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Spreadsheets · head to head

Numbers vs Rowy

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
Rowy logo

Rowy

Spreadsheets

Spreadsheet interface for Google Cloud Firestore with cloud functions written in the browser

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Rowy every Firestore limit is inherited, including the one megabyte per document ceiling and roughly one sustained write per second per document, which surprises users who expect spreadsheet behaviour.
  • They diverge on capability: Numbers covers Canvas-style layout, Rowy covers Firestore backed grid.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Numbers and Rowy actually diverge.

Attributes where Numbers and Rowy differ
AttributeNumbersRowy
Pricing modelFree with Apple hardware, optional Apple Creator Studio subscription for AI featuresOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsmacOS, iOS, WebWeb

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 Numbers

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

Only in Rowy

  • Firestore backed grid
  • Browser authored cloud functions
  • Typed columns
  • Runs in your Google Cloud project
  • Role based access
  • Form view
  • Open source

What people use each for

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

Numbers

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

Rowy

  • A Firebase application that needs an internal admin interface without building onenot Numbers
  • Operations staff correcting production records in Firestore without developer involvementnot Numbers
  • Attaching a small transformation or notification function to a field change without a full deployment pipelinenot Numbers
  • A content team populating documents that a mobile application reads directly from Firestorenot Numbers

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Rowy

  • Every Firestore limit is inherited, including the one megabyte per document ceiling and roughly one sustained write per second per document, which surprises users who expect spreadsheet behaviour.
  • Firestore has no joins, so linking tables in the grid is a convenience layer rather than a relational feature and reports across collections still need a separate query.
  • It is useful only to teams already on Firebase, so choosing it effectively locks the operational tooling to one cloud vendor.
  • Query costs are billed by document read, and an unfiltered grid on a large collection can generate a bill that a spreadsheet user has no intuition for.
  • Development activity has slowed relative to the broader category, so evaluate current maintenance before making it load bearing for internal operations.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Rowy

Free
  • Open source self hostedFree
    • No licence fee
    • Deploys into your own Google Cloud project
    • You pay Google Cloud for Firestore reads, writes and storage

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Rowy if

  • You need firestore backed grid.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want browser authored cloud functions.
Rowy review

Questions people ask

Is Numbers or Rowy better?
Neither clearly leads. Numbers starts at Free and Rowy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Numbers or Rowy?
Numbers starts at Free and Rowy at Free.
Does Numbers or Rowy run on more platforms?
Numbers runs on macOS, iOS, Web. Rowy runs on Web.
Can I use Numbers for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Numbers best used for?
Numbers is most often used for a mac or ipad user who wants a spreadsheet with no additional software cost beyond the device, someone building a visually laid-out document, an invoice or a planner, rather than a dense data table, a small team already on apple hardware collaborating through icloud without adopting google workspace or microsoft 365, a user who wants light ai-assisted content generation and is willing to pay for apple creator studio to get it. Of those, a mac or ipad user who wants a spreadsheet with no additional software cost beyond the device and someone building a visually laid-out document, an invoice or a planner, rather than a dense data table are not what Rowy is typically brought in for.
What can Numbers do that Rowy cannot?
Numbers covers Canvas-style layout, Formulas and categories, iCloud collaboration, Excel import and export. Rowy covers Firestore backed grid, Browser authored cloud functions, Typed columns, Runs in your Google Cloud project.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Rowy: Where is my data stored?

In your own Firestore instance inside your own Google Cloud project. Rowy does not hold a copy.

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.

Rowy: What does it cost to run?

No licence fee. You pay Google Cloud for Firestore reads, writes, storage and function invocations, and an open grid on a big collection reads a lot.

Numbers: Can I use Numbers on Windows?

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

Rowy: Can it do joins across collections?

Not really. Firestore does not support joins, and no interface layer can add them.

Rowy: Is there a row limit?

Not from Rowy. The limits that bite are Firestore document size and per document write throughput.

Rowy: Is it suitable if I am not on Firebase?

No. It is specifically a Firestore interface.

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