# Microsoft Excel vs The Spreadsheet App

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Spreadsheet App at 50% against Microsoft Excel's 24%. Microsoft Excel's advantage is ratings volume (1.5M vs 372) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, update cadence, ads 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 The Spreadsheet App sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 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 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Excel has 1.5M ratings behind it against 372, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 24% of Microsoft Excel's written reviews are positive against 50% of The Spreadsheet App's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Microsoft Excel ships an update weekly, The Spreadsheet App every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Excel | The Spreadsheet App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-excel/id586683407/reviews)** | [4.5 (372 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-spreadsheet-app-sheets/id1671610440/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5M** | 372 |
| Positive reviews | 24.4% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#18** | — |
| Size | 436 MB | 97 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Henrik Kjær](https://appshunter.io/developer/1671456118) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft Excel

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

**Currently charting:** #18 Top Free · Productivity, #35 Top Grossing · Productivity, #189 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


### The Spreadsheet App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-spreadsheet-app-sheets/id1671610440)

Create, manage, and visualize data with a user-friendly spreadsheet application. Build custom functions, generate charts, and export reports to PDF. Ideal for budgeting, expense tracking, and data analysis on the go.

**Highlights:** User-defined functions, Data visualization with charts, PDF export, Drag and drop functionality, Undo/Redo, No registration required

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Pro | $5.99 | per month |
| Yearly Pro | $34.99 | per year |
| One-time payment | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Excel free?

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

### Is The Spreadsheet App free?

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

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

Microsoft Excel is rated higher. Microsoft Excel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5M ratings, while The Spreadsheet App averages 4.5 from 372 ratings.

### Do Microsoft Excel or The Spreadsheet App have ads?

Neither Microsoft Excel nor The Spreadsheet App shows ads.

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

Microsoft Excel ships an update weekly, and The Spreadsheet App every 4 days. Most recently, Microsoft Excel was updated on September 25, 2026 and The Spreadsheet App on September 22, 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.*