Finest for on-line collaboration: Google Docs
Finest for exact formatting: Microsoft Phrase
Microsoft Phrase and Google Docs are the preferred phrase processors used right this moment. Each are near-ubiquitous and dependable for data staff and company organizations. Whereas each have the identical primary performance, they might be used beneath barely completely different circumstances:
- Google Docs is a more sensible choice for distant staff who steadily reply to feedback and admire the pliability of a web-based phrase processor.
- Microsoft Phrase has extra strong offline performance and could also be more practical for organizations that usually use the Microsoft 365 suite. Staff preferring to manually retailer information as an alternative of entrusting them in Google’s Cloud could also be extra comfy with Phrase.
Google Docs vs Microsoft Phrase: Comparability desk
| Pricing | Offline Work | Generative AI | Collaboration | Doc Templates | Superior Formatting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Docs | Free with a private electronic mail handle or beginning at $6 per 30 days per person for a enterprise account. | Sure, with the Google Docs Offline Chrome extension. | Google Gemini is out there in Docs for enterprise accounts for a further charge. | Simply invite coworkers to view, edit or touch upon paperwork on-line. | Sure | Add tables, add eSignatures, add variables, change paragraph kinds, add indents and align margins, alter paragraph spacing, add footnotes, embed interactable gadgets referred to as good chips, use keyboard shortcuts. |
| Microsoft Phrase | $159.99 by itself or beginning at $6 per 30 days for Microsoft 365 | Sure | Microsoft Copilot is out there in Phrase for a further charge. | Coworkers can recommend edits and add feedback to Phrase information despatched to them. | Sure | Customise your individual modifying choices and the way copy/paste works; change picture high quality and dimension settings; customise the show. |
Google Docs vs Microsoft Phrase: Pricing
The pricing varies relying on the model, however typically, Microsoft Phrase is mostly encountered in workplaces as a part of a Microsoft 365 suite marketing strategy. In distinction, Google Docs is free to make use of with a Google account.
You’ll be able to entry Microsoft Phrase in varied methods:
- Phrase for the Internet: A free, in-browser model powered by Microsoft OneDrive.
- A private, owned copy of Phrase for PC or Mac: This software may come as a part of Workplace Dwelling & Scholar 2021, for a one-time fee of $159.99.
- The Microsoft Phrase software: This comes as a part of Microsoft 365 or Microsoft 365 for Mac. Microsoft 365 Private prices $69.99 per 12 months. Microsoft 356 Household (for one to 6 folks) prices $99.99/12 months.
- Microsoft 365 plans for enterprise: Begin at $6 per person per 30 days, for as much as 300 customers, with a one-month free trial. This consists of solely the net and cell variations of Phrase.
- Microsoft 365 Enterprise Commonplace: Options the desktop model of Phrase and prices $12.50 per person per 30 days.
- Microsoft 365 Enterprise Premium: Prices $22 per person per 30 days and provides sure safety features.
- Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise: Contains the desktop model of Phrase and cloud storage however lacks Groups and different frequent enterprise purposes. It prices $8.25 per person per 30 days.
Google Docs is free with a private electronic mail account. Google Workspace enterprise plans, all of which embody Docs, are as follows:
- Enterprise Starter: $6 per 30 days per person with a 1-year dedication.
- Enterprise Commonplace: $12 per 30 days per person with a 1-year dedication. This provides malware and phishing safety, extra storage, and higher-capacity conferences.
- Enterprise Plus: $18 per 30 days per person with a 1-year dedication. This provides extra storage and better assembly capability, Google Vault and superior endpoint administration, and eDiscovery — a device that lets directors search throughout Google Workspace companies.
You’ll have to inquire with Google to seek out pricing for Enterprise plans, which add S/MIME encryption, noise cancellation, in-domain reside streaming, knowledge areas, and extra.
Characteristic comparability: Google Docs vs Microsoft Phrase
Phrase Processing
Each Google Docs and Microsoft Phrase:
- Can be utilized for phrase processing.
- Leverage spell verify and phrase rely features.
- Supply many various font and formatting choices.
Google Docs presents prebuilt templates akin to assembly notes, emails (simply despatched by way of Gmail), or calendar occasions for Google Calendar integration.
Like Google Docs, the net model of Microsoft Phrase saves your work to the cloud. With the desktop model of Microsoft Phrase, you’ll have to handle the place to save lots of the file your self, however the software robotically saves your progress each few seconds. In Docs, you possibly can press @ to hyperlink to different information in your Google Workspace account, add photos, or add widgets. Each purposes provide dictation or voice typing.
Each purposes additionally allow you so as to add a desk of contents. Google Docs builds this desk of contents within the sidebar primarily based on headings, whereas Microsoft Phrase requires manually creating the desk of contents, which is usually a tedious activity.
In each purposes, you possibly can add and alter headers, footers, margins, and web page numbers. To perform such duties in Google Docs, be sure that your doc is in Pages format, versus Pageless. In Phrase, merely go to the Insert menu.
File sharing and collaboration
To share Google Docs or invite others to collaborate, merely alter your privateness settings beneath the Share menu and ship your collaborator the URL.
You’ll be able to share Microsoft Phrase paperwork as particular person information. Both ship the editable information or change them to Studying View so the file is viewable however not editable within the browser model. You’ll be able to add new feedback, and different folks can reply to these feedback. The browser model helps real-time co-authoring simply as Google Docs does.
Buyer help
Buyer help for Google Docs on enterprise plans is paywalled, relying on the marketing strategy. Workspace directors have entry to admin help. On any model of Google Docs, you possibly can ship suggestions to Google. Discover the completely different tiers of help choices right here.
Microsoft presents buyer help for all its merchandise, accessible for each enterprise or private account points. Microsoft 365 directors for companies have a further choice by the Microsoft 365 admin heart. Small companies — these with fewer than 25 Microsoft 365 person licenses — should buy Enterprise Help for extra customized help for $5 per person per 30 days. From there, help choices for enterprise accounts rise in value.
Making charts or together with photos
Google Docs helps you to embed tables or photos, or code blocks. Phrase consists of a number of completely different kinds of desk. In each, you possibly can insert photos both out of your laptop or from the net — Microsoft makes use of Bing, whereas Docs naturally makes use of Google Pictures.
On-line options
Google Docs is completely on-line, except the offline mode choice, which nonetheless works in a browser window.
Within the internet model of Microsoft Phrase, paperwork may be downloaded as a PDF, .odt, or .ppt, or despatched to Kindle. However they can’t be downloaded as .docx information like these created within the full desktop software.
SEE: Transferring your work? Right here is export a Google Doc out of your iPhone to a different gadget.
Synthetic Intelligence assistants
Each phrase processors have elective generative AI assistants at a further value.
Customers who subscribe to Microsoft 365 Copilot (work) or Copilot Professional (residence) can use Microsoft Copilot in Phrase. Copilot can summarize, write, edit, and brainstorm info throughout the doc. Microsoft 365 Copilot prices $30 per person per 30 days, whereas Copilot Professional prices $20.00 person per 30 days.
Google’s model of AI, Gemini, is accessible in Docs with a Google Workspace subscription, in addition to by the Gemini Enterprise or Enterprise add-on, the Gemini Training and Training Premium add-on, or the Google One AI Premium plan. Gemini Enterprise prices $20 per person per 30 days with a one-year dedication; Gemini Enterprise prices $30 per person per 30 days with a one-year dedication; and Google One AI Premium prices $19.99 per 30 days.
Google Docs execs and cons
Execs:
- Slick, easy-to-use cell and internet app.
- Chrome integrations.
- Straightforward to retailer and arrange folders in Google Drive.
Cons:
- Very giant information would possibly exceed Google Docs’ storage, relying on the plan.
- Feedback stack as an alternative of being anchored in place, so navigating to them may be cumbersome if there are a variety of feedback.
- It’s essential to go right into a menu to allow viewing the phrase rely and to set it each time you make a brand new doc.
Microsoft Phrase execs and cons
Execs:
- Straightforward to make use of, particularly when you perceive the best way the font and elegance menus are arrange.
- Phrase rely is displayed by default.
- Margins and reformat tables are simply adjustable.
Cons:
- Comparatively expensive, and sometimes requires a month-to-month subscription.
- Collaboration can require an additional step (sending a file).
- The menus can really feel cluttered or overwhelming as a result of giant variety of accessible choices.
Ought to your online business use Google Docs or Microsoft Phrase?
Use Google Docs if …
- Your workforce is usually distant.
- A number of folks would possibly concurrently work on content material.
- You need to have the ability to embed hyperlinks to Google calendar, different Google docs, or to tag folks inside your group in a reside doc.
Use Microsoft Phrase if …
- Your corporation requires the safety of a regionally saved software or one that enables paperwork to be saved and managed on native units.
- Your workforce advantages from having a standalone phrase processing software, reasonably than a browser-based one, to assist keep focus.
- You already extensively use Microsoft’s ecosystem.
Google Docs vs Phrase for writers
As unbiased contributors, writers in your online business may have private preferences for phrase processors. Apple customers, as an illustration, could also be accustomed to Pages, a free app that comes with Apple units and presents a variety of handy options alongside a user-friendly interface. In case your workforce feels extra comfy utilizing offline information, Microsoft Phrase is the higher selection. After all, Google Docs and Microsoft Phrase aren’t the one phrase processors: free purposes like LibreOffice might do the trick.
Evaluation methodology
I take advantage of Google Docs for work, so I used to be already conversant in lots of its options. I consulted Google documentation to brush up on a few of its superior options. I additionally considered demo movies and person opinions. I examined the browser model of Microsoft Phrase and likewise reviewed official documentation and person suggestions for extra insights.