Today we bring you two powerful word processing tools, Google Docs Vs. Microsoft Word. Which one is the best option?
There once was such a time when the only way you could create documents was through using Microsoft’s Office Word; that was until Google docs happened. With the emergence of the digital age and the popularity of mobile smartphones, the narrative is changing. It turns out, Microsoft is not the only brand thinking about document creation. Multibillion-dollar company Google created Google Documents as a solution for creating documents easily on several devices with several colleagues. In this article, we’re going to compare Office Word to Google Docs, but first, let’s define them.
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Contents
What is Google Docs?
Google Docs is Google’s very own free word processing tool which works online in sync with G Suite. Docs also happens to be fully compatible with Microsoft Word. Users can create, view, and edit documents online while collaborating with colleagues in real-time – from any device, anywhere.
What is Microsoft Word?
Microsoft Word is a word processing program created by Microsoft Inc. which allows users to create, edit and save documents. This program comes by default on Windows computers and it works perfectly in with other Microsoft programs.
Best Features of Google Docs
1. Google Docs Is Compatible with Microsoft Word
With this amazing service, one can easily open and edit Microsoft Word documents directly. On PC, Google Docs has a handy Chrome extension that lets you create documents easily. The service also lets you download your Google doc as a Word document (.docx) and vice versa without risking changes to the file formatting.
2. Google Docs Chrome extensions
Since Google is an open-source company, there are several extensions to help you work better with Google Docs. For example, there is an extension that lets you search the internet as you type in Google Docs. This level of diversity makes Google Docs so satisfying to its users, especially journalists.
3. Simplified Collaboration
With Google Docs, teams can easily access and edit a single document at the exact same time. Just for the record, there’s no confusion over which file is the most up-to-date version. Members of the collaborative team do not even need a Google account to access the document, undo changes, highlight or add comments. The real-time collaboration is such an intuitive feature that you may think it’s a static document.
4. Ease of access
First of all, Google Docs makes it so easy to find your documents thanks to the search option within the app itself. You don’t have to worry about folders and similar crap; instead, everything is right before you in human language. Secondly, you will be able to access your document from all your favorite devices.
5. Automated saving
Say bye-bye to “Ctrl S”! It’s such a huge lifesaver that Docs automatically saves our progress while we’re busy creating our work. All you have to do is click back to the start page when you’re done and boom, your work is on the cloud! This is a huge plus for Google.
6. Powerful And Helpful Features
The program is packaged with a number of very useful tools for article writing. These make writing a document very exciting and worth the experience; for instance, voice typing (go to Tools > Voice typing). Other features include a cool formatting function to instantly format copy & pasted copy, a range of fonts ready to import from Google Fonts, and bookmarks for less scrolling (go to Insert > Bookmark).
6. Google Docs Is 100% Free
Surprisingly, Google does not feature any hidden price tags in docs unlike other document editors like Microsoft. All you have to do is create a Google account you will need to log into Docs. After this point, all you have to do is discover the numerous features embedded within.
Best Features of Microsoft Word
1. Availability
Word is easily accessible because it comes preinstalled on most computers and it is findable all over the internet. This mere fact makes the software reliable and independent of glitches and server errors even if it also supports cloud storage.
2. Professional User Interface
This software has an unmistakable minimalistic yet feature-rich interface which ensures that the user focuses on their work. This is why companies and organizations rely on it for creating their documents. While it has a clean interface, Word has over 100 features within itself to help you create an excellent document.
3. Error Fixing
Microsoft Word is one of the most excellent error-fixing Word processing software. This is because it automatically notices problems in your text as you time even without an internet connection. After typing your work, the system can seamlessly help you fix the underlined grammar and spelling errors with a single click.
4. Efficient Collaboration
Usually, projects involving a large group of people are prone to several mistakes being made. However, just like Google Docs, MS word has features that allow a team to simultaneously work on the same document. The downside here is that this software specifically works well on computers and is unavailable for mobile. To their advantage, MS Word has advanced text recognition and formatting capabilities than the open-source program. This makes it easier to incorporate images, tables, and other data into your documents.
5. Standby Help
While MS Word is not so technical, it’s professional and the developers know this. For this reason, the software has inbuilt online help documents to help people every time they are stuck within the interface. This is such a handy feature that MS Help is one of the most read documents in the world with very useful information to learn the software.
6. Dynamic Vocabulary Options
Another outstanding feature is the ability to choose from several vocabularies to rely on for grammar corrections. For instance, you can set Word to judge your spellings according to American English or British English. This incredible ability makes the software ideal for writing magazines, blogs, stories, and even official documents.
7. Flexibility
While using MS Office, you possess the ability to use several fonts and styles within the same. This makes your work both aesthetic and emphasizes particular parts of your document. Such features happen to be very useful for designers, schools and big organizations.
8. Customization
Microsoft Office Word allows users to decide the feel, color, size, and shape of their documents. This level of customization is unmatched even in alternatives such as Google Docs. You get to enjoy creating totally new-looking documents every time you get to business.
Conclusion: Google Docs Vs. Microsoft Word Dilemma
In conclusion, both Microsoft Word and Google Docs are excellent Word processing services. However, if you need ease of access from several devices, coupled with next-level simplicity, we recommend that you use Google Docs. On the other hand, if you value professionalism and well-formatted documents as well as proper formatting, you should probably use Microsoft Word. We do believe we have helped you decide on the perfect Word processing app for your specific needs.