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• Download Google Docs For Mac

Access Google Docs with a free Google account (for personal use) or G Suite account (for business use). You can create Microsoft Office and Google Docs files directly from Dropbox; create, edit, and save documents all without having to switch to another app.

Ever wondered what the differences were between Google Docs and Microsoft Word? Whilst both word processors may look similar on the surface, they are actually different in many ways.

In this article, I want to point out the major differences to help you decide which option is best for you.

Functionality – Microsoft Word Wins

With Microsoft Word being around for longer than Google Docs, Microsoft has had more time to bundle in features and build a stronger piece of software. It’s safe to say that Microsoft Word is easily the most advanced option when it comes to functionality.

That doesn’t make Google Docs useless, though. In fact, Microsoft Word only really comes ahead here if you can actually make use of more advanced functionality.

For 90% of users, the word processing capabilities of Google Docs is more than enough. But for some, Microsoft Word’s advanced features will be important. The advanced features in Word include mostly focus on better table formatting and controls, more control over text styles, and better graphic and image implementation.

Page numbering and organizing your document is far easier in Microsoft Word, too. You also get far more powerful templates, which could speed up your work, depending on what you use Word for. Finally, simple things across the board like lists and bullet points are better on Word.

When you use this functionality on Docs, sometimes you’ll come into small issues where line breaks are added, bullet points are removed, or formatting is lost.

Collaboration – Google Docs Wins

Microsoft Word and Google Docs both have collaboration features now that Microsoft 365 brings Word to the cloud. However, Google Docs wins in this category for a number of reasons.

Firstly, with Google Docs being built into Drive, it becomes very easy to see which files you have shared and also easy to navigate to the files that have been shared with you.

Sharing is as easy as clicking File > Share and creating a link. Alternatively, you can send out individual emails, too. What’s great about the sharing functionality in Google Docs is that you can easily control who can edit the document, who can view it, and who can comment on it. Because of this, Google Docs is even a great platform to create public documents that you can let the whole world view and download.

Microsoft has collaboration too – simply click the Share button in the top right corner. From there, you can save to OneDrive and then add the names of the people you want to share with. Unlike Docs, you are forced to send the document to specific people, so it becomes more challenging to give access to a large open audience.

You can track changes from each author in Word and revise these changes before they go through to the final version, and comments can be added to documents, too.

All of this functionality is available on Google Docs, and Google Docs also has a very powerful timeline feature that shows all of the past edits and who made the edits. At any point, you can click to revert to an old version of the document or simply preview the old version to compare changes.

Cloud and Syncing – Google Docs

Both Microsoft Word and Google Docs offer some great cloud capabilities now. You’ll need to be an Office 365 subscriber to be able to open, edit, and automatically sync your files online with Microsoft Word. Otherwise, you’ll need to set up OneDrive backup with your Microsoft Office 2019 files.

With Google Docs, saving is done to the cloud automatically. In fact, saves are made to your document every time you make a change, so you never even have to worry about pressing the save button.

On top of this, you can see and revise all of your changes from now till the time you first started your document by clicking the ‘all changes saved in Drive’ text at the top of the page.

For storage limits, Microsoft Word wins if you have Office 365, but if you don’t then Google Drive will give you more free space than OneNote will. Thankfully, both Word and Google Docs can be accessed on all major platforms including Mac, Windows, Android, iOS and the web.

So, in summary, Google Docs and Microsoft Word are very close in this section but Google Docs come ahead just slightly thanks to its awesome auto-save feature.

Offline Access – Microsoft Word Wins

Microsoft Word is, without a doubt, the best option for those that need a document processor with offline access. With Microsoft Word, whether from Office 2019 or Office 365, you can easily create new offline documents and then once you’re online, they can get uploaded to the cloud.

You don’t lose any functionality when Microsoft Word goes offline, although co-authoring won’t be available. On the other hand, Google Docs is more limited when it comes to offline functionality.

By default, Google Docs doesn’t really have offline functionality. You can, however, add offline functionality with the Google Docs offline Chrome extension. Once installed, you can turn on ‘offline’ mode from within the settings menu on Google Drive.

For the most part, this extension will then let you access and edit your files whilst offline, but the extension isn’t without its problems. Many reviews suggest issues with the extension, claiming that the software doesn’t work or only works sometimes.

I cannot suggest Google Docs for offline usage when Microsoft Word has been built from the ground up from the very beginning to be an offline word processor.

Formatting – Microsoft Word Wins

Microsoft Word wins in the formatting game without a doubt. It’s far easier to create unique text formatting rules in Microsoft Word than it is in Google Docs. I’d go as far as to say that Google really needs to work on their formatting because at present it has a number of issues.

When attaching images, tables, or spreadsheets, you can’t be sure that the file will be formatted the same way if opened in a third party document processor. Microsoft Word doesn’t have this problem.

Availability – Google Docs Wins

In this category, Google Docs easily wins because you just can’t beat free. In essence, Google Docs is a slightly less feature-rich word processor, but when you consider it’s completely free, it more than makes up for it.

Microsoft Word, on the other hand, is not free. You must either pay monthly for an Office 365 subscription or pay one time for the full Microsoft Office 2019 package.

Summary

Google Docs and Microsoft Word are neck and neck, but in many areas Microsoft Word comes out just ahead. If you need the extra functionality and formatting power of Word and don’t mind paying for it, we’d recommend it.

If you only need a word processor with the basic functionality, you should be happy with Google Docs. Enjoy!

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In recent years, Microsoft Word and Google Docs have been quietly waging a war for the title of best word processor. While most of us have been using Word for decades to draft everything from school essays to resumes to important work documents, Google Docs web-based platform is a total game changer for editing and sharing documents in the connected age.

So which is better? That depends entirely on what you need from a word processing program or mobile app. Today we’re going to cover the benefits and downsides of both Microsoft Word and Google Docs so you have the intel you need to decide for yourself.

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Learn more about Word

Download our print-ready shortcut cheatsheet for Word.

How to use and access Microsoft Word and Google Docs

You cannot purchase Microsoft Word as a standalone program.

It comes as part of the Microsoft Office 365 package, which includes other programs like Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access.

Once you purchase this suite, you can only install Word on a select number of computers, depending on the plan level you choose.

So if you install Word on your desktop, you’ll need to bump up your plan to get a copy for your laptop, which can get pricey.

It wasn’t until 2010 that Microsoft finally launched Word Online as part of its Office 365 package.

Though Word Online boasts enough features for casual users, it is not the full version of Word by any means.

Select ribbons and toolbars were removed from the online version to help it load and run faster. It offers a more streamlined experience though it leaves others wanting more.

For instance, Word Online isn’t able to handle large or more complex documents and users find it clunkier to work around these bugs than using their regular Word program from the start.

All of that is different with Google.

As an internet-based company, Google Docs started out as a cross-platform word processor that works entirely online.

You don’t have to download any software or purchase a suite of programs you don’t want/need to use it.

Simply log in to your Google account from any browser and head over to docs.google.com. Microsoft windows 10 for mac.

That’s it.

Unlike Microsoft Word, which can only be installed on Windows and OS X computers, you can use Google Docs from any computer and browser, including:

• Windows
• Mac OS X
• Linux
• Chrome OS

The Google Docs app is available for both iOS and Android devices—but not on Windows-based phones like BlackBerry.

The Word app comes pre-installed on Windows Phone devices and as a free (very bare) app for iOS and Android.

Our winner: You can access the full version of Google Docs, with all its features, from any browser.

You have to purchase the entire Microsoft 365 software package just to receive a full version of Word. And the online version of Word lacks certain features which may render it useless for you.

Unlike Microsoft Word, Google Docs is free to use…

Google Docs is free for the average user.

If you want to purchase a “Business” version of G Suite, monthly plans start at $5 per user.

It’s going to cost you more to get started with Microsoft Word.

You’ll need to pay either a:

• One-time fee of $149.99
• Yearly fee of $69.99 / monthly fee of $6.99 (for an install on 1 computer)
• Yearly fee of $99.99 / monthly fee of $9.99 (to install on up to 5 computers)

Business plans are priced differently.

Most of these packages include the desktop versions of all the Office apps and online access for their web-based counterparts.

Our winner: You can’t beat free — Google takes the cake here.

… But free comes with limitations and a lack of control

We know Google Docs is entirely online.

You access your docs online, you write and edit in-browser, and your documents are saved to your online Google Drive cloud.

But what happens when your internet goes out thanks to a big thunderstorm?

Or Google’s servers go down right before your huge AM presentation?

Though you can work in Google’s offline mode (after following a series of steps), you can’t normally access the platform when Google’s servers are in chaos or when you lack Internet.

Google lets you check for outages using their G Suite Status Dashboard tool.

At the time of this screenshot, all the Google apps were running without problems:

But when there’s a service outage or reported service disruption, you’ll see a bar like in this example:

The most commonly reported problems with Google Drive, according to Down Detector, include:

• Not being able to access files online (53%)
• Apps (like Docs and Sheets) not loading (36%)
• File syncing (10%)

This could cause major stress if you’re unprepared.

You’ll need to download or email physical copies of your documents for times you won’t be connected to the internet.

Microsoft may have the upper hand here since you can get your work done in the offline desktop version of Word.

Plus, your Word documents will be saved locally on your computer or device instead of in the cloud so you’re always in control of them.

Our winner: MS Word removes the “what if” factor of relying on Google’s servers and lets you work without an internet connection.

Similar layouts and interface: Google wins on user-friendliness, but Word has tons of features

Seasoned Word vets know there are SO many options and features built into Word that it can be exhausting navigating all the ribbons and toolbars just to find the one button you need.

After all, you’ll probably click on ribbons like References, Mailings, and Acrobat, which will replace your toolbar with even more buttons, maybe twice in your whole life.

Google Docs solves that problem by drastically simplifying the layout and toolbar situation to create a more user-friendly, easily manageable workspace.

Just check out the differences to see what we mean.

Here’s what Microsoft Word’s ribbon looks like in both Windows and OS X versions:

Microsoft Word Mac Google Docs Download

Now check out the Google Docs toolbar:

Pretty big difference, right?

Microsoft remote desktop 10 for mac download. Google places all your most frequently used buttons right in your easy-access toolbar. Everything else, like inserting images or tables, can be found in one of the dropdowns.

With Word, any time you change one of the ribbons, like if you clicked on Layout, all the buttons in your toolbar change as well.

Though Word does let you customize your toolbar so all your most-used buttons are in reach, narrowing down these options can be overwhelming for a novice or casual users.

The less time you have to spend hunting for the exact tool you want, the quicker your work will be accomplished.

Our winner: An easy-to-use interface doesn’t mean much if the tools you need aren’t available. Choose Google if you need light word processing features; stick to Word if you’re on a more advanced features level.

Google saves the day when it comes to saving your files

Ever forget to hit the save button on your Word doc before you lose power or accidentally close out of the program?

Though you’ve crossed your fingers and recovered several Word documents in your lifetime, wouldn’t it be great if you never had to replay this terrible nightmare again?

Google Docs not only automatically saves your work every few minutes or so, it also continually saves as you’re working.

This means you can log in on your desktop and see the changes made live from your smartphone at the same time.

Plus, Docs backs up your saved files to Google Drive instead of your local hard drive.

So Google saves your work — and backs up your work — to give you extra protection should you spill coffee all over your laptop and wreck your hard drive.

Our winner: Google is the automatic save hero you never thought your docs needed.

Comparing document compatibility and file formats

You can use Google Docs to open and edit Microsoft Word documents. You can even download your Google doc as a Word document so it has a standard Word extension (.docx).

But that’s not the only file format Google Docs will let you export.

You can download your docs with the following extensions: ODT, PDF, RTF, HTML, TXT, EPUB.

However, you can only download your Word Online documents as PDF, ODT, or DOCX files.

And if you want to open a Google doc in Word, you’ll need to convert it first.

One area Word has Docs beat is PDFs.

You can open PDFs in Word on your desktop, edit them, and then save them as PDFs again; you can’t do this in Google Docs.

Our winner: Google gives you more file format compatibility. But Word may be your go-to if you require PDF editing.

Collaborate remotely using real-time editing and doc sharing

We live in an ever-connected world, which means many of us have to collaborate with teams and coworkers remotely.

Both word processors will let you track the changes made by editors you shared your document with.

While you can download your Word doc and email it to others for collaboration, you can invite collaborators directly from your Google doc or send them a link to access your document.

When you’re in Google’s “Suggesting” mode, all the edits made are merely suggestions which accompany the highlighted text as comments in the sidebar.

You can choose to accept these changes (and they’ll happen in the doc) or ignore them without harming your original text.

If someone deletes part of your text during editing, Google will strikethrough the text in the document like this:

Edits made in Word will remove the original text from the document and place it in the sidebar along with the other comments:

You’ll be able to read an edited version of your document without your original copy to distract you from the final product (unless you click into the sidebar).

Here’s the best perk about Google Docs: real-time collaboration.

When your recipients click the link to your document, you’ll be able to view their name (or anonymous Google-assigned animal avatar) and their unique identifying color in-doc live.

Watch your collaborators mark up your doc or open up the Google Docs messenger feature and chat with each other — right in your document — about the changes you want to make together live.

Google will track the changes — along with who was responsible for them and the time they made them — so contributions are always recognized.

You could literally have an entire department working on the same doc together in real-time wherever in the world they happen to be working from.

While you can email your documents to your collaborators with Word, you can’t actually work together on it at the same time like you can with Docs.

You can only do this in Word with Microsoft’s Office 365 online Word app, which isn’t a full version of the program anyway.

Plus, you’ll need an account or subscription for Word online and your teammates might not have one.

Here’s an interesting study to note:

When Creative Strategies surveyed over 350 college students across the country, they discovered:

• 12% use Google Docs to write papers alone; 80% use Microsoft Word instead
• 78% use Google Docs to write papers in a group collaboratively; just 13% use Word for group work

So you may want to follow in the footsteps of today’s millennials and use Word for your personal work and Docs for your teamwork.

Our winner: Google Docs shines in collaboration mode with its universal access and real-time editing features.

Is there a better mobile candidate?

Google Docs started and lives online so you’ll always have access to its full features when you’re signed in on the browser version. Though the mobile apps have fewer features, you can still write and edit docs on-the-go without any hiccups.

Since the mobile-based Word app isn’t Microsoft’s core business, it’s not as robust or comprehensive as their standalone program or what Google offers their mobile users.

While you can insert charts, drawings, and even spreadsheets with the online version of Docs, you don’t have these abilities with Word Online.

Mobile users will have their documents saved to OneDrive, Microsoft’s version of Google Drive, so working remotely is just as secure as when they’re in the office.

Our winner: Google Docs was made for the web and mobile working; MS Word is stronger offline.

Google has more third-party app integrations

Visit the Google Apps Marketplace for add-ons from third parties that fit your and your business’ needs.

Missing something from Word?

Check the marketplace and see if you can not only replace it, but find a better version.

From label merge tools to automatic contact plugins, these apps can be seamlessly integrated with Docs for a fully customizable program.

The most popular add-ons for Google Docs include those that replicate Microsoft Word features, such as:

• Extensis Fonts which adds thousands of free fonts to Docs
• Template Gallery an add-on that gives you additional templates for Docs and Sheets
• Styles apply styles to jazz up Docs to give them a more sophisticated look
• Insert icons for Docs imports icons to help you illustrate your Docs

Microsoft has their own Office Store with integrated third-party apps, but it’s not as stocked with choices.

Additionally, Google Docs works with the other programs in the G Suite. So you can create or access files from your Google programs right from the File menu in Doc:

Microsoft Word Mac Google Docs Free

Each document or app will open in a separate tab within the browser you’re already working in so you don’t have to wait for all those separate programs to load on your computer like you would with Microsoft.

Our winner: MS Word doesn’t need as many add-ons because it’s bursting with features, but Google’s basic skeleton allows for total customization with add-ons you specifically choose.

Microsoft Word Mac Google Docs Pdf

So are you a loyal Windows fan or a new Google devotee?

Microsoft Word has been the only name worth mentioning in the world of word processors for the last 30 years, but now Google aims to knock the crown off its head.

With its easy-to-use features cleverly designed for the growing cloud-based workforce, many people find Docs easier to use on a daily basis than Word.

Others in the business realm who rely on Microsoft’s constantly evolving features will be let down by Google’s basic approach and slim tools offering.

So after assessing the specifics of both companies, you’ll need to decide what’s right for you.

If you have a Gmail account and take your Chromebook coffee shop hopping to work remotely with your team, Google Docs may be the best choice for your limited hard drive space and high collaboration needs.

But if your business does everything using Microsoft and you have an Outlook email, you may not want to rock the boat by switching from Word.

We think you should give each program a test run for a week to try them out yourself.

You’ll learn which features you can’t live without (and which you could use less of), work out the kinks and quirks between them, and have a solid answer based on your own real-world use.

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If you need help getting started with Microsoft Word or Google Docs, we can point you in the right direction. Take a Word online course to learn the basics or refresh your knowledge, then master the advanced features and become a bona fide pro.

Learn more about Word

Download our print-ready shortcut cheatsheet for Word.