Numbers vs Gnumeric (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Numbers grades higher than Gnumeric: 3.2 against 3.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Numbers grades higher on platforms. Gnumeric grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Numbers
Apple's free spreadsheet app for Mac, iPad and iPhone
Which one is for you
Pick Numbers if
- Fits if you own a Mac, iPad or iPhone and want a spreadsheet at no cost
- Works for home budgets, invoices and checklists started from a template
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your workbooks lean on Excel macros, data validation, external data or slicers, which don't import
- Not for you if you want a Windows or Android app, as there isn't one and a PC only gets iCloud.com in a browser
- Pricey if all you're after is Magic Fill or premium templates, since that means Apple Creator Studio at $12.99 a month
- Watch out: the Creator Studio trial is 1 month, then it renews automatically
Pick Gnumeric if
- Fits if you run Linux and open large spreadsheets
- Works for people who want a spreadsheet without a subscription or an account
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows, as the project does not release Windows binaries
- Not for you if you use a Mac, phone or browser, since none is listed
- Watch out: the newest Windows build the site links is 1.12.17, older than the current 1.12.62
- Watch out: no cloud sharing is described
How we grade them
| 3.2GPANumbersVery good | 3.0GPAGnumericVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe app is free and it's the whole spreadsheet, not a taster, in a category whose middle plan is $9.99 a month. The only paid part is Apple Creator Studio at $12.99 a month or $129 a year, and all that adds to Numbers is premium templates, stock media and Magic Fill. | AFree of charge, open source under the GPL. A program anyone can download and run counts as free and substantial. |
| Free plan and trial | AMaking, editing and sharing spreadsheets is free, and so are pivot tables, charts, real-time collaboration and Excel import and export. There's no cap a normal person meets. Only the premium templates, the Content Hub and Magic Fill are held back. | ANo plan, no cap and no account: the whole program and its source are free. |
| Features | CHundreds of functions including XLOOKUP and RegEx, pivot tables, categories, 2D and 3D charts and several tables on one sheet. Apple's own compatibility list names the gap, and it's the one that matters: Excel macros, data validation, external data and slicers aren't supported. | BA full spreadsheet program with a manual and tested functions. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | B4.6 from 223,459 App Store ratings, a shade under the 4.7 an A asks for. You start from a template rather than a blank grid, and there's a function browser built in for when a formula has you stuck. | BNo store rating on record. On Linux you install it from your distribution's packages and open it, with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac, iPad and iPhone, plus a browser version at iCloud.com that someone on a PC can join, with sharing through iCloud or Box and hooks into Shortcuts. No Windows app and no Android app at all, so an A is out. | DLinux and BSD only. The project does not release Windows binaries, and no Mac, phone or browser version is listed. |
| Best for | a free spreadsheet on Apple devices | a free spreadsheet on Linux |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Numbers and Gnumeric. How we grade
Price against what you get
Numbers starts at $10.75 a month when paid by the year for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Gnumeric has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Numbers scores higher, and starts $10.75 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other spreadsheet and database tools on the chart, 5 score higher than Numbers for less, and none scores higher than Gnumeric for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Gnumeric is open source, according to its own site.
- Numbers also covers templates.
At a glance
| Numbers | Gnumeric | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $12.99 per month or $129 per year for Apple Creator Studio | Free |
| Free plan | The app is free: creating, viewing and editing spreadsheets and collaborating in real time do not require a subscription. Premium templates and Magic Fill are paid. | None |
| Free trial | Apple Creator Studio is free for 1 month for new subscribers, then renews automatically | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Apple | Gnumeric |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | gnome.pages.gitlab.gnome.org |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Numbers
- There are no Windows or Android apps; on a PC, Numbers is available only in a browser through iCloud.com.
- Magic Fill, premium templates and the Content Hub need an Apple Creator Studio subscription at $12.99 per month or $129 per year.
- Apple's compatibility list marks Excel macros, data validation, external data and slicers as not supported when a workbook is imported.
Gnumeric
- The project does not release Windows binaries; the newest older build it links is 1.12.17.
- On Linux and BSD the site recommends installing from your distribution's packages.
- The site lists no macOS, mobile or browser versions.
Key features
Numbers
- Flexible canvas
- Tables, charts, text and images can be placed anywhere on a sheet, so one page can hold several separate tables alongside the charts that draw on them.
- Functions, pivot tables and categories
- Hundreds of functions, including XLOOKUP and RegEx, with a built-in function browser. Pivot tables and categories group and summarize a table's data.
- Charts
- 2D and 3D charts including bar, column, line, area, pie, donut and radar, plus interactive column, bar, scatter and bubble charts that animate data.
- Real-time collaboration
- Share a spreadsheet publicly or with specific people through iCloud or Box and see their changes as they happen. Collaborators can join from a Mac, iPad, iPhone or a PC browser.
- Excel and CSV files
- Imports and edits Microsoft Excel and CSV files and exports to Excel, CSV, TSV and PDF. Apple publishes a feature-by-feature list of what carries over from Excel.
- Magic Fill and premium content
- For Apple Creator Studio subscribers, Magic Fill suggests contents or formulas for empty cells from patterns in nearby data. Subscribers also get premium templates and the Content Hub's photos and graphics.
Gnumeric
- Open source
- The program and its source code are free of charge under GPL version 2 or version 3.
- Fast with large files
- The site says Gnumeric starts quickly and stays responsive with large spreadsheets.
- Accuracy of functions
- The site points to research that found its built-in functions accurate.
- Tested functions
- The project aims to test every sheet function, preferably in its automated test suite; coverage is not complete.
- User's manual
- A user's manual and FAQ are published alongside the download page.
Plans
Numbers
Numbers$0
Create, view and edit spreadsheets on Mac, iPad, iPhone and iCloud.com, with real-time collaboration, pivot tables, charts and Excel import and export.
Apple Creator Studio$12.99
per month, or $129 per year
Adds premium templates, the Content Hub media library, Magic Fill and image generation in Numbers, plus Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro and Pixelmator Pro.
Gnumeric
Free$0
The full program and its source code, licensed under GPL version 2 or version 3.
Ways to pay less
Numbers
- Annual discount
About 17% less on the yearly plan
Apple Creator Studio is $129 per year or $12.99 per month. Twelve monthly payments come to $155.88, so the yearly plan costs about 17% less.
- Education
Students and educators: $2.99 a month
Verified college students and educators pay $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year for Apple Creator Studio. Apple calls it a limited-time offer, and it cannot be shared through Family Sharing.
- Other savings
3 months free with a new Mac or iPad
Buyers of an eligible new Mac or iPad can try Apple Creator Studio free for 3 months, claimed within 3 months of activating the device.
Gnumeric
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Numbers or Gnumeric?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Gnumeric is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $10.75 a month when paid by the year for each person for Numbers. Numbers starts at $12.99 per month or $129 per year for Apple Creator Studio, and Gnumeric is free.
Which has a free plan, Numbers or Gnumeric?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Numbers and Gnumeric have a free plan.
Which platforms do Numbers and Gnumeric run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Numbers lists a web app and macOS and iOS apps and only Gnumeric lists a Linux app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.