# Microsoft Word vs XLSX Sheets

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Microsoft Word at 3M against XLSX Sheets's 2.9K. Microsoft Word also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). XLSX Sheets's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft Word sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and XLSX Sheets sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Microsoft Word holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Word has 3M ratings behind it against 2.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of Microsoft Word's written reviews are positive against 24% of XLSX Sheets's.

Microsoft Word ships an update weekly, XLSX Sheets monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Word | XLSX Sheets |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-word/id586447913/reviews)** | [4.5 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xlsx-sheets-edit-spreadsheet/id1672553988/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3M** | 2.9K |
| Positive reviews | **36.9% of reviews** | 23.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#14** | #165 |
| Size | 527 MB | 224 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Rhophi Analytics LLP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1647365609) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft Word

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

**Currently charting:** #14 Top Grossing · Productivity, #15 Top Free · Productivity, #95 Top Free, #189 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


### XLSX Sheets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xlsx-sheets-edit-spreadsheet/id1672553988)

**Currently charting:** #165 Top Free · Productivity, #185 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

Create, edit, and manage Excel-compatible spreadsheets on your mobile device. Offers powerful editing tools, formula assistance, data visualization, and collaboration features. Work offline and import/export data in various formats.

**Highlights:** Edit, create, and manage XLS sheets, Excel-compatible formula builder, Data visualization tools, Real-time collaboration, Advanced data analysis, Offline access, Import/export data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly Plan | $1.99 | per month |
| Black Friday Premium Sale | $1.99 | per year |
| Premium Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Pro Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Pro Weekly | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Weekly | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Weekly | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro Weekly Plan | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| 15% off Premium Yearly | $25.49 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Pro Yearly | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Useful app
- ⭐ Recommended

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Paid subscription required for basic functionality
- 🚫 Ads and watermarks on content
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🚫 Difficult to use and unintuitive interface
- 🚫 Subscription difficult to cancel

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Unable to open or edit files

**Requested features**

- Option to cancel subscription
- Improve stability and performance


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Word free?

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

### Is XLSX Sheets free?

XLSX Sheets is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft Word or XLSX Sheets?

Microsoft Word is rated higher. Microsoft Word averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3M ratings, while XLSX Sheets averages 4.5 from 2.9K ratings.

### Do Microsoft Word or XLSX Sheets have ads?

Neither Microsoft Word nor XLSX Sheets shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft Word or XLSX Sheets?

Microsoft Word ships an update weekly, and XLSX Sheets monthly. Most recently, Microsoft Word was updated on September 25, 2026 and XLSX Sheets on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Microsoft Word or XLSX Sheets?

Microsoft Word currently peaks at #14 in the App Store charts, and XLSX Sheets at #165. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*