Apple Numbers Vs Microsoft Excel: Which Is Best?

Apple Numbers and Microsoft Excel are free spreadsheet applications that allow users to create spreadsheets, tables, or charts, and organize, format, and calculate data. Both these applications are used to manage and analyze data and they offer a wide range of features including performing calculations, using formulas, collaboration, and much more. Apple Numbers is primarily used by casual users within the Apple ecosystem for small projects, whereas Microsoft Excel is preferred by advanced users for large-scale business and professional analysis.

Both apps have their own strengths and weaknesses and their advantages depend on how and for what purpose they are used. It can totally depend on the needs of the user, the size of data sets, or whether you are already familiar with one or the other app. Many aspects differentiate Apple Numbers and Microsoft Excel and this article will discuss in detail about both applications, their differences, which is best, and much more. So, keep reading. 

Difference between Apple Numbers and Microsoft Excel

Apple Numbers and Microsoft Excel are both spreadsheet applications: Apple Numbers is apt for basic data analysis and visualization, whereas Microsoft Excel is a good choice for manipulating and analyzing large data sets. Here are some of the major differences between them;

• Apple Numbers can be your go-to application if you plan on starting a new business or using Apple products. On the other hand, Microsoft Excel is ideal if you are looking for a robust spreadsheet tool with large catalog functions and formulas. 
• Small businesses often prefer Apple Numbers, while large companies mainly use Microsoft Excel for enterprise-level data handling. 
• Apple Numbers integrates well with the Apple ecosystem and provides a blank canvas rather than grids to organize data in whichever way users want. It also provides features like finding pivot tables to find trends and radar charts to highlight comparisons. Microsoft Excel offers features, such as calculated columns and a new row. 
• It is easier to illustrate in Apple Numbers, users can add photos and illustrations, and import Excel spreadsheets into Apple Numbers. However, Microsoft Excel has a better catalog of functions and formulas than Apple Numbers and users can easily add pictures to workbooks and move, sort, resize, or filter within an Excel spreadsheet. 
• The main difference between the two applications is that Apple Numbers is free and beginner-friendly but lacks the ability to handle serious data. However, Microsoft Excel is packed with plenty of features that a user will need but the only problem is that it is hard to master and costs money. 
• Many people choose Apple Numbers over Microsoft Excel because Apple Numbers is easier to use and controls the appearance of spreadsheets or how one presents their data.

Which is better? Apple Numbers or Microsoft Excel?

It can be quite hard to say which is better: Apple Numbers or Microsoft Excel, because both have their own strengths and weaknesses. While Apple Numbers is best for Apple and iCloud users, Microsoft Excel is ideal for cross-platform collaboration. Also, Microsoft Excel offers more advanced shortcuts and customization but its structure is more rigid than Apple Numbers, which makes it harder to organize complex spreadsheets. Even though Apple Numbers offers advanced visual effects, Microsoft Excel remains the powerhouse for complex functions and large data sets. Here are some of the factors that differentiate Apple Numbers and Microsoft Excel

Ease of use and understanding

Both Apple Numbers and Microsoft Excel are suited for different tasks but most users prefer Apple Numbers over Microsoft Excel because of its ease of use. Also, Apple Numbers is ideal for beginners whereas Microsoft Excel is quite hard to master with so much complex functionality. Even those who have been using Microsoft Excel for a long time find certain areas hard to grasp. Apple Numbers has this UI guide that gives users an idea of how to use certain features in a better and more open way. However, Microsoft Excel is used widely because it has learning resources for almost every function, setting, and feature.

Ability to handle large data sets

Considering which app is better can depend on how and why it is used. Even though Apple Numbers is great for small and basic use, it can be hard to manage the spreadsheet once it grows. It is because it is not designed to handle large spreadsheets with multiple tabs, plenty of rows and columns, or endless formulas. Microsoft Excel, on the other hand, is advanced in handling large data sets.

Accessibility

Apple Numbers is easily accessible, especially for beginners as it is completely free to use and easy to understand. However, it is only compatible with Apple devices, such as iPhone, iPad, or Mac, but users can convert it into a readable format and transfer files to Android devices for use. Apple Numbers comes pre-installed on a Mac and it is not, you can easily install it from the App Store without any payment.

However, Microsoft Excel is not exactly free because to get the full Excel experience, one will need the Office apps. Users will have to have a Microsoft 365 subscription and if you want to use it for free, you can use the Excel Online tool. The free version does provide several features but is not as efficient or powerful as it lacks some functionality. 

Functionality

Microsoft Excel was long in the game which is why it now has 450 different Excel functions one can use while Apple Numbers only has around 50. This is because Microsoft Excel has more complex features which Apple Numbers lacks. So, Microsoft Excel is the ideal choice for large enterprises.

Spreadsheet features

One of the best features that stand out in Apple Numbers is that it can create cool-looking visual effects for the spreadsheet, from modern arty graphs and charts to vibrant color schemes. It also offers great templates for a wide variety of uses, such as stock control and personal budgeting. Microsoft Excel offers various templates and can create impressive charts, but the spreadsheet of Apple Numbers appears as if they were designed by professional graphic artists.

Integration

Microsoft Excel is compatible with Windows PC, iPad, Mac, and Android smartphones but Apple Numbers is limited to Apple devices. In the case of integration, Microsoft Excel has the upper hand but most users find Apple Numbers better as there are no autosave issues. However, Apple Numbers has an online version where users can access the app using a browser on just any platform at iCloud.com. 

Also Read: What Is The Windows 365 link? A Beginner’s Guide To The Cloud PC

Both Apple Numbers and Microsoft Excel are spreadsheet applications that have their own uses and benefits. These apps are used to create, organize, calculate, format, manage, and analyze data. Apple Numbers is mostly used by casual users, who are beginners and Microsoft Excel is used by advanced users, especially for large-scale business and professional analysis. Determining which app is better can depend on the users’ needs, the size of data sets, and whether you are already familiar with the app. Apple Numbers is ideal for basic data analysis and visualization, whereas Microsoft Excel is a good choice for analyzing large data sets.

While Apple Numbers is easy to use and understand, Microsoft Excel can be quite hard to master as it has complex functionalities. To handle small or basic tasks, Apple Numbers is best as it is designed to handle large spreadsheets with multiple tabs or thousands of rows and columns. Microsoft Excel, on the other hand, is mostly used to handle complex, large data sets as it has advanced features. However, Apple Numbers offers more features and templates to make the spreadsheet look more professional.