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Spreadsheets · head to head

Mathesar vs Numbers

Mathesar logo

Mathesar

Spreadsheets

Spreadsheet style interface that edits an existing PostgreSQL database directly, with no schema of its own

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: Mathesar there is no hosted offering of any kind, so a team without someone who can run and secure a server cannot use it at all.; 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: Mathesar covers Direct PostgreSQL editing, Numbers covers Canvas-style layout.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mathesar and Numbers actually diverge.

Attributes where Mathesar and Numbers differ
AttributeMathesarNumbers
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeFree with Apple hardware, optional Apple Creator Studio subscription for AI features
PlatformsWeb, LinuxmacOS, iOS, Web

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

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 Mathesar

  • Direct PostgreSQL editing
  • PostgreSQL permissions
  • Schema editing
  • Data exploration
  • Relationship navigation
  • Import of tabular files
  • Self hosted only

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.

Mathesar

  • A nonprofit or research group whose data is already in PostgreSQL and whose staff cannot write SQLnot Numbers
  • Giving analysts a safe editing interface governed by database roles that already existnot Numbers
  • Replacing a hand built Django or Rails admin screen that nobody wants to maintainnot Numbers
  • Editing production reference data where an export, edit and reimport cycle would risk losing concurrent changesnot Numbers

Numbers

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

Where each one falls short

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

Mathesar

  • There is no hosted offering of any kind, so a team without someone who can run and secure a server cannot use it at all.
  • It works only with PostgreSQL, so a MySQL, SQL Server or SQLite estate is excluded outright.
  • There are no automations, no webhooks and effectively no integration catalogue, so it edits data and does nothing else.
  • Because it writes to the live database, a careless bulk edit or column type change is a production change with no staging step and no undo.
  • Development is grant and community funded rather than commercially funded, so roadmap pace and long term continuity carry a different risk profile from a venture backed vendor.

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

Mathesar

Free
  • Self hosted open sourceFree
    • No licence fee
    • No hosted option offered
    • Connects to your existing PostgreSQL database

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 Mathesar if

  • You need direct postgresql editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want postgresql permissions.
Mathesar 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 Mathesar or Numbers better?
Neither clearly leads. Mathesar 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, Mathesar or Numbers?
Mathesar starts at Free and Numbers at Free.
Does Mathesar or Numbers run on more platforms?
Mathesar runs on Web, Linux. Numbers runs on macOS, iOS, Web.
Can I use Mathesar for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Mathesar best used for?
Mathesar is most often used for a nonprofit or research group whose data is already in postgresql and whose staff cannot write sql, giving analysts a safe editing interface governed by database roles that already exist, replacing a hand built django or rails admin screen that nobody wants to maintain, editing production reference data where an export, edit and reimport cycle would risk losing concurrent changes. Of those, a nonprofit or research group whose data is already in postgresql and whose staff cannot write sql and giving analysts a safe editing interface governed by database roles that already exist are not what Numbers is typically brought in for.
What can Mathesar do that Numbers cannot?
Mathesar covers Direct PostgreSQL editing, PostgreSQL permissions, Schema editing, Data exploration. Numbers covers Canvas-style layout, Formulas and categories, iCloud collaboration, Excel import and export.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mathesar: Is there a cloud version?

No. Self hosting is the only option, and that is a deliberate project decision rather than a gap waiting to be filled.

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.

Mathesar: How does it handle permissions?

Through PostgreSQL roles and privileges directly, so there is no second permission model to keep in step.

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.

Mathesar: What is the row limit?

Whatever PostgreSQL can handle. Mathesar adds no storage layer of its own.

Numbers: Can I use Numbers on Windows?

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

Mathesar: Does it support databases other than PostgreSQL?

No.

Mathesar: Can it replace Airtable?

Only for editing and exploring data. There are no automations, apps or integrations.

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