# Numbers vs Microsoft Word

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Numbers at none against Microsoft Word's 13. Numbers also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 37%). Microsoft Word's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (3M vs 215K). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft Word sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Numbers asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Numbers against 4.7 for Microsoft Word. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Word has 3M ratings behind it against 215K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Numbers's written reviews are positive against 37% of Microsoft Word's.

Numbers ships an update every 3 months, Microsoft Word weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Numbers | Microsoft Word |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (215K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/numbers-make-spreadsheets/id361304891/reviews) | **[4.7 (3M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-word/id586447913/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 215K | **3M** |
| Positive reviews | **50.1% of reviews** | 36.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#13** |
| Size | 620 MB | 527 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Apple](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) |

## What reviewers say

### Numbers

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/numbers-make-spreadsheets/id361304891)

Design impressive spreadsheets with a flexible canvas, interactive charts, and powerful functions. Collaborate with others and access your work across devices. Includes tools for data analysis and text composition.

**Highlights:** Apple-designed templates, Flexible canvas for layout, Interactive charts and pivot tables, Hundreds of powerful functions, Cross-device compatibility via iCloud, Collaboration and real-time editing, Import/export Excel and CSV files

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive interface
- 🚀 Seamless integration with Apple ecosystem
- 🚀 Great for basic spreadsheet needs
- 🚀 Visually appealing charts and formatting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🐛 Compatibility problems with Excel files
- 🐛 Limited functionality compared to Excel
- 🐛 Frustrating editing experience on mobile
- 🐛 Disappearing spreadsheets after updates

**Reported bugs**

- Frozen headers issue
- Keyboard and text editing problems
- Spreadsheet data loss after updates
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Slow performance and loading times

**Requested features**

- Ability to lock individual cells
- More advanced formula and function support
- Improved collaboration and sharing options
- Better mobile interface and keyboard integration
- Customizable templates and formatting options


### Microsoft Word

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-word/id586447913)

**Currently charting:** #13 Top Grossing · Productivity, #14 Top Free · Productivity, #91 Top Free, #186 Top Grossing (US App Store)

Create, edit, and share documents on your mobile device. This powerful word processor offers templates, formatting tools, and collaborative features to help you write impactful text documents, resumes, and more. Your office moves with you, allowing for seamless editing and sharing from anywhere.

**Highlights:** Create and edit documents, Modern templates, Rich formatting and layout options, Reading view, Collaborate with comments, Version history, Simplified sharing

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Office 365 Personal | $5.99 | per month |
| Office 365 Personal | $6.99 | per month |
| Office 365 Home | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal Student | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $12.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Premium Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Microsoft Copilot Pro | $20.00 | per month |
| Office 365 Personal | $69.99 | per year |
| Office 365 Home | $99.99 | per year |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $99.99 | per year |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $129.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless sync between devices
- 📝 Great for writing and editing
- 🔒 Secure document storage
- 💡 Helpful for school and work

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and data loss
- ⏱️ Laggy and slow performance
- 💰 Expensive subscription required
- 🤔 Limited functionality compared to desktop

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent saving and syncing between devices
- Cursor positioning issues when editing text
- Formatting problems when importing documents
- Unreliable text selection and highlighting

**Requested features**

- Improved mouse/trackpad support
- Built-in citation and bibliography tools
- More customization options for formatting
- Ability to edit documents offline


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Numbers free?

Numbers is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Microsoft Word free?

Microsoft Word is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Numbers or Microsoft Word?

Microsoft Word is rated higher. Numbers averages 4.6 out of 5 from 215K ratings, while Microsoft Word averages 4.7 from 3M ratings.

### Do Numbers or Microsoft Word have ads?

Neither Numbers nor Microsoft Word shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Numbers or Microsoft Word?

Numbers ships an update every 3 months, and Microsoft Word weekly. Most recently, Numbers was updated on September 25, 2026 and Microsoft Word on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*