Apple Numbers alternatives for the Mac.
If you want a Mac spreadsheet that saves .xlsx directly rather than exporting to it, Tally is laid out like Excel for Mac and reads and writes .xlsx with its own code. It costs $19 once.
Apple Numbers at a glance
Apple Numbers is a free spreadsheet from Apple that runs on the Mac, iPhone and iPad.
- Numbers: Free
- Apple Creator Studio (optional, adds intelligence features and premium content): $12.99 a month or $129 a year
Tally beside Apple Numbers
Numbers is free on the App Store. An optional Apple Creator Studio subscription, which adds intelligence features, costs $12.99 a month or $129 a year. Tally costs $19 once, tax included, with no subscription and no account. It is free for 7 days with no card, one licence covers up to 3 of your Macs, every future update is included, and refunds are available within 30 days.
| Feature | Tally | Apple Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19 once | Free |
| Pay once, no subscription | Yes | –free |
| Opens and saves .xlsx directly | Yes | Partlyimport and export |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes |
| Every command open to a local AI agent | Yes | PartlyMCP, macOS 27 |
| Charts | No | Yes |
| Pivot tables | No | Yes |
| Real-time collaboration | No | Yes |
Yes Yes Partly Partly No No
Other options
- Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Excel is a spreadsheet from Microsoft that costs $99.99 a year with Microsoft 365 Personal, or $179.99 once for Office Home 2024.
- LibreOffice CalcLibreOffice Calc is a free, open source spreadsheet from The Document Foundation, part of the LibreOffice suite.
- Google SheetsGoogle Sheets is a spreadsheet that runs in a browser, free with a Google Account, with paid Google Workspace plans from $7.00 per user a month.
| Feature | Tally | Microsoft Excel | Apple Numbers | LibreOffice Calc | Google Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $19 once | $99.99/yr or $179.99 | Free | Free | Free for personal use |
| Pay once, no subscription | Yes | PartlyOffice Home 2024 | –free | –free | –free |
| Opens and saves .xlsx directly | Yes | Yes | Partlyimport and export | Yes | Partlyupload to Drive |
| Works offline | Yes | Partlymonthly online check | Yes | Yes | Partlyneeds browser setup |
| Every command open to a local AI agent | Yes | Partlymacros and add-ins | PartlyMCP, macOS 27 | Partlyscripting only | Partlycloud MCP preview |
| Charts | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pivot tables | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time collaboration | No | PartlyMicrosoft 365 only | Yes | Partlymerges on save | Yes |
Yes Yes Partly Partly No No
Try Tally free for 7 days.
Then $19 once, for up to 3 of your Macs. No subscription and no account.
Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Sources
Checked against each product’s own website and documentation on 13 November 2026. If something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll correct it.
- Compare Microsoft 365 plans and pricing
- What’s the difference between Microsoft 365 and Office 2024?
- Microsoft Excel on the Mac App Store
- Excel specifications and limits
- File formats that are supported in Excel
- Create a PivotTable to analyze worksheet data
- Collaborate on Excel workbooks at the same time with co-authoring
- Office for Mac for Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
- Platform limits, requirements, and error messages for Office Scripts
- Build Excel add-ins with Office Add-ins
- How AI usage works across Microsoft 365 subscriptions for individuals
- Numbers: Make Spreadsheets on the App Store
- Apple Creator Studio adds powerful new AI features and even more creative tools
- Apple Creator Studio (Apple Support 125029)
- Intelligence features in Apple Creator Studio (Apple Support 127888)
- Export to other file formats in Numbers on Mac
- Intro to pivot tables in Numbers on Mac
- Formulas and Functions Help
- LibreOffice home page
- Download LibreOffice
- LibreOffice system requirements
- LibreOffice on the Mac App Store
- Getting Started Guide 24.8, Chapter 3: Getting Started with Calc
- Using Microsoft Office and LibreOffice (Help)
- Pivot Table (Help)
- LibreOffice Calc Features (Help)
- Scripting LibreOffice (Help)
- Collaboration (Help)
- Google Sheets product page
- Compare Flexible and Annual/Fixed-Term payment plans (Google Workspace Help)
- Work on Google Docs, Sheets and Slides offline
- Work with Microsoft Office files
- Files you can store in Google Drive
- Create and use pivot tables
- Add and edit a chart or graph
- Extending Google Sheets with Apps Script
- Collaborate with Gemini in Google Sheets
- Configure the Sheets MCP server
Microsoft Excel and Microsoft 365 are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Numbers is a trademark of Apple Inc. LibreOffice is a registered trademark of The Document Foundation. Google Sheets is a trademark of Google LLC. Tally is not affiliated with them.