Finest for on-line collaboration: Google Docs
Finest for exact formatting: Microsoft Phrase
Microsoft Phrase and Google Docs are the preferred phrase processors used at present. Each are near-ubiquitous and dependable for data employees and company organizations. Whereas each have the identical primary performance, they might be used underneath barely completely different circumstances:
- Google Docs is a more sensible choice for distant workers who incessantly reply to feedback and recognize the pliability of a web-based phrase processor.
- Microsoft Phrase has extra strong offline performance and could also be simpler for organizations that usually use the Microsoft 365 suite. Workers preferring to manually retailer recordsdata as a substitute 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 e mail tackle or beginning at $6 per thirty days per person for a enterprise account. | Sure, with the Google Docs Offline Chrome extension. | Google Gemini is on the market 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 types, add indents and align margins, alter paragraph spacing, add footnotes, embed interactable gadgets known as good chips, use keyboard shortcuts. |
| Microsoft Phrase | $159.99 by itself or beginning at $6 per thirty days for Microsoft 365 | Sure | Microsoft Copilot is on the market in Phrase for a further charge. | Coworkers can recommend edits and add feedback to Phrase recordsdata despatched to them. | Sure | Customise your personal enhancing 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 usually, 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 may entry Microsoft Phrase in varied methods:
- Phrase for the Net: A free, in-browser model powered by Microsoft OneDrive.
- A private, owned copy of Phrase for PC or Mac: This software may additionally come as a part of Workplace Residence & 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 yr. Microsoft 356 Household (for one to 6 individuals) prices $99.99/yr.
- Microsoft 365 plans for enterprise: Begin at $6 per person per thirty days, for as much as 300 customers, with a one-month free trial. This consists of solely the online and cellular variations of Phrase.
- Microsoft 365 Enterprise Commonplace: Options the desktop model of Phrase and prices $12.50 per person per thirty days.
- Microsoft 365 Enterprise Premium: Prices $22 per person per thirty days and provides sure security measures.
- Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise: Contains the desktop model of Phrase and cloud storage however lacks Groups and different frequent enterprise functions. It prices $8.25 per person per thirty days.
Google Docs is free with a private e mail account. Google Workspace enterprise plans, all of which embody Docs, are as follows:
- Enterprise Starter: $6 per thirty days per person with a 1-year dedication.
- Enterprise Commonplace: $12 per thirty days per person with a 1-year dedication. This provides malware and phishing safety, further storage, and higher-capacity conferences.
- Enterprise Plus: $18 per thirty days per person with a 1-year dedication. This provides extra storage and higher assembly capability, Google Vault and superior endpoint administration, and eDiscovery — a instrument 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 dwell streaming, information areas, and extra.
Function comparability: Google Docs vs Microsoft Phrase
Phrase Processing
Each Google Docs and Microsoft Phrase:
- Can be utilized for phrase processing.
- Leverage spell test and phrase depend features.
- Provide many alternative font and formatting choices.
Google Docs affords prebuilt templates corresponding to assembly notes, emails (simply despatched through Gmail), or calendar occasions for Google Calendar integration.
Like Google Docs, the web 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 routinely saves your progress each few seconds. In Docs, you possibly can press @ to hyperlink to different recordsdata in your Google Workspace account, add photographs, or add widgets. Each functions supply dictation or voice typing.
Each functions 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 could be a tedious process.
In each functions, you possibly can add and alter headers, footers, margins, and web page numbers. To perform such duties in Google Docs, ensure 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 underneath the Share menu and ship your collaborator the URL.
You may share Microsoft Phrase paperwork as particular person recordsdata. Both ship the editable recordsdata or change them to Studying View so the file is viewable however not editable within the browser model. You may add new feedback, and different individuals can reply to these feedback. The browser model helps real-time co-authoring simply as Google Docs does.
Buyer assist
Buyer assist for Google Docs on enterprise plans is paywalled, relying on the marketing strategy. Workspace directors have entry to admin assist. On any model of Google Docs, you possibly can ship suggestions to Google. Discover the completely different tiers of assist choices right here.
Microsoft affords buyer assist 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 assist for $5 per person per thirty days. From there, assist choices for enterprise accounts rise in value.
Making charts or together with photographs
Google Docs permits you to embed tables or photographs, or code blocks. Phrase consists of a number of completely different types of desk. In each, you possibly can insert photographs both out of your pc or from the online — Microsoft makes use of Bing, whereas Docs naturally makes use of Google Photos.
On-line options
Google Docs is totally on-line, excluding the offline mode choice, which nonetheless works in a browser window.
Within the net model of Microsoft Phrase, paperwork will be downloaded as a PDF, .odt, or .ppt, or despatched to Kindle. However they can’t be downloaded as .docx recordsdata like these created within the full desktop software.
SEE: Transferring your work? Right here is the way to export a Google Doc out of your iPhone to a different machine.
Synthetic Intelligence assistants
Each phrase processors have non-compulsory generative AI assistants at a further value.
Customers who subscribe to Microsoft 365 Copilot (work) or Copilot Professional (house) 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 thirty days, whereas Copilot Professional prices $20.00 person per thirty 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 Schooling and Schooling Premium add-on, or the Google One AI Premium plan. Gemini Enterprise prices $20 per person per thirty days with a one-year dedication; Gemini Enterprise prices $30 per person per thirty days with a one-year dedication; and Google One AI Premium prices $19.99 per thirty days.
Google Docs execs and cons
Execs:
- Slick, easy-to-use cellular and net app.
- Chrome integrations.
- Simple to retailer and manage folders in Google Drive.
Cons:
- Very massive recordsdata may exceed Google Docs’ storage, relying on the plan.
- Feedback stack as a substitute of being anchored in place, so navigating to them will be cumbersome if there are a number of feedback.
- It’s essential to go right into a menu to allow viewing the phrase depend and to set it each time you make a brand new doc.
Microsoft Phrase execs and cons
Execs:
- Simple to make use of, particularly when you perceive the best way the font and elegance menus are arrange.
- Phrase depend 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 because of the massive variety of accessible choices.
Ought to your corporation use Google Docs or Microsoft Phrase?
Use Google Docs if …
- Your workforce is generally distant.
- A number of individuals may concurrently work on content material.
- You need to have the ability to embed hyperlinks to Google calendar, different Google docs, or to tag individuals inside your group in a dwell doc.
Use Microsoft Phrase if …
- Your small business requires the safety of a domestically saved software or one that enables paperwork to be saved and managed on native units.
- Your staff advantages from having a standalone phrase processing software, fairly than a browser-based one, to assist keep focus.
- You already extensively use Microsoft’s ecosystem.
Google Docs vs Phrase for writers
As impartial contributors, writers in your corporation 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 affords a variety of handy options alongside a user-friendly interface. In case your staff feels extra comfy utilizing offline recordsdata, Microsoft Phrase is the higher selection. After all, Google Docs and Microsoft Phrase aren’t the one phrase processors: free functions like LibreOffice might do the trick.
Overview methodology
I exploit Google Docs for work, so I used to be already conversant in a lot of its options. I consulted Google documentation to brush up on a few of its superior options. I additionally considered demo movies and person critiques. I examined the browser model of Microsoft Phrase and in addition reviewed official documentation and person suggestions for added insights.
