Google Docs suits teams who write together in the browser, with comments, version history and Gemini drafting from your Gmail and Drive. Microsoft Word suits people who need the full desktop app, Copilot inside Microsoft 365, and documents that clients send as Word files. Both have a free web version, so you can try each before you decide.
You don't have to pick a side forever, because the two now open each other's files. I read Google's Docs product page, its help article on working with Office files, and Microsoft's pages for Word and its free web apps.
Google Docs and Microsoft Word compared
| Google Docs | Microsoft Word | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Google (Google Workspace) | Microsoft (Microsoft 365) |
| Free option | Not stated on the pages I read | Yes, Word for the web with a Microsoft account |
| AI assistant | Gemini in Docs | Microsoft Copilot in Microsoft 365 |
| Working together | Comments, emojis, assigned tasks, version history | Real-time collaboration on the web |
| Desktop app | Not covered on the pages I read | Yes, with Microsoft 365 Personal |
| Each other's files | Opens, converts and saves .docx files | Native .docx |
Where Google Docs shines
Google's Docs page leads with Gemini. You give it a few prompts and it builds a structured draft, pulling information from your Drive, Gmail and Chat. Match Format and Match Writing Style then bring it in line with your branding and tone.
Docs was built for teams. You can leave comments and emoji reactions, assign tasks without leaving the document, and look back at earlier versions and restore them. Google's help centre also says Docs can edit Word files directly using Office Compatibility Mode, convert .docx files into Docs, and save them back as .docx.
Where Microsoft Word shines
Microsoft's free web apps page says Word for the web lets you write, read and collaborate online in real time from any device, free with a Microsoft account. One condition: your files have to be saved in and shared from OneDrive.
Step up to Microsoft 365 Personal and you get the desktop apps on PCs, Macs, phones and tablets, with Microsoft Copilot built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. For people who work in long reports, legal documents or anything with strict formatting, the full desktop Word is the reason to choose it.
Microsoft's page also lists what comes with Microsoft 365 Personal beyond Word: Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, OneDrive storage, Microsoft Defender and Teams. If you'd use most of those anyway, Word comes along as part of a set you already rely on.
The file format question
This used to be the deciding factor, and it's much smaller now. Google's own help page lists the Word formats Docs can open and convert, and confirms it can save documents back to .docx. So if a client sends a Word file, you can still work in Docs and return it in their format.
The bigger difference today is which AI you want beside you. Gemini in Docs draws on your Google world; Copilot in Word draws on your Microsoft one. Pick the one that already holds your email and files.
Who each one suits
Google Docs suits small teams, freelancers and anyone who writes with other people in the browser and lives in Gmail. Microsoft Word suits people who work with corporate clients, need the desktop app's formatting power, or already have Microsoft 365. If you're in Docs, here's how to add a text box in Google Docs, and if Word crashes on you, this shows how to recover an unsaved Word document.
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My advice on Google Docs or Microsoft Word
Follow your email. If your business runs on Gmail and Google Drive, write in Google Docs and use Gemini to speed up first drafts. If it runs on Outlook and OneDrive, or your clients expect polished Word files, stay in Word and try Copilot. Don't keep the same document in both, because that's how versions go missing.
Do you make writing or document tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Word free?
Word for the web is free with a Microsoft account, according to Microsoft, as long as files are saved in and shared from OneDrive.
Can Google Docs open Word files?
Yes. Google's help centre says Docs can edit .doc and .docx files with Office Compatibility Mode or convert them to Docs.
Can I save a Google Doc as a Word file?
Yes. Google lists .docx as a format you can download or save documents back to.
Does Google Docs have AI?
Yes. Gemini in Docs creates drafts from simple prompts and can pull information from your Drive, Gmail and Chat.
Does Word have Copilot?
Microsoft says Microsoft 365 Personal includes Word and the other desktop apps with Microsoft Copilot.
