Zoho Writer vs Google Docs
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Create and edit documents
- Real-time collaboration
- Import/export MS Word, PDF, ODT
- Sync across devices
- Offline access
- Automatic saving
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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!
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.
- Real-time collaboration
- Offline editing
- Template library
- Multiple file type support
- AI-powered drafting
- Commenting and action items
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Zoho Writer | Google Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.9 (136 ratings) | 4.8 (3.2M ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 29.8% of reviews | 69.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 136 | 3.2M — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | #9 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 132 MB | 348 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zoho Corporation | |
Customer experience
Zoho Writer
Google Docs
User reviews
Zoho Writer
From 136 App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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 moreShow fewer
- 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 moreShow fewer
- 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
Zoho Writer
No in-app purchases
Google Docs
- Google AI Pro (5 TB)$199.991 Year
Questions
Is Zoho Writer free?
Is Google Docs free?
Which has better reviews, Zoho Writer or Google Docs?
Do Zoho Writer or Google Docs have ads?
Which is updated more often, Zoho Writer or Google Docs?
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