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Machine Learning · head to head

Dataiku vs Numbers

Dataiku logo

Dataiku

Machine Learning

Browser-based platform where visual data preparation and written code share one pipeline

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Numbers logo

Numbers

Spreadsheets

Apple spreadsheet, free on Apple hardware, now with an optional Apple Creator Studio subscription for AI features

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Dataiku visual recipes are stored as Dataiku's own configuration and do not export as runnable SQL or Python, so a Flow with hundreds of visual steps has to be rebuilt from scratch if the organisation ever leaves, and that cost rises with every project added.; Numbers numbers is not available on Windows or Android as a full application, so any collaborator outside the Apple ecosystem is limited to the basic iCloud.com web version.
  • They diverge on capability: Dataiku covers Visual Flow, Numbers covers Canvas-style layout.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dataiku and Numbers actually diverge.

Attributes where Dataiku and Numbers differ
AttributeDataikuNumbers
Pricing modelfreemiumFree with Apple hardware, optional Apple Creator Studio subscription for AI features
PlatformsLinux, Mac, Windows, WebmacOS, iOS, Web
CategoryMachine LearningSpreadsheets
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Dataiku

  • Visual Flow
  • Visual recipes
  • Code recipes and notebooks
  • Computation pushdown
  • Automated machine learning
  • Scenarios
  • Node topology
  • Governance features

Only in Numbers

  • Canvas-style layout
  • Formulas and categories
  • iCloud collaboration
  • Excel import and export
  • Apple Pencil and touch support
  • Apple Creator Studio AI features

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Dataiku

  • Organisations where analysts and data scientists must collaborate on the same pipeline rather than exchanging extractsnot Numbers
  • Regulated model risk environments needing documented lineage, sign-off and a record of how a production model was producednot Numbers
  • Pushing heavy transformations down into a cloud warehouse while keeping the pipeline definition in one reviewable placenot Numbers
  • Large enterprises replacing a sprawl of spreadsheets and unmanaged scripts with something a governance function will acceptnot Numbers

Numbers

  • A Mac or iPad user who wants a spreadsheet with no additional software cost beyond the devicenot Dataiku
  • Someone building a visually laid-out document, an invoice or a planner, rather than a dense data tablenot Dataiku
  • A small team already on Apple hardware collaborating through iCloud without adopting Google Workspace or Microsoft 365not Dataiku
  • A user who wants light AI-assisted content generation and is willing to pay for Apple Creator Studio to get itnot Dataiku

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Dataiku

  • Visual recipes are stored as Dataiku's own configuration and do not export as runnable SQL or Python, so a Flow with hundreds of visual steps has to be rebuilt from scratch if the organisation ever leaves, and that cost rises with every project added.
  • Production requires separate automation and API nodes, each installed and licensed, so the figure quoted for building models is not the figure for running them.
  • Licensing is per user across tiers, and the lower tiers are constrained enough that occasional contributors frequently end up needing a full seat, which makes a wide rollout cost more than the initial estimate suggested.
  • A self-hosted installation needs a dedicated administrator for upgrades, connection management, permissions and node topology, so the licence is a fraction of the real cost of ownership.
  • Computation pushes down to the warehouse or Spark cluster where it is billed by that provider, so a platform sold on making analysts self-sufficient can generate a large warehouse bill that nobody attributes back to it.

Numbers

  • Numbers is not available on Windows or Android as a full application, so any collaborator outside the Apple ecosystem is limited to the basic iCloud.com web version.
  • Complex Excel formulas, pivot tables and VBA macros do not convert reliably, so heavy Excel users moving files into Numbers risk losing functionality.
  • Its canvas-style layout that is a strength for visual documents becomes a weakness for large, dense datasets, where a fixed grid like Excel or Sheets is easier to navigate.
  • The newest AI features are now gated behind the separate Apple Creator Studio subscription, meaning the previously all-free app now has a paid tier for its most talked-about new capability.
  • Performance and formula depth trail both Excel and Google Sheets for serious financial modelling or statistical analysis.

Pricing, plan by plan

Dataiku

Free
  • Free EditionFree
    • Single user
    • Core features
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Full platform
    • Collaboration
    • MLOps

Numbers

Free
  • NumbersFree
    • Free with a Mac, iPad or iPhone
    • Core spreadsheet and canvas features
    • iCloud collaboration included
  • Apple Creator Studio$12.99/month
    • AI-assisted features across Numbers, Pages and Keynote
    • Premium templates
    • 129 USD annual option

Which should you pick?

Choose Dataiku if

  • You need visual flow.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows, Web.
  • You also want visual recipes.
Dataiku review

Choose Numbers if

  • You need canvas-style layout.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, iOS, Web.
  • You also want formulas and categories.
Numbers review

Questions people ask

Is Dataiku or Numbers better?
Neither clearly leads. Dataiku starts at Free and Numbers at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dataiku or Numbers?
Dataiku starts at Free and Numbers at Free.
Does Dataiku or Numbers run on more platforms?
Dataiku runs on Linux, Mac, Windows, Web. Numbers runs on macOS, iOS, Web.
Can I use Dataiku for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Dataiku best used for?
Dataiku is most often used for organisations where analysts and data scientists must collaborate on the same pipeline rather than exchanging extracts, regulated model risk environments needing documented lineage, sign-off and a record of how a production model was produced, pushing heavy transformations down into a cloud warehouse while keeping the pipeline definition in one reviewable place, large enterprises replacing a sprawl of spreadsheets and unmanaged scripts with something a governance function will accept. Of those, organisations where analysts and data scientists must collaborate on the same pipeline rather than exchanging extracts and regulated model risk environments needing documented lineage, sign-off and a record of how a production model was produced are not what Numbers is typically brought in for.
What can Dataiku do that Numbers cannot?
Dataiku covers Visual Flow, Visual recipes, Code recipes and notebooks, Computation pushdown. Numbers covers Canvas-style layout, Formulas and categories, iCloud collaboration, Excel import and export.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dataiku: Is there a free version?

There is a free edition with limits on users and features, adequate for evaluation and personal work. Anything a team runs in production is a negotiated commercial agreement.

Numbers: Do I have to pay for Numbers?

No, it is free for anyone with a Mac, iPad or iPhone; it does not require a separate purchase.

Dataiku: Do I have to write code to use it?

No. That is the premise. An analyst can build a complete pipeline through visual recipes, and a data scientist can write Python next to it in the same Flow.

Numbers: What does Apple Creator Studio add?

AI-assisted content generation and premium templates across Numbers, Pages and Keynote, for around 12.99 USD a month.

Dataiku: Where does the computation actually run?

Wherever you connect it. Transformations are pushed down into the warehouse, database or Spark cluster where the data lives, which is efficient and also means the compute cost appears on that provider's bill rather than Dataiku's.

Numbers: Can I use Numbers on Windows?

Only through a limited web version at iCloud.com; there is no native Windows application.

Dataiku: Can I export my work if we leave?

Code recipes are your code and leave with you. Visual recipes do not export as equivalent code, so the visual portion of a Flow has to be reimplemented, and that portion tends to be the majority in the projects where the platform succeeded best.

Dataiku: Self-hosted or cloud?

Both are offered. Self-hosting gives control over data residency and networking and requires an administrator; the managed cloud removes that work and moves the constraint to what the vendor's environment supports.

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