Apple Pages is gorgeous on a Mac. The moment the file leaves the Apple ecosystem, it is harder to predict what happens.
Here is why PDF wins for cross-platform sharing.
Where Pages wins
Beautiful native authoring on Mac, iPad and iCloud. Free with Apple devices. Strong templates. If you are sharing within the Apple ecosystem, Pages is delightful.
Where PDF wins
Exact formatting preservation across every platform. Windows and Linux recipients cannot open .pages directly. Pages on Windows? iCloud web only, with limitations. PDF is universal.
The workflow
Author in Pages, export to PDF, send the PDF. That is the path most Pages users land on for any document going outside their team. Pages' export-to-PDF preserves layout faithfully.
Best for…
Pages for authoring within Apple. PDF for distribution anywhere. Use both — author in Pages, ship in PDF.
FAQ
Can Windows open .pages?
Only via iCloud web with limitations. Not in Word.
Does Pages preserve formatting in PDF export?
Yes — Pages-to-PDF is reliable.
Should I send the .pages file?
Only to other Apple users with Pages installed.
Author in Pages, ship in PDF. That is the cross-platform-safe pattern.