Microsoft Office Vs. Google Docs: Which Office App Works Better?

Last Updated on 3 April, 2022 by Sourav Roy

Microsoft Office and Google Docs Editors are two of the best word processing tools available. Office is Microsoft’s flagship writing tool, offering incredibly advanced features, while Google Docs offers more accessibility. Each suite is pretty similar in many ways, so which one is the truly good one? In this article, I’ll talk about Microsoft Office Vs. Google Docs debate in as much detail as possible to answer this question.

Either way, both writing suites have their merits and shortcomings, so you must carefully consider your needs to choose which program will work best for you.

Microsoft Office Vs. Google Docs

You’re probably more familiar with Microsoft Office, as it comes installed in many pre-built desktops and laptops. Hence, I’ll start by talking about it first.

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office, aka Microsoft 365, is Microsoft’s flagship suite of productivity tools, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft OneNote. Microsoft users who have a subscription to the software’s online service also gain access to extra features. Here are some of the pros and cons of Microsoft Office:

Pros Of Microsoft Office

It doesn’t require an internet connection – all documents are automatically saved as you type.
Inbuilt templates that can be customized for different projects.
Comes with a variety of collaboration features that allow multiple people to work on a document at once.
Has better customer support.
Runs well on entry-level laptops and desktops with low RAM.
Cloud storage comes with maximum security.
Available on nearly every platform.

Cons Of Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office has a steeper learning curve than Google Docs.
Subscription plans can be very costly, costing nearly ₹5,799.00 per year for a single license.
Some advanced features can be hard to access.

Google Docs

Google Docs is a free alternative to Microsoft Office, and it functions similarly, allowing you to create documents quickly with Google Drive. The software has improved over the years, taking into account both user feedback and Microsoft Office advances.

Pros Of Google Docs

You can access it from anywhere, and it grants easy remote collaboration.
Free cloud storage provides great storage capacity for your files.
Collaboration features are included with all accounts, regardless of usage scenario.
Well-designed chat groups make it easy to communicate with teams around the world.
Runs well on other popular operating systems alongside Windows.

Cons Of Google Docs

If internet goes down, so does access to the documents. The user manually needs to make the document offline to prevent such an issue.
Isn’t as well integrated into Windows as its counterpart is.
Pictures need to be converted first before they can be put into an email.
Customer service could be better.
Low performance on larger documents.

Microsoft Office Vs. Google Docs: Comparison Table

Now that you know the details of both of these apps individually, I’ll add a helpful comparison table to make choosing a primary office app more convenient for you.

Factor	MS Office	Google Docs
File Saving	Office apps don't continually save without a subscription.	Google Docs saves documents at every edit for free.
Accessibility	Many features can't be used without a subscription.	Free version comes with all the best features.
Mobility	Offline app, which comes with more features, can only be used on a certain number of PCs when the user isn't subscribed.	Web version can be used anywhere and has all the features.
Intuitiveness	Not very beginner-friendly, more ideal for advanced users.	Easy to use for users with any level of technical experience.
Efficiency	Requires an offline installation to offer all features and takes up a lot of disk space.	Takes up zero disk space as it runs directly on a browser while offering full functionality.

Microsoft Office Or Google Docs: Which One Should You Use?

Both Microsoft Office and Google Docs are available on web browsers, smartphones and laptops. The former is a great choice. Although to make good use of MS Office, you need to get a fairly expensive monthly subscription-based payment plan. It does come with a lot more features as compensation, though. It’s ideal for small businesses who need to manage their employees’ productivity or professionals who need advanced tools at work.

Both office suites are jam-packed with features. However, in the case of Microsoft Office, buying a plan is essential for a good experience. To top it off, the prices are rather expensive too.

Meanwhile, Google Docs just requires access to the Internet to offer full functionality. It’s a very good alternative, and I prefer using it over Microsoft’s offerings. So if you haven’t, you should try it out. It’ll save you tons of money without sacrificing the ease of use that made Microsoft popular in the first place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Microsoft 365 the 2021 version of Microsoft Office?

No. Microsoft Office 2021 is completely different from Microsoft 365. The latter is the best out of the two, as it’s the only version that allows access to all apps and features. 365 also has far better support and can be shared between users, which isn’t a feature available in the 2021 software.

Will Microsoft Office run well on a mid-range laptop?

It will if you have one that uses an SSD over an HDD. However, for performance, Google Docs is still a better option as it’s primarily a web app, and thus it uses far fewer resources.

Does Google Docs include an alternative to Powerpoint?

Google Docs is primarily a word processor, but it also allows users to create presentations. The Google Slides app is perfect for that.

How many users can use one Microsoft 365 subscription?

Up to six users can use the same Microsoft Office 2021 subscription.

Is it good to use older versions of Microsoft Office?

You can use older versions if you have hardware restrictions, but you won’t get good support for them.

Are Microsoft Office files compatible with Google Docs?

Yes. Microsoft Office documents are fully compatible with Google docs.

Is Microsoft Office compatible with Linux?

Microsoft Office 2021 is not natively compatible with any OS other than Windows and macOS. Although, if you’re an advanced user, you can still use some workarounds to run it on Linux.

Which one is more secure? Microsoft Office or Google Docs?

This one is a somewhat complicated question and needs an article of its own to provide a proper answer. However, I’ll try to explain the basics.

Which one is more secure? Microsoft Office or Google Docs?

Both have equally high levels of security. Unless any new exploits come up, the only way you’ll bump into problems is if your passwords get leaked. If that happens, you’ll be safer if you use MS Office as it saves data offline, whereas you manually need to do that in Docs. Office also offers more user privacy. It doesn’t scan the content of your documents at all. But Docs, on the other hand, can do that to find relevant data to share with advertisers. None of your information will be used maliciously, though.

Final Word

When it comes to Microsoft Office Vs Google Docs, both can outdo each other in certain aspects, so there’s not exactly a clear winner. Both are top-tier software. In the end, the decision falls on you to get what’s best for you.

I’ve given you all the info about both apps. You’re more than qualified to pick now, and you won’t have any chance of regretting buying paid services of either. I’ll leave the rest up to you now. Good luck.

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Abir B.

Product Analyst at Homeliness

Abir is an expert with electronics that more frequently used and interacted with. Computers and Smartphones, to be more specific. However, his expertise also extends to categories like Audio Equipment, which are some of the things he’s done jobs for over the years. In fact, at 34 years old now, he’s been working professionally for the earlier fields for plenty of years and has built up a large repertoire of knowledge.