# Microsoft Word vs Polaris Viewer

The clearest difference is ads: Microsoft Word at none against Polaris Viewer's shown. Microsoft Word also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (3M vs 74). Polaris Viewer's advantage is review sentiment (56% vs 37%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft Word sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Polaris Viewer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Microsoft Word holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Word has 3M ratings behind it against 74, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 37% of Microsoft Word's written reviews are positive against 56% of Polaris Viewer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Microsoft Word ships an update weekly, Polaris Viewer every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Word | Polaris Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-word/id586447913/reviews)** | [4.6 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polaris-viewer-pdf-document/id1361508774/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3M** | 74 |
| Positive reviews | 36.9% of reviews | **56.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#12** | — |
| Size | 535 MB | 177 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Polaris Office Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/380275428) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft Word

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-word/id586447913)

**Currently charting:** #12 Top Free · Productivity, #14 Top Grossing · Productivity, #97 Top Free (US App Store)

Create, edit, and share documents with powerful word-processing tools. Enhance your writing with AI assistance, collaborate in real-time, and access your files anywhere. Offers templates and formatting options for various document types.

**Highlights:** Create and edit documents, AI writing assistance (Copilot), Real-time collaboration, Document templates, PDF to Word conversion, Version history

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Office 365 Personal | $6.99 | per month |
| Office 365 Home | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $12.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Premium Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Office 365 Personal | $69.99 | per year |
| Office 365 Home | $99.99 | per year |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $99.99 | per year |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $129.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless sync between devices
- 📝 Great for writing and editing
- 🔒 Secure document storage
- 💡 Helpful for school and work

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and data loss
- ⏱️ Laggy and slow performance
- 💰 Expensive subscription required
- 🤔 Limited functionality compared to desktop

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent saving and syncing between devices
- Cursor positioning issues when editing text
- Formatting problems when importing documents
- Unreliable text selection and highlighting

**Requested features**

- Improved mouse/trackpad support
- Built-in citation and bibliography tools
- More customization options for formatting
- Ability to edit documents offline


### Polaris Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polaris-viewer-pdf-document/id1361508774)

This app offers a mobile-optimized experience for viewing various document types, including Microsoft Office files, PDFs, and TXT. It provides smart document management features and supports cloud integration for easy access to your files.

**Highlights:** Mobile optimized document viewer, Supports Microsoft Office, PDF, TXT, Zip, CSV, Cloud storage integration (iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.), Smart document management, App lock with fingerprint, face, or password, Night mode and paper texture background options

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $10.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Word free?

Microsoft Word is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Polaris Viewer free?

Polaris Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft Word or Polaris Viewer?

Microsoft Word is rated higher. Microsoft Word averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3M ratings, while Polaris Viewer averages 4.6 from 74 ratings.

### Do Microsoft Word or Polaris Viewer have ads?

Polaris Viewer shows ads; Microsoft Word does not.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft Word or Polaris Viewer?

Microsoft Word ships an update weekly, and Polaris Viewer every 3 months. Most recently, Microsoft Word was updated on November 6, 2026 and Polaris Viewer on November 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*