Which is the best word processing program? Google Docs vs. Microsoft Word

A word processor is an indispensable tool for many users, be it for work, school or study. One of the best known and most used word processing programs is certainly Microsoft Word. But there are various programs similar to Word. We take a look at features and capabilities of Google Docs in comparison with Word. Which is the best writing program for your needs?

The world of work is in a constant state of flux and with the increasing desire for hybrid workplace concepts, distributed collaboration on the road and in the home office, the need for tools that are equipped for this modern way of working is growing. Here, tools such as Google Workspace, which are web-based and work online, have a clear advantage, as they reduce dependencies on workplace computers that are laboriously installed and maintained by the company. We have already looked at the many possibilities of Google Workspace in the article "Google Workspace - collaboration rethought" and in the article "Google Workspace as a Microsoft Office alternative". In the following, we will look specifically at the area of word processing.

Microsoft Word was originally developed as pure desktop software, which is now part of the Microsoft Office 365 suite. First published in 1983, Word thus looks back on a long history. Initially launched under the MS-DOS operating system, at times with versions for OS/2, Xenix and some UNIX derivatives, the full-blown version of Word is now mainly at home under Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS. However, numerous other word processing programs exist as alternatives to Word. Google Docs is one of them.

Google Docs vs. Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word offers a wide range of features and tools for creating and formatting documents, as well as numerous third-party extensions. For many years, however, Word was a program for single users that was not suitable for collaborative work in a team. It wasn't until the integration into Office 365 - now renamed Microsoft 365 Apps - that Word gained some options for working on documents simultaneously in interaction with Microsoft SharePoint Online and OneDrive in particular.

However, problems with Word arise from the fact that only the full-blown desktop version as a fat client under Windows or macOS offers the full range of functions. If you want to use this, you still have to take care of the rollout and updates of client installations. With Word Online and apps for Apple iOS and Google Android, Microsoft has now also added variants that work online and on mobile devices. However, these only offer a significantly reduced range of functions.

Google Docs as part of Google Workspace, on the other hand, was developed from the ground up as a modern web application. Google's word processing program runs completely in the browser and thus on almost every end device. The Progressive Web Applications (PWA) for chromeOS and other operating systems merely serve as a shortcut for the easiest possible access to the software. The range of functions when accessed via browser is identical. Thus, Google Docs as a collaboration tool optimally enables multiple users to work on a document simultaneously and together. The so-called Smart Chips, context-dependent functions that you can insert at any point in a text using "@-Mention", go far beyond the mere @-mention of other team members in Microsoft Word. The team functions of Google Docs are presented in detail in the article "Google Docs - smart online word processing for companies".

Problems with Word

Challenges arise in any case when migrating from Microsoft Word on the desktop to the cloud - and this regardless of whether Word Online or Google Docs is the target. Microsoft describes which features of the desktop version Word Online can handle and which not in a special support document.

Does your corporate design include special fonts that are not available online and on all target platforms used? If so, Word Online will not be able to handle them in all cases, and even within Microsoft's system landscape, adaptation efforts will be required to achieve an identical layout and the desired presentation on the web as well as on all platforms.

All macros and add-ins based on them in the document format *.docm cannot be processed by Word Online. And old COM add-ins for Word do not work in the online world either. In such cases, the only option is to ask the respective manufacturers to re-implement the functions in the cloud using modern methods or, if possible, to take the development into your own hands. In most cases, however, the source code of add-ins is not open and you have to rely on third-party providers to carry out Microsoft's preferred development towards modern Office Web Add-ins. But the good news is that numerous third-party providers now also offer practical add-ons for Google Docs.

Text programs in comparison

Is there now a best word processing program? The choice of suitable software depends on the respective use case. If a young company is starting up without any legacy software, Google Docs can be recommended without restriction as a platform-independent solution for teamwork.

If long-established companies with many years of Word use have a large inventory of add-ins, documents with macros, special formatting and special fonts, there will be effort involved in migrating to a modern and cloud-oriented way of working. However, this effort also comes up within Microsoft's ecosystem. This is because by no means all of the extensions and functions that users have come to love in the desktop version of Word can also be used online.

Are you interested in modern team work with Google Docs and need support in migrating your inventory of Word documents?