Lifewire
Overall Findings
Free for all the features.
Easy to use from anywhere.
All the basic editing tools most people need.
Lifewire
Useful and simple sharing options.
Great for offline work.
Free during the trial period.
Personal preference will be the primary driver behind whether you use Word or Docs.
Both have all the features most people need in a good word processor.
Cost: Docs Is Free With Zero Limits
It’s all free.
Free only during a limited-time trial.
No payment information is required.
But it will end, and you won’t be able to use it until you pay.
Word is also available online for free, but that version is considerably more basic than its desktop counterpart.
Learn more about other ways touse Word for free.
Features: Power Users Choose Word
Lots of basic features.
Useful for light writing requirements.
Can open DOCX files from Word.
Extensive menus full of options.
Ideal for research and writing.
Accepts several document file formats.
Its not that Google Docs is terrible; it just isnt as full-featured.
When you use Word, you feel like youve got everything you need at your fingertips.
There are also minor differences that could matter to some.
Mobility: Docs Works Everywhere
Website access from anywhere.
Mobile app for Android and iOS.
Consistency no matter where it’s used.
Runs on Windows and Mac.
Its straightforward to use from anywhere you have internet.
Word runs from your desktop.
Sharing: Google Docs Just Works Better
Ultra-fast collaboration.
Delayed updates when working with shared files.
Requires a desktop email client.
Another way Docs overtakes Word is when sharing files.
It’s effortless toshare and collaborate on Google documents(although it’s pretty similar in Word).
We haven’t had this experience when collaborating on Word docs.
If you’d rather email the document you’re working on, Docs performs better there, too.
How does Word handle this?
Offline Usage: Word Was Designed For It
Relies on an active internet connection.
Supports offline access but it’s off by default.
Easy to save documents to attached hard drives.
Microsoft Word wins this battle hands-down.
Word is also much more convenient if you like to store documents offline or on removable hard drives.
It’s simple to create a document on a flash drive and edit it in Word directly from there.
Both of these platforms are useful.
Some schools even suggest it over requiring students to pay for a desktop solution like Word.
However, Word is more generous with features and has been the business standard for a long time.
