# Microsoft Excel vs Expense Tracker

Microsoft Excel and Expense Tracker both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 76% of Expense Tracker's written reviews are positive against 24% of Microsoft Excel's. Expense Tracker also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Microsoft Excel's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (1.5M vs 112). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft Excel sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Expense Tracker sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 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 4.6 for Expense Tracker. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Excel has 1.5M ratings behind it against 112, 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 76% of Expense Tracker's.

Microsoft Excel ships an update weekly, Expense Tracker every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Excel | Expense Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-excel/id586683407/reviews)** | [4.6 (112 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-tracker-easybudget/id1561516009/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5M** | 112 |
| Positive reviews | 24.4% of reviews | **75.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#25** | — |
| Size | 436 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [茜 韦](https://appshunter.io/developer/1253334883) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft Excel

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

**Currently charting:** #25 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


### Expense Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-tracker-easybudget/id1561516009)

Track spending, manage budgets, and organize bills with this intuitive money manager. Easily record income and expenses, set spending limits, and visualize financial habits with charts and reports. Securely sync your data to the cloud.

**Highlights:** Daily expense tracking, Customizable spending categories, Monthly budget setting, Bill organization, Visual financial analysis (charts, reports), Cloud data synchronization, Dark mode option

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| 6 Months | $7.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $12.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $13.49 | per year |
| Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $18.49 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Excel free?

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

### Is Expense Tracker free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft Excel or Expense Tracker?

Microsoft Excel is rated higher. Microsoft Excel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5M ratings, while Expense Tracker averages 4.6 from 112 ratings.

### Do Microsoft Excel or Expense Tracker have ads?

Expense Tracker shows ads; Microsoft Excel does not.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft Excel or Expense Tracker?

Microsoft Excel ships an update weekly, and Expense Tracker every 8 days. Most recently, Microsoft Excel was updated on September 28, 2026 and Expense Tracker on September 27, 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.*