# Microsoft Excel vs MyScript Notes

Microsoft Excel and MyScript Notes both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 66% of MyScript Notes's written reviews are positive against 24% of Microsoft Excel's. Microsoft Excel's advantage is ratings volume (1.5M vs 39K) and chart position (#20 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft Excel sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and MyScript Notes sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Microsoft Excel against 4.7 for MyScript Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Excel has 1.5M ratings behind it against 39K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 24% of Microsoft Excel's written reviews are positive against 66% of MyScript Notes's.

Microsoft Excel ships an update weekly, MyScript Notes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Excel | MyScript Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-excel/id586683407/reviews) | [4.7 (39K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/myscript-notes-ai-handwriting/id1119601770/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5M** | 39K |
| Positive reviews | 24.1% of reviews | **66.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#20** | — |
| Size | 439 MB | 266 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [MyScript](https://appshunter.io/developer/446368119) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft Excel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-excel/id586683407)

**Currently charting:** #20 Top Free · Productivity, #37 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

This powerful productivity app allows you to create, view, and edit spreadsheets on the go. Manage data, perform calculations, and analyze information with robust formatting and charting tools. Share your work easily with others.

**Highlights:** Create, view, and edit spreadsheets, Data analysis with charts and graphs, Budgeting and accounting tools, Customizable tables and formatting, Share files with collaborators, Draw and annotate with ink

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Office 365 Personal | $5.99 | per month |
| Office 365 Personal | $6.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal Student | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $12.99 | per month |
| Office 365 Home | $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 |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $99.99 | per year |
| Office 365 Home | $129.99 | per year |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $129.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Powerful and feature-rich
- 🔍 Useful for data management and analysis
- 🔧 Convenient for on-the-go work
- 🤝 Good integration with Microsoft ecosystem
- 🤩 Excellent for personal and professional use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Subscription required for full functionality
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 📱 Limited features compared to desktop version
- 🤔 Confusing user interface changes
- 🤯 Frustrating syncing and file management issues

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to open or edit files
- Unexpected app closures
- Syncing problems with OneDrive
- Formatting issues when copying and pasting
- Slow performance on high-end devices

**Requested features**

- Conditional formatting options
- Ability to open password-protected files
- Improved Apple Pencil and keyboard support
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts
- Better compatibility with Dropbox and other cloud storage


### MyScript Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/myscript-notes-ai-handwriting/id1119601770)

Transform handwritten notes into editable text with advanced AI. Brainstorm on an infinite canvas, annotate PDFs, and create structured documents. Supports 66 languages and works across devices.

**Highlights:** AI handwriting recognition, Infinite canvas for brainstorming, PDF annotation, Handwriting to typed text conversion, Math equation recognition, Multi-language support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MyScript Notes – Full Access | $1.99 | per month |
| MyScript Notes – Full Access | $7.99 | per year |
| PDF Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Connect Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Essentials Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Full version | $9.99 | one-time |
| Nebo Pro | $9.99 | one-time |
| Full version | $14.99 | one-time |
| MyScript Notes – Full Access | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent handwriting recognition
- 👍 Intuitive and responsive interface
- 💡 Useful gestures and shortcuts
- 🚀 Fast conversion of handwriting to text
- 👍 Ability to organize notes in notebooks and collections

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Issues with syncing and data loss
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior with formatting and editing
- 💡 Lack of keyboard support and text editing features
- 💡 Limited customization options for paper styles and fonts

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when importing large documents
- Handwriting recognition fails for certain symbols and abbreviations
- Formatting issues when converting handwritten notes to text
- Sync issues leading to data loss across devices
- Inability to move or rearrange pages within notebooks

**Requested features**

- Add support for keyboard input and text editing
- Improve syncing and backup functionality
- Introduce more customization options for paper styles and fonts
- Enhance diagram and equation handling capabilities
- Implement better collaboration and sharing features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Excel free?

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

### Is MyScript Notes free?

MyScript Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft Excel or MyScript Notes?

Microsoft Excel and MyScript Notes are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.5M and 39K ratings respectively.

### Do Microsoft Excel or MyScript Notes have ads?

Neither Microsoft Excel nor MyScript Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft Excel or MyScript Notes?

Microsoft Excel ships an update weekly, and MyScript Notes every 10 days. Most recently, Microsoft Excel was updated on October 13, 2026 and MyScript Notes on October 12, 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.*