# Microsoft Word vs Office Word

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Microsoft Word at 3M against Office Word's 9.4K. Microsoft Word also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and chart position (#13 vs #58). Office Word's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft Word sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Office Word sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Microsoft Word against 4.6 for Office Word. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Word has 3M ratings behind it against 9.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 37% of Microsoft Word's written reviews are positive against 34% of Office Word's.

Microsoft Word ships an update weekly, Office Word every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Word | Office Word |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-word/id586447913/reviews)** | [4.6 (9.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/office-wordedit-word-document/id6444708069/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3M** | 9.4K |
| Positive reviews | **36.9% of reviews** | 34.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#13** | #58 |
| Size | 527 MB | 227 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Rhophi Analytics LLP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1647365609) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft Word

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

**Currently charting:** #13 Top Grossing · Productivity, #14 Top Free · Productivity, #90 Top Free, #185 Top Grossing (US App Store)

Create, edit, and share documents on your mobile device. This powerful word processor offers templates, formatting tools, and collaborative features to help you write impactful text documents, resumes, and more. Your office moves with you, allowing for seamless editing and sharing from anywhere.

**Highlights:** Create and edit documents, Modern templates, Rich formatting and layout options, Reading view, Collaborate with comments, Version history, Simplified sharing

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Office 365 Personal | $5.99 | per month |
| Office 365 Personal | $6.99 | per month |
| Office 365 Home | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal Student | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $12.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Premium Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Microsoft Copilot Pro | $20.00 | 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


### Office Word

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/office-wordedit-word-document/id6444708069)

**Currently charting:** #58 Top Grossing · Productivity, #75 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Create, edit, and manage Word documents on the go with a user-friendly interface. Collaborate in real-time, secure your files with password protection, and integrate with cloud services. Ideal for professionals, students, and freelancers needing to conquer their document needs.

**Highlights:** Create, edit, and view Word documents, Real-time collaboration, Password protection and two-factor authentication, Cloud service integration (Google Drive, Dropbox), Insert tables, images, and charts, Create resumes and cover letters

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Pro Weekly Plan | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro Weekly Plan | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly 15% Off | $25.49 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Black Friday Premium Sale | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Convenient for on-the-go document editing
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🔒 Secure document storage
- 📚 Helpful for students and writers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Requires subscription to access full features
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💰 Overpriced compared to alternatives
- 🙅‍♀️ Difficult to cancel subscription
- 🤖 Intrusive ads and notifications

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to save or export documents
- Formatting issues when editing text
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Syncing problems between mobile and desktop

**Requested features**

- Add more formatting options
- Improve compatibility with other document formats
- Implement a free version with limited features
- Provide better customer support and communication


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Word free?

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

### Is Office Word free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft Word or Office Word?

Microsoft Word is rated higher. Microsoft Word averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3M ratings, while Office Word averages 4.6 from 9.4K ratings.

### Do Microsoft Word or Office Word have ads?

Neither Microsoft Word nor Office Word shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft Word or Office Word?

Microsoft Word ships an update weekly, and Office Word every 3 weeks. Most recently, Microsoft Word was updated on September 24, 2026 and Office Word on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Microsoft Word or Office Word?

Microsoft Word currently peaks at #13 in the App Store charts, and Office Word at #58. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*