Tally vs Microsoft Excel.
Tally and Microsoft Excel are both spreadsheets that open .xlsx files on your Mac. This page compares price, features and platforms.
| Feature | Tally | Microsoft Excel |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19 once | $99.99/yr or $179.99 |
| Pay once, no subscription | Yes | PartlyOffice Home 2024 |
| Opens and saves .xlsx directly | Yes | Yes |
| Works offline | Yes | Partlymonthly online check |
| Every command open to a local AI agent | Yes | Partlymacros and add-ins |
| Charts | No | Yes |
| Pivot tables | No | Yes |
| Real-time collaboration | No | PartlyMicrosoft 365 only |
| Platforms | Mac | Mac, Windows, web, iPad |
| Minimum macOS | macOS 14 | macOS 15 |
| Built-in AI | None; use your own agent | Copilot, subscription |
Yes Yes Partly Partly No No
Price
Microsoft 365 Personal is $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month, and Office Home 2024 is $179.99 once, for one PC or Mac. 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.
Paying and updating
Office Home 2024 gets security updates but no new features, and Microsoft says there are no upgrade options to the next major release. Microsoft’s plans page says you need an account to download and update the apps, and with a Microsoft 365 subscription the apps may go into reduced functionality mode if you don’t connect to the internet at least once a month. Tally has no subscription and no account, every future update is included, and it works offline.
Where Microsoft Excel is ahead
- Excel has charts; Tally has no charts in version 1.
- Excel has PivotTables; Tally has no pivot tables in version 1.
- Excel runs VBA macros, and Office Scripts on business plans, while Tally has no macros or scripting language inside the app in version 1.
- Excel offers real-time co-authoring with a Microsoft 365 subscription; Tally has no real-time collaboration.
- Excel runs on Windows, the web and iPad as well as the Mac; Tally is Mac only.
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.
More comparisons
Sources
Checked against Microsoft Excel’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 If something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll correct it.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
Microsoft Excel and Microsoft 365 are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Tally is not affiliated with it.