The rivalry between Microsoft and Apple used to be a blood feud. If you were a creative, you bought a Mac. If you worked with numbers, you bought a PC. That line has blurred so much it's basically gone, but a weird myth persists that the Microsoft Excel app for Mac is just a "lite" version of the Windows powerhouse.
It’s not. Honestly, for about 95% of users, the Mac version is indistinguishable from its Windows cousin. But that last 5%? That’s where the drama lives.
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If you’re moving from a Dell to a MacBook Pro, you’re going to hit a wall within the first ten minutes. It’s not because the features aren't there. It’s because your fingers are programmed for Ctrl and the Mac wants Cmd. It feels like trying to write with your non-dominant hand. You know what you want to do, but the bridge between your brain and the screen is broken.
The Performance Gap Is Actually Closing
For years, Excel on Mac was objectively slower. Large datasets—we’re talking 500,000 rows plus—would turn the spinning beach ball of death into your most frequent companion. But then Apple Silicon happened. When Microsoft released the native version of the Microsoft Excel app for Mac for M1, M2, and M3 chips, the game changed completely.
Performance benchmarks now show that an M3 Max MacBook can crunch through complex Power Query transformations and massive VLOOKUP arrays (though you should really be using XLOOKUP by now) almost as fast as a high-end Windows workstation.
Is it perfect? No. Memory management on macOS handles "heavy" apps differently than Windows. Windows will let Excel hog every scrap of RAM until the system gasps for air. macOS tries to be more polite, which sometimes leads to Excel feeling slightly more throttled when you're pushing the absolute limits of a spreadsheet’s capacity.
Power Query and the Mac Struggle
If you ask a heavy-duty data analyst why they hate the Mac version, they’ll say two words: Power Query. For a long time, the Mac version of Power Query was a skeleton. You could refresh queries, but you couldn't build them. It was frustrating. You'd have to borrow a colleague's PC just to edit a data connection.
Thankfully, Microsoft finally started taking this seriously. The current version of the Microsoft Excel app for Mac now has a functional Power Query editor. You can connect to local files, folders, and SQL databases.
However, it’s still missing some of the advanced "Get Data" connectors found on Windows. If your workflow relies on specific Power BI integrations or obscure legacy database drivers, the Mac version might still let you down. It’s a bit like having a high-end kitchen but realizing you’re missing that one specific spice you only use twice a year.
Keyboard Shortcuts: The Real Learning Curve
Let's talk about the muscle memory problem. This is where most people give up and install Parallels to run the Windows version of Excel on their Mac.
On Windows, the Alt key is a superpower. You tap it, and letters appear over the ribbon. You can navigate the entire interface without touching the mouse. On Mac, that system simply doesn't exist. You have to use a combination of Cmd, Opt, and Shift.
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- Windows:
Alt->H->O->I(Autofit column width) - Mac: There is no direct equivalent. You usually have to customize your own shortcuts or use the mouse.
It sounds petty until you’re trying to build a financial model at 2:00 AM. Every time you have to reach for the trackpad, you lose three seconds. Do that a hundred times an hour, and you’re losing significant chunks of your life to UI friction.
The Mystery of the Missing F-Keys
On a Mac, the Function keys (F1, F2, etc.) are often mapped to system controls like brightness or volume. To use them in Excel, you have to hold the Fn key.
Want to edit a cell? On Windows, it’s F2. On Mac, it’s Ctrl + U (by default) or Fn + F2. It’s a tiny friction point that feels like a mountain when you’re in the zone. You can change this in System Settings, but then your volume keys stop working like volume keys. It’s a trade-off.
Collaboration and the Cloud
One area where the Microsoft Excel app for Mac actually shines is the ecosystem. If you’re using OneDrive, the AutoSave feature is seamless. Co-authoring works beautifully. You can see your coworkers’ cursors moving through cells in real-time, regardless of whether they are on a PC, an iPad, or a browser in a library.
Microsoft has moved toward a "one code base" philosophy. This means that when a new function like LAMBDA or LET drops, it usually hits Mac and Windows at the same time. We aren't living in the dark ages of 2011 anymore where Mac users had to wait six months for new formulas.
Automation: VBA vs. Office Scripts
Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the dinosaur that refuses to die. Thousands of companies run on ancient macros written in 2004.
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VBA does work on Mac, but it’s finicky. The Mac version uses a different underlying architecture for file paths. If a macro is written to look for C:\Users\Documents, it will crash on a Mac because macOS uses a Unix-style file pathing system (/Users/Name/Documents).
Microsoft is pushing Office Scripts (based on TypeScript) as the future. These work across all platforms, including Excel on the web. If you're starting a new automation project today, don't write it in VBA. Use Office Scripts. It’ll save you a massive headache if you ever need to share that file with someone outside the Windows ecosystem.
Is the Mac Version Right For You?
If you are a student, a small business owner, or a manager who just needs to look at budgets and charts, the Mac version is fantastic. It’s sleek. The retina display makes charts look crisp in a way that most Windows laptops can't match.
But if you are a "keyboard warrior"—someone who prides themselves on never touching a mouse—you will likely find the Mac experience stifling. The lack of the Alt key ribbon navigation is a dealbreaker for many power users.
Real-World Performance Observations
I recently tested a 150MB workbook with over 200,000 rows of data and nested IFS statements on both a Windows machine (i7, 32GB RAM) and an M2 MacBook Air (16GB RAM).
The MacBook actually opened the file faster.
The Windows machine was slightly better at "calculating threads" when I changed a core variable that rippled through the whole sheet. But the difference was negligible—maybe two seconds. The "Macs can't handle big data" argument is largely dead. It's now a matter of preference and workflow, not raw horsepower.
Strategic Tips for Mac Power Users
Don't fight the Mac; adapt to it.
- Remap your Function keys. Go to
System Settings > Keyboardand toggle "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys." This makesF4(toggle absolute/relative references) work instantly. - Master the Search bar. Since the Mac doesn't have the
Altkey shortcuts, useCmd+Shift+?to jump to the search box. Type the command you want (like "Freeze Panes") and hit enter. It's faster than clicking through tabs. - Use Power Query for everything. Stop manually cleaning data. Even though the Mac interface is slightly different, the engine is powerful.
- Leverage Mac-specific features. Excel on Mac supports "Continuity Camera." Right-click a cell, select "Insert from iPhone," and take a photo of a physical receipt. Excel will use OCR to dump that data directly into your cells. Windows can't do that.
Practical Steps Forward
Start by auditing your most-used shortcuts. If they don't work on Mac, check the "Keyboard Shortcuts" menu under the Tools tab in the Excel menu bar. You can actually create your own custom shortcuts for almost any command.
If you find yourself hitting a wall with specific Windows-only Add-ins or legacy VBA, consider a "hybrid" approach. Use the native Microsoft Excel app for Mac for 90% of your work, and keep a lightweight virtualization tool like UTM or Parallels for those rare moments when you absolutely need the Windows-specific environment.
The gap isn't a canyon anymore; it’s a crack in the sidewalk. You just have to know where to step.