In formulas you can have access to a host of different functions that will allow you to work comfortably with text or numbers. You have to keep in mind that there is a learning curve, and in order to get the most out of it you will have to stock up on different manuals or tutorials that you find in order to explore each of its corners. Also, in an integrated way you can find a large library of functions. Although if you have previously used Numbers, many of the formulas are exactly the same.
The only drawback that can be found is the price. While Numbers is an application developed by Apple and completely free, Excel can be downloaded and used if you pay a subscription. Obviously with this you have access to all the programs of the office suite, which are many, and also completely interconnected.
Other options you will find
But although Excel is one of the great alternatives that can be found, the fact of paying or simply using something from this developer can put some people off. In this way we must download the presence of other applications that are installed on Mac or that work in the cloud itself, being more useful.
google spreadsheet
In the event that you do not want to spend money, but have a complete and functional spreadsheet at your disposal, Google is the solution. Simply by having a Google account you will have access to Drive. In the cloud of the company of the great G, you have a spreadsheet that is quite simple but very functional. It has the simplest formulas, but also the most used by the majority of the target audience.
It is important to note that this service stands out above all for the options it includes to be able to share the spreadsheet with other people. In a simple way you will have many people working on the same document and with total security. This is because it will be automatically saved in the cloud, making it difficult for you to end up losing it by mistake.
Apache Open Office
This suite stands out for being open source, and therefore completely free. The negative point that you will be able to find, as in any type of open source software, is that it has an interface that is old and visually unattractive. But this should not matter to you if you want to dedicate yourself to working on the data without caring too much about everything that surrounds it. It has formulas that are basic and are shared with the rest of the programs that we have seen.
It is true that when it comes to graphics, it is not the most beautiful thing in the world to present them, and the functions are limited. Likewise, we must remember that it is designed exclusively for those users who are looking for a fully functional experience beyond being pretty. Also, being open source, you should remember the possibility of including different free plug-ins to improve the experience.
Libre Office
Another completely free software, and that has accompanied many people along their path through technology. Ideal to install on old Mac devices, since it hardly requires minimum specifications, being able to run on the vast majority of computers. And as in the previous case, and as its name suggests, it is free or open source software. This means that it is free and also completely adaptable to the situation you have at that moment.
It has a great community behind it. This translates into the existence of numerous manuals and also web pages that are specialized. If you feel lost with the formulas to use, you will not have any problem when it comes to solving all your doubts with a simple search in its database. But don’t worry, because it has the most basic formulas and can open practically any file created with another editor.
Neo Office
Office suite that is based on OpenOffice and LibreOffice that we have previously mentioned. It allows you to view, edit and save any type of spreadsheet that has been created in the main editors. There are many features that can be found with integrations with the operating system. For example, there is native Mac text highlighting, dark mode, or full file restoration.
In the rest, the features are quite simple, without straying too far from what you have in other programs. An aesthetic that can already be seen present in other alternatives that we have discussed. But when it comes to formulas, you won’t have any type of problem that should be highlighted, since it has the most basic nomenclature and a lot of information in the integrated manuals.
tables
It is an application that has been specially designed for Mac with the aim of creating databases. It offers the possibility of organizing all the information you may have about the same product. Obviously, it is not limited to this, since it offers the possibility of performing calculations and comparisons with them. Addition, subtraction, multiplication or process all the information with one of the many functions it has.
The data can present numbers, in addition to dates, percentages or amounts in general. To do this, the developers have integrated a large number of formats that will adapt to the type of post you are making. In short, it is the best option to be able to generate truly visual invoices, lists or reports to be able to deliver them to superiors or in the academic field.
RAGTIME
This is really versatile software for many reasons. It is a unique and professional publishing system for tasks in the fields of graphic design, prepress, office, and database publishing. It combines a word processor, rich spreadsheets, professional images and powerful graphics in a comfortable design environment for all Mac users.
The different components are placed on a page in individual frames. And that is why you can choose the one that is most recommended for you. It’s the ideal choice for any small business that wants complete control with a single application.
Which one do we recommend?
With all the options we’ve been able to find for Numbers on a Mac, we’ll definitely stick with two of them. The first is Microsoft Excel thanks to all the tools it integrates, very diverse but professional. That is why it is designed for any type of user, with the extra that aesthetically it is really beautiful and intuitive. Both in the interface and in the graphs or tables that you will be able to design.
As a second option is the Google spreadsheet. In this case, it stands out that it is totally free when you have a Google. It has many different formulas and is available for any type of person. In addition, it is ideal especially when you need to work collaboratively with other people under the same fully unified document and with changes that are seen in real time.
