Pages, Numbers & Keynote — Apple's Free Office Apps
Last verified: October 2026
If you own an Apple device, you already have free office apps: Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. What they do, and how to share with Word and Excel users. Rather have a hand? My number is (330) 200-8042.
Apple's Free Office Apps, at a Glance
Every Apple device comes with three polished office apps at no cost: Pages for writing (like Word), Numbers for spreadsheets (like Excel), and Keynote for slideshows (like PowerPoint). They open the Word and Excel files people send you, and for sharing back you just Export to Word, Excel, or PDF so Microsoft users can open them. For most home writing and budgeting they're all you need — a Mac owner typically needs Microsoft Office only for constant, detailed file-swapping with Office users. This guide shows you how, and there's a printable 29-page version up top.
Common Questions
1 What are Pages, Numbers, and Keynote?
Apple's free office apps — Pages for writing (like Word), Numbers for spreadsheets (like Excel), and Keynote for slideshows (like PowerPoint). They come free on every Mac, iPad, and iPhone.
2 Can they open and save Word and Excel files?
Yes. They open Word and Excel files automatically, and you can Export your documents back to Word, Excel, or PDF so Microsoft users can open them.
3 How do I send a file someone on Windows can open?
Export it to Word or Excel (or PDF) first, then send that. Don't send the raw .pages or .numbers file — Windows users often can't open those.
4 Do I still need Microsoft Office on my Mac?
For everyday home use, usually not — Apple's free apps cover it. Consider Office only for constant, detailed file-swapping with Office users, or a workplace that requires native Word/Excel files.
5 Are these apps really free?
Yes — free on every Mac, iPad, and iPhone, with no subscription. If one is missing, it's a free reinstall from the App Store.
6 Can I use them across my Apple devices?
Yes — with a free Apple account and iCloud, a document started on your Mac can continue on your iPad or iPhone, syncing automatically and backing up online along the way.
Would You Rather I Just Help?
Showing Apple owners the capable, free apps they already have — and the one export habit for sharing with everyone else — is a happy little lesson that often saves a yearly Office fee. I'll give you a friendly tour of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. $99 flat for a visit, or $49 on-screen, 30-day come-back-free.
Would you rather I just do this for you?
No shame in it — plenty of folks would rather hand it off, and that's what I'm here for. I'll come to your home, set it up right, and make sure it's working before I leave. Flat $99 per visit — no jargon, no upsell, and every visit is 30-day come-back-free.
Not a hardware job? I can often fix it remotely for $49 — a secure screen-share, up to 2 hours, that you watch the whole time and can end whenever (included free for $39/mo Support Plan members, and it counts toward the $99 if it turns out I need to come out).