Comparison

Zoho Writer vs Google Docs

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Zoho Writer

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
Read full description

Simple, slick word processing app to create and edit documents, and collaborate on them with your friends. Sync docs across devices and access them wherever you go.   Writer is carefully designed to create a clean, blank paper-esque writing experience across your smartphone, tablet and computer. And it's free forever! Collaborate with your team - Join discussions, even when you're away from your desk. Add your thoughts to documents, reply to friends' comments, or just appreciate them by clicking "like."   Work with multiple formats - Import and edit your existing Microsoft Word documents. Take stories off your world by exporting it as an MS Word, PDF, ODT, HTML, or TXT file.   Get access to the full-blown web version - One of the best advantages of using Writer is that it features a powerful word processor on the web. It's incredibly easy to jot down notes on the move, and continue working on it on the web when you're back to your desk. Create beautiful looking documents - Format your documents. Add images, tables, and more. Work offline - Apart from a "Make available offline" option, 20 of your most recent documents will available offline by default too!   Forget saving documents - Forget clicking save, and manual back up. Your changes are saved and synced across all your devices as you make them. What's stopping you now? Get started. Write away!

About

Google Docs

Create, edit, and collaborate on documents online in real time. Work together seamlessly with your team, even offline, and access a variety of file types. AI-powered features can help draft and refine content.

Highlights
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Offline editing
  • Template library
  • Multiple file type support
  • AI-powered drafting
  • Commenting and action items
Read full description

Create, edit, and collaborate on online documents with the Google Docs app. Work together in real time • Share documents with your team • Edit, comment, and add action items in real time Create anywhere, anytime—even offline • Capture spontaneous ideas on the fly • Get things done, even on the go, with offline mode • Save time and add polish with easy-to-use templates Edit and share multiple file types • Open a variety of files, including Microsoft Word files, right in Google Docs • Frictionless collaboration, no matter which application your teammates use • Convert and export files seamlessly Google Docs is part of Google Workspace: where teams of any size can chat, create, and collaborate. Google Workspace paid subscribers have access to additional Google Docs features, including: Use Gemini in Docs to quickly draft and edit content • Draft outlines, blog posts, briefs, and more on the go • Improve your writing with AI-powered suggestions Learn more about Google Docs: https://workspace.google.com/products/docs/ Follow us for more: • X: https://x.com/googleworkspace • Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/googleworkspace • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/googleworkspace

Screenshots

Zoho Writer4 screens
Google Docs4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Google Docs at 4.8 against Zoho Writer's 2.9. Google Docs also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 30%) and ratings volume (3.2M vs 136). Zoho Writer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Google Docs sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $199.99 per year. Zoho Writer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Google Docs holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Google Docs has 3.2M ratings behind it against 136, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Zoho Writer's written reviews are positive against 70% of Google Docs's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Zoho Writer versus Google Docs: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZoho WriterGoogle Docs
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.9 (136 ratings)4.8 (3.2M ratings) — better
Positive reviews29.8% of reviews69.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1363.2M — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
Best chart rank#9 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size132 MB348 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZoho CorporationGoogle

Customer experience

Zoho Writer

All ratings136 ratings
Positive40.4%
Neutral14.0%
Negative45.6%
Written reviews151 reviews
Positive29.8%
Neutral13.2%
Negative57.0%

Google Docs

All ratings3,243,575 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews3,469 reviews
Positive69.8%
Neutral5.9%
Negative24.3%

User reviews

Zoho Writer

From 136 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 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)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

Google Docs

From 3.2M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient and accessible
  • 👍 Seamless collaboration
  • 🔒 Automatic saving
  • 💡 Offline functionality
  • 👍 Versatile for various uses

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Laggy performance and input delays
  • 👎 Limited formatting and customization options
  • 🔍 Difficult to organize and navigate documents
  • 👎 Compatibility issues with other platforms

Bugs and requests

Zoho Writer

Reported bugs

23 issues
  • App crashes on document open
  • Cursor jumps randomly in document
  • Keyboard disappears during typing
  • Punctuation disappears after saving
  • Text erased or goes missing
Show 18 more
  • Undo function behaves erratically
  • Diacritics cause app crashes and data loss
  • Apple Pencil input causes immediate crashes
  • Documents fail to load with permission errors
  • Data migration errors on new accounts
  • Offline mode loses documents on sync
  • Lag increases with document size
  • Copy-paste corrupts text formatting
  • App freezes on tutorial screen
  • Documents deleted after app update
  • Sync fails to reflect web version changes
  • Microphone input text disappears
  • App locks up during formatting operations
  • Blank page display in read mode
  • Random extra spaces between words
  • Cursor placement in middle of words
  • Update failure notifications
  • App crashes when using WorkDrive integration

Requested features

18 requests
  • 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)
Show 13 more
  • Search within document contents
  • Ability to save to specific folders
  • Multi-select for batch operations
  • Select all functionality
  • Landscape view support
  • Split-screen iPad support
  • Cloud import from Dropbox/OneDrive
  • Track changes feature
  • Outline navigation on mobile
  • Font size customization
  • Margin adjustment controls
  • Document templates
  • Alphabetical document sorting

Google Docs

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unexpected crashes and document loss
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps
  • Issues with image insertion and manipulation

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved document organization with folders
  • Expanded font and formatting options
  • Better integration with Microsoft Office
  • Smoother scrolling and navigation

In-app purchases

None

Zoho Writer

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Google Docs

Subscriptions1
  • Google AI Pro (5 TB)$199.991 Year

Questions

Is Zoho Writer free?
Zoho Writer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Google Docs free?
Google Docs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Zoho Writer or Google Docs?
Google Docs is rated higher. Zoho Writer averages 2.9 out of 5 from 136 ratings, while Google Docs averages 4.8 from 3.2M ratings.
Do Zoho Writer or Google Docs have ads?
Neither Zoho Writer nor Google Docs shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Zoho Writer or Google Docs?
Zoho Writer ships an update every 3 weeks, and Google Docs weekly. Most recently, Zoho Writer was updated on September 7, 2026 and Google Docs on September 24, 2026.

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