By 2014, the suite became free for new Mac and iOS device purchasers, positioning it as a core part of the Apple ecosystem to compete with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.

The promise of a unified codebase (Mac, iPad, iPhone, and web) meant faster updates and real-time collaboration—but at the cost of short-term pain. The 2014–2017 period was Apple’s marathon to make good on that promise.

When Apple released the first versions of iWork (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote) in 2005, they were charming, Mac-only productivity suites with a focus on stunning design. But the period between was arguably the most turbulent, transformative, and crucial era in the suite’s history.

Apple also quietly improved compatibility. By 2017, opening a complex .docx or .xlsx file in iWork produced far fewer formatting errors than in 2014. Apple added the ability to export password-protected Office files and to edit Word tracking changes more reliably.