Choosing between Apple Numbers and Google Sheets isn’t just about the spreadsheets they produce. Each app has strengths and weaknesses that will affect your creative process and workflows. Whether you’re working with numbers, charts, or formulas, there’s plenty to consider.

Numbers Is Native, Sheets Is a Web App

Let’s start with the basics. Apple Numbers is a key part of the iWork suite that comes installed on all Mac computers, offering a uniquely “Apple” experience. While you can access your documents through iCloud.com, the software is clearly designed for local use on Apple devices. The app leverages features like Handoff, letting you seamlessly switch between your Mac and iPad, and lets you use your Apple Pencil for precise control.

Google Sheets takes a universal approach, running smoothly on virtually any device with a web browser. This platform agnosticism means you’ll get nearly identical functionality whether you’re on a Chromebook, Windows PC, or Mac. The mobile apps for both iOS and Android offer robust features too, though they occasionally lag behind the web version in terms of advanced functionality.

Two Different Approaches to Spreadsheets

Numbers feels like an app that was designed by Apple. Instead of the traditional “endless” grid, you’ll find a sprawling canvas where spreadsheets can coexist with charts, tables, and other creative assets. This approach feels more like creating a beautiful presentation than wrestling with rows and columns—further displayed through the ample supply of provided templates.

Each sheet acts as a page, and you can have multiple tables per sheet, each with its own size and styling. It’s particularly refreshing when creating reports that need to tell a story through data.

Google Sheets, by contrast, embraces spreadsheet traditions that date back to VisiCalc (which, coincidentally, was made for Apple). Its interface will feel instantly familiar to anyone who’s used Microsoft Excel or other traditional spreadsheet software.

The classic grid layout, formula bar at the top, and sheet tabs at the bottom all follow established conventions. While this might seem less innovative, it means you can hit the ground running without learning new paradigms.

Google Sheets Features More Advanced Functions

Both apps handle the essentials admirably, but their approaches to common tasks reveal their different philosophies. Numbers makes formula creation more approachable with its interactive formula builder. As you construct calculations, the app uses color coding to highlight related cells and provides clear, plain-language explanations of each function. This visual feedback makes it easier to understand complex formulas and spot errors before they become problems.

Google Sheets emphasizes power and efficiency in its formula handling. The autocomplete feature is more comprehensive, suggesting functions as you type and even predicting what you might need based on your data.

It also offers more advanced functions (on top of the basics that all Sheets users should know) out of the box, particularly for statistical analysis and data manipulation. Array formulas, which let you perform calculations on multiple cells simultaneously, feel more mature in Sheets, and the pivot table functionality offers more options for data analysis. There are a heap of productivity-boosting features in Sheets for mastering data.

Numbers Is More Visually Appealing (and Limited)

Numbers truly excels in visual presentation. The charts and graphs aren’t just functional—they’re genuinely beautiful, with thoughtful color schemes and layouts that make your data pop. Interactive elements add another dimension to your spreadsheets: sliders can adjust values in real time, while steppers make incremental changes a breeze.

You can even add audio and video files directly into your spreadsheet, making it more of a multimedia document than a traditional workbook.

Google Sheets counters with an impressive array of power features. The Google Workspace Marketplace opens up a world of possibilities through add-ons: you can automate data entry, create custom visualizations, or integrate with other services.

The built-in AI assistant, while still maturing, can help with everything from formula creation to natural language queries about your data. Connected sheets can pull live data from BigQuery, making it possible to work with massive datasets right in your browser.

Both Apps Offer Collaboration (But Sheets Is Better)

Google Sheets has mastered the art of collaboration. Multiple team members can work on the same document simultaneously, with changes appearing instantly and each user’s cursor visible to others. The commenting system is robust, allowing for threaded discussions and action items. Version history lets you track changes over time and revert if needed, while the suggestion mode enables a formal review process for sensitive data.

Numbers approaches collaboration through the lens of Apple’s ecosystem. Sharing works beautifully between Apple users—documents sync instantly across devices, and real-time collaboration is smooth and reliable. However, working with non-Apple users requires more planning.

You’ll need to export files to Excel format (which can come with its own set of issues) or share them through iCloud, which can compromise some of Numbers’ unique formatting and interactive features. On top of this, the iCloud web-based versions of Apple’s apps lack the full suite of features you’ll find in the native versions which can put collaboration partners at a disadvantage.

Numbers Has Proper Offline Support

Both apps take different approaches to keeping your data safe and accessible. Numbers integrates with iCloud, giving you 5GB of free storage shared across Apple services. Files sync automatically between Apple devices, and offline access works just as seamlessly as everything else within iCloud.

Google Sheets uses Google Drive’s powerful infrastructure, offering 15GB of free storage shared with other Google services. The platform excels at version control, keeping a comprehensive edit history with the ability to restore past versions of documents. While the core features of Sheets can work offline through browser extensions, it’s clearly designed with constant internet connectivity in mind.

Should You Use Apple Numbers or Google Sheets?

Choosing between Numbers and Google Sheets ultimately depends on your specific needs and workflow. Numbers shines brightest if you’re deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem, where its seamless device synchronization and offline capabilities really come into their own.

It’s particularly appealing if you find yourself creating visually oriented reports and presentations, as its design-focused approach transforms mundane spreadsheets into engaging visual stories. The intuitive interface makes complex data manipulation feel more approachable, especially for those who might find traditional spreadsheets intimidating.

Google Sheets, on the other hand, proves its worth in collaborative environments where team members need to work together regardless of their chosen devices or platforms. Its cross-platform accessibility means you’re never locked out of your data, while its extensive collection of advanced functions and add-ons provides the tools needed for sophisticated data analysis.

If automation plays a big role in your workflow, Sheets’ robust scripting capabilities and integration with other Google services make it a compelling choice. It’s the more powerful of the two, but not everyone needs such an expansive feature set.

Both applications are powerful tools that continue to evolve. Numbers showcases Apple’s vision of making data beautiful and accessible, while Google Sheets proves the power of cloud-based collaboration and extensibility.

Consider your workflow, device ecosystem, and collaboration needs when making your choice—there’s no wrong answer, just different paths to spreadsheet success.