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Spreadsheets · head to head

Numbers vs Teable

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
Teable logo

Teable

Spreadsheets

Spreadsheet interface over real PostgreSQL tables, so the data stays queryable by anything that speaks SQL

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.; Teable the automation builder is far less capable than the established commercial alternatives, so multi step workflows usually end up in an external tool that must be paid for and maintained separately.
  • They diverge on capability: Numbers covers Canvas-style layout, Teable covers PostgreSQL native storage.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Numbers and Teable actually diverge.

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

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 Teable

  • PostgreSQL native storage
  • Multiple views
  • Linked records and rollups
  • Generated REST API
  • Real time collaboration
  • Self hosting via Docker
  • Field level permissions

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 Teable
  • Someone building a visually laid-out document, an invoice or a planner, rather than a dense data tablenot Teable
  • A small team already on Apple hardware collaborating through iCloud without adopting Google Workspace or Microsoft 365not Teable
  • A user who wants light AI-assisted content generation and is willing to pay for Apple Creator Studio to get itnot Teable

Teable

  • A team that has hit the record ceiling of a hosted spreadsheet database and does not want to move to raw SQLnot Numbers
  • Operational data that a business intelligence tool must also read directly, without an export or a sync jobnot Numbers
  • A regulated or data resident organisation that needs the underlying database inside its own infrastructurenot Numbers
  • An internal tool where a grid interface and a REST API over the same table are both requirednot 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.

Teable

  • The automation builder is far less capable than the established commercial alternatives, so multi step workflows usually end up in an external tool that must be paid for and maintained separately.
  • Self hosting moves PostgreSQL backups, version upgrades, connection pooling and capacity planning onto your team, and the licence saving disappears if that time is costed honestly.
  • The integration catalogue is small, so connecting to a common business system often means writing against the REST API rather than installing a connector.
  • The project is young relative to the products it replaces, and interface and API changes still arrive at a pace that requires reading release notes before upgrading.
  • Storing every table as a real PostgreSQL table means schema changes are real migrations, so a careless field type change on a large table can lock it far longer than a spreadsheet user would expect.

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

Teable

Free
  • Self hosted open sourceFree
    • No licence fee
    • Unlimited rows subject to your PostgreSQL capacity
    • Docker deployment

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 Teable if

  • You need postgresql native storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want multiple views.
Teable review

Questions people ask

Is Numbers or Teable better?
Neither clearly leads. Numbers starts at Free and Teable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Numbers or Teable?
Numbers starts at Free and Teable at Free.
Does Numbers or Teable run on more platforms?
Numbers runs on macOS, iOS, Web. Teable runs on Web, Linux.
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 Teable is typically brought in for.
What can Numbers do that Teable cannot?
Numbers covers Canvas-style layout, Formulas and categories, iCloud collaboration, Excel import and export. Teable covers PostgreSQL native storage, Multiple views, Linked records and rollups, Generated REST API.

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.

Teable: How many rows can it actually hold?

As many as your PostgreSQL instance can serve. There is no product imposed record limit on the self hosted edition, which is the main reason to choose it.

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.

Teable: Can I query the data with SQL directly?

Yes. Tables are real PostgreSQL tables, so any SQL client or reporting tool can read them.

Numbers: Can I use Numbers on Windows?

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

Teable: Is self hosting genuinely free?

The licence is. The database server, backups and the engineer maintaining them are not.

Teable: Does it replace Airtable feature for feature?

No. Views and field types are close; automations, apps and the integration catalogue are not.

Teable: What happens to my data if the project stops?

It remains in a standard PostgreSQL database that you control, which is a materially better exit than a proprietary export format.

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