Microsoft 365 is a comprehensive cloud-based productivity suite with 60+ applications and enterprise-grade features, while Apple iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) is a simpler, free bundled suite optimized for Apple devices with excellent design capabilities but fewer advanced tools.
Microsoft 365 vs Apple iWork — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Enterprise-dominant productivity suite with Word, Excel, Teams, and AI-powered Copilot.
Free productivity suite (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) optimized for Apple ecosystem with modern design focus
Pricing Model. Number of Applications. Cross-Platform Support. Cloud Storage Included. Advanced Excel Features. Enterprise Collaboration. Design Templates
Choose Microsoft 365 if you need comprehensive productivity tools, cross-platform compatibility, advanced features like data analysis, enterprise collaboration, or work in mixed Windows/Mac environments. Choose Apple iWork if you're exclusively in the Apple ecosystem, want free software, prefer intuitive design-first interfaces, and have basic document creation needs.
Microsoft 365: $12.50 | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Copilot (premium only) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Complex enterprise setup | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Full Office suite included | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Comprehensive, moderate | Apple iWork: N/A
Enterprise Security (Intune/Advanced Tools)
Microsoft 365: Industry-leading with Intune E3/E5 | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 1,000GB (1TB) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Unlimited | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Copilot with rewrite, grammar, tone adjustment | Apple iWork: N/A
Native Mobile App Rating (iOS App Store)
Microsoft 365: 4.7/5 (Office app, 500K+ reviews) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft Format Compatibility (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx)
Microsoft 365: 99.8% format fidelity | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: ~4,500MB (full install with Teams, Outlook) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 20-30 hours (widely taught globally) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 30 days | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Standard in Business plans ($6+/user) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: $72-150 | Apple iWork: Free
Microsoft 365: Full support | Apple iWork: Full offline support with auto-sync
Microsoft 365: Yes, native support | Apple iWork: No
Microsoft 365: $6 (Business Basic) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 1,000 GB (OneDrive) | Apple iWork: 5 GB free
Microsoft 365: Unlimited (per subscription) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: ~100-300ms | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Basic lookup fields in Excel | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Yes (Outlook with 50 GB inbox) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Yes (full Office suite offline) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Copilot (separate $20/month add-on) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: $6 (Microsoft 365 Personal) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 100 GB | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Limited to 30 days free trial | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: SOC2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP, HIPAA (4 major) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 1 hour (Premium Support) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: $69-$120 | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Yes (unlimited simultaneous users) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 99% fidelity | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Copilot, Designer, smart suggestions | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, FedRAMP | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Web-based (minimal local footprint) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: $22 (Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 20+ (via Excel integrations) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Not available | Apple iWork: N/A
Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) Included
Microsoft 365: Yes (all included) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 4-8 (without Power BI) | Apple iWork: N/A
User Learning Curve (1-10 scale, 10=hardest)
Microsoft 365: 2-3 (intuitive Office interface) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 1,024 GB (1TB) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 5 devices per subscription | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft Office File Format Compatibility
Microsoft 365: 99.9% native support | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 45+ major formats | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: iOS, Android, Windows Phone | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Copilot included (most plans) | Apple iWork: N/A
Monthly Cost Per User (Standard Tier, Annual Billing)
Microsoft 365: 1,000 GB (OneDrive) | Apple iWork: N/A
Maximum Video Conference Participants (Standard Plan)
Message Search History Retention (Free Plan)
Microsoft 365: $6.99 (Personal) / $12.50 (Family) | Apple iWork: Free
Microsoft 365: 1,000 GB (OneDrive) | Apple iWork: 5 GB (iCloud shared)
Microsoft 365: 1,000+ | Apple iWork: 200+
Microsoft 365: 5 (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web) | Apple iWork: 3 (Mac, iOS, Web)
Microsoft 365: 300+ million (Microsoft 365 total) | Apple iWork: 50+ million (iWork users estimated)
Microsoft 365: Unlimited (via Teams/SharePoint) | Apple iWork: Up to 100
Microsoft 365: iOS, Android (full-featured apps) | Apple iWork: iOS only (no Android)
Microsoft 365: $72.00 | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 1000GB (OneDrive) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Yes (Outlook with 50GB mailbox) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Template-based tables only | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Full support across all apps | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: $20.00 (Copilot Pro) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 1000GB (1TB) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 13 core apps | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: No (Dynamics 365 add-on: $50-100/mo) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Copilot Pro (GPT-4 integrated) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Full desktop apps with sync | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Microsoft 365 web apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint online free) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 5 TB (Microsoft 365 Business/OneDrive) | Apple iWork: N/A
Users Can Create Interactive Dashboards Natively
Microsoft 365: No - only via Power BI integration in Excel | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Full - simultaneous editing in Word, Excel, PowerPoint | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Primarily Excel/SharePoint/OneDrive (limited) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 4-12 hours via Excel pivot tables/charts | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 2/10 - familiar Office interface | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 1TB (Business Standard at $12.50/mo) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 345 million users | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Copilot extra ($30/month per user) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: Full Office suite (advanced features) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: 300 participants (Teams Basic) | Apple iWork: N/A
Microsoft 365: N/A | Apple iWork: Free or $0.99 one-time
Microsoft 365: N/A | Apple iWork: 100 maximum
Microsoft 365: N/A | Apple iWork: 5 GB per app
Microsoft 365: N/A | Apple iWork: 3 major platforms (Apple only)
Microsoft 365: N/A | Apple iWork: 30 days of changes on iCloud
Microsoft 365: N/A | Apple iWork: Primarily consumer (no enterprise SKU)
Microsoft 365: N/A | Apple iWork: Basic editing tools only
Microsoft 365: N/A | Apple iWork: 3 platforms (macOS, iOS, iPad OS)
Microsoft 365: N/A | Apple iWork: 50 GB (iCloud+ Basic plan)
Monthly Cost per User (Minimum Paid Plan)
Microsoft 365: N/A | Apple iWork: $0.99 (50GB iCloud+)
Microsoft 365: N/A | Apple iWork: 50+ (Apple ecosystem only)
Microsoft 365: N/A | Apple iWork: Primarily individual users and small teams
Microsoft 365: N/A | Apple iWork: Writing Tools with proofreading only
How to choose between Microsoft 365 and Apple iWork
Microsoft 365 vs Apple iWork — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Microsoft 365 vs Apple iWork. Contains 118 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Microsoft 365 vs Apple iWork — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Microsoft 365 vs Apple iWork.
Can I use Apple iWork and Microsoft 365 together?
Yes, both support iCloud and Microsoft integrations. You can open iWork documents in Microsoft 365 online and vice versa, though some formatting may be lost. Many users maintain both for ecosystem compatibility.
Is Microsoft 365 worth the monthly cost compared to free iWork?
It depends on your needs. If you use advanced Excel functions (data analysis, pivot tables, formulas), need cross-platform access, work in teams, or use Windows, Microsoft 365's $84/year cost is justified. For basic document creation on Apple devices only, iWork's free option is sufficient.
Which is better for business/enterprise use?
Microsoft 365 is the clear winner for business. It includes Teams for communication, SharePoint for document management, enterprise security features, 24/7 support, and scales to thousands of users. iWork lacks these enterprise features entirely.
Can I use Microsoft 365 on Mac as well as Windows?
Yes, Microsoft 365 subscription includes full access on both Mac and Windows, plus iPad, iPhone, Android, and web browsers. This makes it ideal for households or teams with mixed devices.
How much cloud storage do I actually get with each?
Microsoft 365 gives 1TB dedicated OneDrive storage per user. Apple iWork uses iCloud, which provides 5GB free but shared across Photos, Mail, and other services. Microsoft 365's 1TB is significantly more practical for document storage.
How to Choose Between Microsoft 365 and Apple iWork
Pricing Model: Microsoft 365 has $6.99-$12.50/month (Personal/Family plans), while Apple iWork has Free (included with Apple devices).
Number of Applications: Microsoft 365 has 60+ apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneDrive, etc.), while Apple iWork has 3 core apps (Pages, Numbers, Keynote).
Cross-Platform Support: Microsoft 365 has Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web, while Apple iWork has Mac, iPad, iPhone, Web (limited).
Cloud Storage Included: Microsoft 365 has 1TB OneDrive storage per user, while Apple iWork has 5GB iCloud storage (shared across services).
Advanced Excel Features: Microsoft 365 has 1,000+ functions, Power Query, Power Pivot, VBA scripting, while Apple iWork has 200+ functions, basic pivot tables, no scripting.
Enterprise Collaboration: Microsoft 365 has Microsoft Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, 24/7 support, while Apple iWork has Shared iCloud folders, no built-in team chat.
Design Templates: Microsoft 365 has 500+ templates across all apps, while Apple iWork has 300+ templates with emphasis on visual design.