WPS Office Spreadsheet is part of the WPS Office app for iPhone, which also includes documents, slides, and PDF tools in one download. Its main advantage on iPhone is simple: it opens and edits real Excel files natively, including formulas, cell formatting, and multiple sheets, without a Microsoft subscription.

Key capabilities

• Opens and edits .xlsx and .xls files directly, with broad formula compatibility.

• Familiar ribbon-style interface similar to desktop Office, which shortens the learning curve.

• Cloud sync with WPS Cloud, plus support for Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.

• A large template library for budgets, invoices, schedules, and lists.

• Works offline; changes sync when you are back online.

Where it is limited: real-time co-editing and the ad-free experience require an internet connection and, for some advanced features, the Premium plan. Pricing for Premium is roughly $3.99 to $6.99 per month depending on plan and region; confirm the current price in the app or on the WPS Office for iOS page.

Verdict: WPS Office is the practical default if your daily reality is Excel files that need to be edited on the go without a recurring Microsoft fee. That is the scenario the other four apps handle worst.

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Apple Numbers

Who it is for: people who stay inside the Apple ecosystem, and whose spreadsheet work is personal budgets, class schedules, or simple tables.

Apple Numbers comes preinstalled on every iPhone, which makes it the zero-effort choice. It shines when you want a clean, visual sheet and tight sync with iCloud across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Key capabilities

• Preinstalled and free on iPhone, no setup required.

• Clean templates for budgets, invoices, and lists that look polished quickly.

• Smart Categories help group and summarize rows automatically.

• Real-time collaboration through iCloud with other Apple users.

• Strong privacy and security as part of the Apple platform.

Where it is limited: Numbers is not a true Excel editor. When you export a Numbers file as Excel, complex formulas, pivot tables, and some formatting can change or break. It also connects less smoothly with non-Apple devices and services.

Google Sheets is the collaboration leader. Its strength is live editing with version history, visible cursors, and permissions that are simple to manage, all tied to your Google account and Google Drive.

Key capabilities

• Best-in-class real-time co-editing with clear access levels (view, comment, edit).

• Auto-saves to Google Drive with full version history.

• Imports and exports Excel files; supports most common formulas, pivot tables, and charts.

• Free with a Google account; Google Workspace adds storage and admin tools (plans start around $6 per user per month).

Where it is limited: to edit, you first upload your file to Drive, which needs an internet connection. On mobile, very large or heavily formatted Excel workbooks can render with layout shifts. Offline editing is possible but must be set up in advance.

Microsoft Excel is the reference point every other spreadsheet app is compared against, and the iPhone app is free to download and view. The catch is that editing is locked behind a Microsoft 365 subscription on iPhone. You can read a workbook, but to type into cells, you generally need an active subscription.

Key capabilities

• Full formula library and native compatibility with everything created in desktop Excel.

• Pivot tables, charts, and formatting that match the desktop experience.

• Sync and collaboration through OneDrive.

• Familiar ribbon interface for existing Excel users.

Where it is limited: the free tier does not unlock editing on iPhone. It also pushes files to OneDrive, and heavier workbooks can feel slow on a phone.

Zoho Sheet is a capable web-first spreadsheet that fits naturally next to Zoho CRM, Projects, and other Zoho tools, which makes it a sensible pick for businesses that have standardized on Zoho.

Key capabilities

• Real-time collaboration with granular permissions.

• Pivot tables, conditional formatting, and a broad set of functions for analysis.

• Connects with the wider Zoho business app suite.

• Offline editing on mobile, with sync when back online.

Where it is limited: unless your company already uses Zoho, there is little reason to add it to an iPhone over WPS or Google Sheets. Advanced features and extra storage sit behind paid plans (Standard around $3, Professional around $6 per user per month).