# Microsoft Excel vs Themes for PowerPoint

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Themes for PowerPoint at 100% against Microsoft Excel's 24%. Themes for PowerPoint also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Microsoft Excel's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, 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 Themes for PowerPoint sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Microsoft Excel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Excel has 1.5M ratings behind it against 51, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 24% of Microsoft Excel's written reviews are positive against 100% of Themes for PowerPoint's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Microsoft Excel ships an update weekly, Themes for PowerPoint every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Excel | Themes for PowerPoint |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-excel/id586683407/reviews)** | [4.2 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/themes-for-powerpoint-design/id1623769288/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5M** | 51 |
| Positive reviews | 24.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#20** | — |
| Size | 436 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Graphic Node](https://appshunter.io/developer/438911754) |

## 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


### Themes for PowerPoint

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/themes-for-powerpoint-design/id1623769288)

Create professional-looking presentations with a vast library of pre-designed templates. Easily customize colors, fonts, and images to personalize your slides. Available in standard and widescreen formats.

**Highlights:** Vast library of pre-designed templates, Intuitive customization options, Standard (4:3) and widescreen (16:9) formats, Categorized template browsing, Add custom text and media

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One-Month Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| 6-Months Subscription | $16.99 | per 6 months |
| One Year Subscription | $25.99 | per year |
| Themes for MS Powerpoint | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Excel free?

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

### Is Themes for PowerPoint free?

Themes for PowerPoint is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft Excel or Themes for PowerPoint?

Microsoft Excel is rated higher. Microsoft Excel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5M ratings, while Themes for PowerPoint averages 4.2 from 51 ratings.

### Do Microsoft Excel or Themes for PowerPoint have ads?

Neither Microsoft Excel nor Themes for PowerPoint shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft Excel or Themes for PowerPoint?

Microsoft Excel ships an update weekly, and Themes for PowerPoint every 3 months. Most recently, Microsoft Excel was updated on September 24, 2026 and Themes for PowerPoint on September 17, 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.*