# Microsoft Excel vs Airtable

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Airtable at none against Microsoft Excel's 15. Airtable also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 24%). Microsoft Excel's advantage is ratings volume (1.5M vs 25K) and chart position (#18 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. Airtable asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Microsoft Excel against 4.8 for Airtable. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Excel has 1.5M ratings behind it against 25K, 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 59% of Airtable's.

Microsoft Excel ships an update weekly, Airtable fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Excel | Airtable |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-excel/id586683407/reviews) | **[4.8 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/airtable/id914172636/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.5M** | 25K |
| Positive reviews | 24.4% of reviews | **58.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#18** | — |
| Size | 436 MB | 134 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) | [Formagrid](https://appshunter.io/developer/914172639) |

## 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


### Airtable

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/airtable/id914172636)

Build custom apps and organize your life with a flexible database solution. Create checklists, manage contacts, catalog collections, and track projects with customizable templates or from scratch. Collaborate in real-time with others on your iOS device.

**Highlights:** Create custom apps, Flexible checklists, Organize collections, Manage contacts, Project management, Real-time collaboration, Template library

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Powerful and flexible
- 💡 Versatile for many use cases
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 👍 Great organizational tool

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Limited mobile functionality
- 🔒 Lack of offline access
- 🔒 Missing key features on mobile
- 🔒 Unstable performance on mobile

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening templates
- Issues with uploading and viewing images
- Unreliable syncing between devices
- Unexpected data loss or reset when using the app

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Offline access and caching
- Improved mobile views and functionality
- Ability to edit formulas and create new field types on mobile
- Keyboard shortcuts and power-user features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Excel free?

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

### Is Airtable free?

Airtable is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Airtable is rated higher. Microsoft Excel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5M ratings, while Airtable averages 4.8 from 25K ratings.

### Do Microsoft Excel or Airtable have ads?

Neither Microsoft Excel nor Airtable shows ads.

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

Microsoft Excel ships an update weekly, and Airtable fortnightly. Most recently, Microsoft Excel was updated on September 25, 2026 and Airtable on September 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*