# Microsoft Excel vs Spreadsheet

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Spreadsheet at 72% against Microsoft Excel's 24%. Spreadsheet also leads on device support (5 vs 3) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). Microsoft Excel's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (1.5M vs 6K). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft Excel sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Spreadsheet sells 22 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Microsoft Excel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Excel has 1.5M ratings behind it against 6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 24% of Microsoft Excel's written reviews are positive against 72% of Spreadsheet's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Microsoft Excel ships an update weekly, Spreadsheet monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-excel/id586683407/reviews)** | [4.5 (6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spreadsheet-xlsx-and-csv-editor/id1518721142/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5M** | 6K |
| Positive reviews | 24.4% of reviews | **71.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#20** | — |
| Size | 436 MB | 96 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [BEST MUSIC VIDEO & IMAGE MAKER LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450612876) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft Excel

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

**Currently charting:** #20 Top Free · Productivity, #34 Top Grossing · Productivity, #197 Top Free (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


### Spreadsheet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spreadsheet-xlsx-and-csv-editor/id1518721142)

Create and edit spreadsheets with a variety of templates and powerful text functions. Easily insert, merge, and batch operations. Output your work as XLS or PDF documents and benefit from automatic saving.

**Highlights:** Create forms, Form templates, Text functions, Insert, merge, batch operations, Output as XLS or PDF, Automatic saving

**In-app purchases (22)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Limited Time Offer | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly membership | $3.99 | per month |
| Limited Time Offer | $3.99 | per month |
| 首月六折 | $3.99 | per month |
| Template Monthly Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| Promotional offers | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Limited-time offer | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| 周会员 | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly membership | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Free trial for three days | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly VIP Subscription | $8.99 | per month |
| Limited Time Offer | $9.99 | per year |
| Yearly VIP Subscription | $25.99 | per year |
| Annual membership | $25.99 | per year |
| First month discount | $25.99 | per year |
| 一元通用商品 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 3元通用商品 | $0.99 | one-time |
| AI features-10 times | $0.99 | one-time |
| One-time buyout | $0.99 | one-time |
| AI features-50 times | $2.99 | one-time |
| AI features-100 times | $5.99 | one-time |
| Permanently VIP | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Quick and efficient
- 💡 Helpful for personal and business use
- 🎨 Good layout and design
- 📊 Useful for tracking finances and budgeting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 💰 Subscription model with limited free features
- 🌐 Issues with opening certain file formats
- 🌐 Language barriers for non-English users
- 💾 Unreliable saving and data loss

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when searching
- Unable to switch to English language
- Cells not saving formulas and calculations
- Reverting to original text after editing

**Requested features**

- More free templates and options
- Improved file format compatibility
- Better language support
- Enhanced saving and data preservation
- Additional customization and formatting options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Excel free?

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

### Is Spreadsheet free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft Excel or Spreadsheet?

Microsoft Excel is rated higher. Microsoft Excel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5M ratings, while Spreadsheet averages 4.5 from 6K ratings.

### Do Microsoft Excel or Spreadsheet have ads?

Spreadsheet shows ads; Microsoft Excel does not.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft Excel or Spreadsheet?

Microsoft Excel ships an update weekly, and Spreadsheet monthly. Most recently, Microsoft Excel was updated on September 24, 2026 and Spreadsheet on September 23, 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.*