets the eye, and our Numbers review will give you all the information you need on this spreadsheet tool.

Excel and Apple Numbers are two of the best and most popular data manipulation programs around, wanted for both their flexibility and how user-friendly they both are.

Microsoft Excel vs Numbers comparison chart

We’ve created the Excel vs Numbers table below to give you a quick overview of how these two spreadsheet programs compare in terms of core functions and features. You can, at a glance, identify the key differences between each program without delving into the details yet.

Microsoft Excel vs Numbers pricing

When you are looking for a spreadsheet, either as an individual or a business, an essential factor to consider is the pricing for the product. 

Excel has a standalone version for Windows and Mac for a one-time fee of $159. You can also get Excel as part of the online Microsoft 365 suite, starting at $6 per user per month. When it comes down to it, depending on your choice, you do not need to pay a hefty price for an office package.

Numbers comes at no cost, at all.

Winner: 

While Excel edges past Numbers in this Apple Spreadsheet vs Excel comparison, pricing is one place Numbers takes the lead. 
 

Apple Numbers vs Excel free versions

Having a free version, albeit with lesser features often incentives upgrading to a paid plan, between Excel and Numbers; who has the edge here?

Excel is not free on the Office 365 suite, but when used online through a Microsoft account, you can access the spreadsheet for free.

On the other hand, Apple Excel equivalent Numbers is free with all its offline and online features. 

Winner: 

Apple Numbers also takes this category. 
 

Customer support

The ability to reach customer support is an integral part of the usage process of using any service. 

Excel, being part of the larger Microsoft suite, enjoys general customer support for all the programs within the Microsoft Office 365 Suite, including around-the-clock phone and online support included on all plans.

Apple Numbers also has phone support available.

Winner:

Excel wins this round because of its more-rounded customer support system. 
 

Knowledgebase & learning

Excel has a robust knowledge base and learning resources that help users get acquainted with its functions faster. This knowledge base includes Tutorials, help articles, community forums, live coaching, In-App Help, and Tutorials.

Numbers also has many resources for helping users gain the required knowledge to efficiently use its functions. These include the official Apple Support, User Guides and Manuals, Apple User Communities and Forums, In-App Help, and Tutorials.

Winner: 

Excel slightly edges Numbers out in this category.

Apple Numbers vs Excel features & functionality

Now that we compared Apple Numbers vs Excel based on factors such as pricing, free plans, customer service, and knowledge base, it’s time to evaluate their relative performance in terms of features and functionalities.

Excel or Numbers for User Interface?

The user interface of an app is the first thing users encounter when they begin to use it. Both spreadsheet software programs have intuitive interfaces, but different styles.

Excel takes a more traditional approach to its interface, sticking to the ribbon-based interface with a wide range of customization options. While this style is easy to navigate, its numerous functions could clutter the screen's top end.

On the other hand, Numbers has a clean and visually inviting interface, focusing on simplicity and ease of use.

Winner: 

Numbers takes this round. 
 

Excel vs Numbers Work Capacity

While there are various spreadsheet programs with multiple capabilities, one reason Excel has stayed at the front of the pack is its ability to handle large data sets. It is relied on by business owners, who use it for large calculations and data manipulations. It can be used by schools to organize large student bio data. It is also flexible because of this feature.

Numbers is much more suited for personal use, as it can handle some tasks, but its capacity is limited when handling large amounts of data. 

Winner: 

Excel is much suited for larger data sets and can also work for personal use. 
 

Mac Numbers vs Excel: Online

Excel provides an online version called Excel Online, which allows users to access and edit their spreadsheets directly from a web browser. It offers a similar interface and functionality to the desktop version of Excel, including a wide range of formulas, functions, and data analysis tools. Excel Online supports real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on the same spreadsheet simultaneously.

Numbers does not have a dedicated online version. It is primarily designed for use on macOS and iOS devices, and accessing Numbers files typically requires using the Numbers app on a compatible device.

Winner: 

Excel wins this category as it offers a full-featured online version, Excel Online, that provides extensive functionality and collaboration capabilities accessible from any web browser.
 

Excel vs Numbers: Desktop

Excel is available as a desktop application for Windows and macOS. It is known for its robust feature set, including advanced formulas, macros, and extensive data analysis capabilities. Excel's desktop version provides the most comprehensive functionality, allowing users to work with complex spreadsheets and handle large datasets efficiently.

Numbers is a native app developed by Apple and is exclusively available for macOS and iOS devices. It offers a user-friendly interface and focuses on simplicity and visual appeal. While Numbers provides basic spreadsheet functionality, it may lack some of the advanced features found in Excel.

Winner: 

Excel wins this category due to its extensive feature set and availability on both Windows and macOS platforms.
 

Excel vs Numbers: Mobile Apps

Excel provides dedicated mobile apps for both iOS and Android devices. These apps offer a range of spreadsheet features, including formulas, formatting options, and collaboration capabilities. Excel Mobile allows users to view, edit, and create spreadsheets on the go, making it a versatile tool for mobile productivity.

Numbers also offers mobile apps exclusively for iOS devices. The Numbers app for iOS allows users to view, edit, and create spreadsheets directly on their iPhones and iPads. It provides a user-friendly interface and is optimized for touch-based interactions.

Winner: 

It's a tie. Both Excel Mobile and Numbers Mobile offer mobile apps for their respective platforms, providing users with the flexibility to work on spreadsheets using their mobile devices.
 

Functions

Utilizing the features offered by spreadsheet tools, which store and analyze data, facilitates improved data manipulation and interpretation.

Excel offers over 400 functions divided into 11 categories. This vastly increases its ability for complex data analysis. 

On the other hand, Numbers offers more than 260 functions divided into 10 categories. While it can still carry out complex statistical analysis, it is behind Excel in this department.  

Winner: 

In this category, Excel is way ahead of Numbers.
 

Tables and Graphs

Excel is well-known for its powerful table and graph features. It provides a full collection of tools for generating and modifying tables, allowing users to organize and analyze data easily. Excel has additional tools such as filtering, sorting, and subtotaling, allowing users to summarize and view data in a table format swiftly. 

Regarding graphs, Excel has various chart formats, customization choices, and formatting elements. Line charts, bar graphs, pie charts, scatter plots, and other interactive graphs may be created by users.

In contrast, Numbers excel in graph representation and aesthetics. It has a visually attractive interface and a vast range of professionally designed table and graph templates. Numbers prioritizes simplicity and ease of use, making it ideal for producing and altering graphs.

Winner: 

This round ends in a tie. 
 

Integrations

Integration is vital for spreadsheet and database management apps like Excel and Apple Numbers.

Excel is well-known for its strong integration capabilities. Excel seamlessly integrates with other Office applications like Word and PowerPoint. It allows smooth data sharing, linking, and embedding between these applications. Excel also has extensive compatibility with third-party services and plugins, enabling integration with various data sources, databases, and business intelligence tools.

On the other hand, Numbers enables close connection with other Apple services and products because it is an Apple product. Numbers seamlessly synchronizes and collaborates across Apple devices because of its strong iCloud integration. However, compared to Excel, the integration options with outside applications and non-Apple systems are more constrained.

A note on Excel Numbers integration

When it comes to Numbers Excel integration, the level of integration could be better. Numbers can open and modify Excel files while retaining most formatting and formulas. Similarly, Excel can open Numbers files. 

However, certain sophisticated functions and formatting may not be translated entirely on both ends. Compatibility issues may arise with complex formulas, macros, or specialized functions, requiring adjustments or manual workarounds when moving between Excel and Numbers. 

Winner: 

Excel wins this round because it integrates with applications outside of a given ecosystem.

Is Numbers better than Excel? Our conclusion

After examining these features and capabilities for both Excel and Apple Numbers, the differences between the two programs are more glaring. Yet, you might still be tempted to ask, “Is Excel better than Numbers?”

While we will tilt more towards Excel, the choice remains yours. Picking a suitable spreadsheet between Excel and Numbers largely depends on your needs and available devices. 

Apple Numbers will be perfect for you if you just started your business and are already within the Apple ecosystem or if your use for a spreadsheet does not go beyond casual uses on small projects. If, on the other hand, you are handling large data sets and you need a powerful spreadsheet program, Excel is a more suitable choice for you.   

Finally, while each spreadsheet has its pros and cons, they both offer reasonable computation power depending on your needs.  

Our frequently asked question section below will help you better know how Excel works and give you insights to choose what works for you.

FAQs

What is Apple's version of Excel?

Apple equivalent of Excel is Numbers, it is a spreadsheet program that basically does what Excel does but has fewer functions and power. Apple Numbers particularly excels in presenting graphs. It is quite decent with other features but falls behind Excel when it comes to functions 

Is Numbers the same as Excel?

No, Numbers and Excel are two different spreadsheet programs. While they both serve similar purposes, they have different interfaces, feature sets, and compatibility with different platforms. Excel is part of Microsoft Office and has been around for decades, while Numbers is Apple's spreadsheet program developed for Mac and iOS devices.

Is Numbers compatible with Excel?

Numbers and Excel have some compatibility with each other, but it is not perfect. Numbers can open and edit Excel files (.xlsx and .xls) and preserve most of the formatting and formulas in Excel. However, complex Excel features and macros may not translate perfectly into Numbers. 

Similarly, when saving a spreadsheet in Numbers and exporting it as an Excel file, some formatting or advanced features may not be fully supported in Excel.

What is the difference between Excel and Numbers on Mac?

There are a couple of differences between Numbers and Excel; some key differences between the two include the operating systems they are compatible with, their capacity when dealing with large data sets, and the range of functions available to both spreadsheet programs. Excel is also much older than Numbers.