Softwr

Spreadsheets · head to head

Numbers vs Quadratic

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
Quadratic logo

Quadratic

Spreadsheets

Infinite-canvas spreadsheet that runs Python, SQL and formulas in the same grid

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.; Quadratic aI usage is metered as a dollar allowance rather than a flat entitlement, so a team that adopts the agent enthusiastically will exhaust 20 USD per user per month quickly and the true cost per seat becomes unpredictable.
  • They diverge on capability: Numbers covers Canvas-style layout, Quadratic covers Multi-language cells.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Numbers and Quadratic actually diverge.

Attributes where Numbers and Quadratic differ
AttributeNumbersQuadratic
Pricing modelFree with Apple hardware, optional Apple Creator Studio subscription for AI featuresPer user per month
PlatformsmacOS, iOS, WebWeb, macOS, Windows, 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 Quadratic

  • Multi-language cells
  • Infinite canvas
  • Direct database connections
  • AI agent in the sheet
  • WebAssembly engine
  • Python package support

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

Quadratic

  • An analyst who wants a SQL result, a Python transformation and a set of manual assumptions visible in one file instead of three toolsnot Numbers
  • Ad hoc modelling where part of the logic is genuinely code and part is a judgement call typed into a cellnot Numbers
  • Sharing a reproducible analysis with a colleague who will only ever open a spreadsheet, not a notebooknot Numbers
  • Prototyping a data pull against a warehouse before committing it to a scheduled pipelinenot 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.

Quadratic

  • AI usage is metered as a dollar allowance rather than a flat entitlement, so a team that adopts the agent enthusiastically will exhaust 20 USD per user per month quickly and the true cost per seat becomes unpredictable.
  • Self-hosting is available only on the Enterprise plan, so an organisation that cannot send data to the vendor cloud has to enter a sales negotiation rather than run a container.
  • Excel and Google Sheets compatibility is partial, so files with heavy conditional formatting, pivot tables or macros do not survive a round trip and have to be rebuilt.
  • The product is young and the connector list is short, covering the main relational databases and two warehouses, so anything else has to be reached through Python code you write and maintain yourself.
  • There is no real mobile editing experience, which matters more than it sounds for a spreadsheet because approvals and quick checks routinely happen on a phone.

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

Quadratic

Free
  • PersonalFree
    • Limited AI usage
    • Limited files and connections
    • Limited sharing
  • Pro$18/month
    • Billed annually
    • 20 USD of AI credits per month
    • Unlimited files
  • Business$36/month
    • Billed annually
    • 40 USD of AI credits per month
    • Advanced permissions
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Quoted
    • Self-hosting option
    • Custom AI usage

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 Quadratic if

  • You need multi-language cells.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want infinite canvas.
Quadratic review

Questions people ask

Is Numbers or Quadratic better?
Neither clearly leads. Numbers starts at Free and Quadratic at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Numbers or Quadratic?
Numbers starts at Free and Quadratic at Free.
Does Numbers or Quadratic run on more platforms?
Numbers runs on macOS, iOS, Web. Quadratic runs on Web, macOS, Windows, 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 Quadratic is typically brought in for.
What can Numbers do that Quadratic cannot?
Numbers covers Canvas-style layout, Formulas and categories, iCloud collaboration, Excel import and export. Quadratic covers Multi-language cells, Infinite canvas, Direct database connections, AI agent in the sheet.

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.

Quadratic: Do I need to know Python to use it?

No, formulas work on their own, but the reason to choose Quadratic over Google Sheets is the code cells, so a team with no Python will not get the value.

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.

Quadratic: What happens when the AI credits run out?

Prompting stops until the next monthly reset or until you move up a plan; the spreadsheet itself keeps working normally.

Numbers: Can I use Numbers on Windows?

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

Quadratic: Can it replace a BI tool?

Not for scheduled distribution or governed metrics. It is for exploratory work by one person or a small team, not for dashboards a hundred people read.

Quadratic: Is my database query sent to the vendor?

Connections run through the vendor service on all plans except Enterprise self-hosting, which is the option to take if that is unacceptable.

Share

Related pages

More on Numbers

More on Quadratic

Keep looking

Other head to heads