# Microsoft Word vs Zoho Writer

The clearest difference is rating: Microsoft Word at 4.7 against Zoho Writer's 2.9. Microsoft Word also leads on ratings volume (3M vs 136) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Zoho Writer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft Word sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Zoho Writer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Microsoft Word holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Word has 3M ratings behind it against 136, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of Microsoft Word's written reviews are positive against 30% of Zoho Writer's.

Microsoft Word ships an update weekly, Zoho Writer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Word | Zoho Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-word/id586447913/reviews)** | [2.9 (136 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoho-writer-document-editor/id808719064/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3M** | 136 |
| Positive reviews | **36.9% of reviews** | 29.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#13** | — |
| Size | 527 MB | 132 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Zoho Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/388384807) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft Word

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

**Currently charting:** #13 Top Grossing · Productivity, #15 Top Free · Productivity, #95 Top Free, #186 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


### Zoho Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoho-writer-document-editor/id808719064)

Create and edit documents with a clean, distraction-free interface. Collaborate with others in real-time, import and export various file formats, and access your work across all devices. Your changes are automatically saved and synced.

**Highlights:** Create and edit documents, Real-time collaboration, Import/export MS Word, PDF, ODT, Sync across devices, Offline access, Automatic saving

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface design
- 🔒 Privacy-focused alternative to Google Docs
- 📝 Good font variety and formatting options
- 💾 Automatic document saving
- 🌐 Cross-platform functionality (desktop, mobile, web)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- ⚠️ Severe data loss issues
- 🐢 Significant lag and slow typing response
- ❌ Missing core formatting features on mobile
- 🔐 Permission and access errors

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on document open
- Cursor jumps randomly in document
- Keyboard disappears during typing
- Punctuation disappears after saving
- Text erased or goes missing

**Requested features**

- Dark mode for mobile app
- Text wrapping around images
- Adjustable image sizing
- Cover page and page formatting options
- Document list view (not just icon view)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Word free?

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

### Is Zoho Writer free?

Zoho Writer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft Word or Zoho Writer?

Microsoft Word is rated higher. Microsoft Word averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3M ratings, while Zoho Writer averages 2.9 from 136 ratings.

### Do Microsoft Word or Zoho Writer have ads?

Neither Microsoft Word nor Zoho Writer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft Word or Zoho Writer?

Microsoft Word ships an update weekly, and Zoho Writer every 3 weeks. Most recently, Microsoft Word was updated on September 24, 2026 and Zoho Writer on September 7, 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.*