Comparison

Google Docs vs Microsoft Outlook

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

Head to head
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

About

Microsoft Outlook

Consolidate all your email accounts and calendars into one streamlined application. Manage your inbox, schedule meetings, and access files from various cloud services. Enhance productivity with AI-powered writing assistance and smart inbox features.

Highlights
  • Unified inbox for multiple email accounts
  • Smart inbox sorting
  • Quick swipe actions
  • Meeting scheduling and availability sharing
  • File access from cloud storage
  • AI-powered email summarization and drafting
  • Editing of Office documents
Features
Read full description

Outlook lets you bring all your email accounts and calendars in one convenient spot. Whether it’s staying on top of your inbox or scheduling the next big thing, we make it easy to be your most productive, organised and connected self. Here's what you'll love about Outlook for iOS: - Focus on the right things with our smart inbox - we help you sort between messages you need to act on straight away and everything else. - Swipe to quickly schedule, delete and archive messages. - Share your meeting availability with just a tap and easily find times to meet with others. - Find everything you're looking for, including files, contacts, and your forthcoming trips. - View and attach any file from your email, OneDrive, Dropbox, and more, without having to download them to your phone. - Open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint attachments to edit them directly in the corresponding app and attach them back to an email. - Recap extra-long email threads in an instant with Summarise with Copilot* - Type a few words to have Copilot* jump-start your writing with an outline or draft - Before sending off your email, use Coaching with Copilot* to get tips and suggestions that help improve the overall tone, sentiment, and clarity *Microsoft 365 Personal/Family subscription or business account enabled with Copilot required to use Copilot features -- Outlook for iOS works with Microsoft Exchange, Office 365, Outlook.com (including Hotmail and MSN), Gmail, Yahoo Email, and iCloud. -- To make an in-app purchase of a Microsoft 365 Family or Personal subscription, open the app, go to Settings, and tap on Upgrade next to your Outlook.com or Hotmail.com account. Subscriptions begin at $6.99 a month in the US, and can vary by region. With a Microsoft 365 subscription, you get 1TB of storage for each user, access to all features in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, and you can install Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote on PCs or Macs. Microsoft 365 subscriptions purchased from the app will be charged to your iTunes account and will automatically renew within 24 hours prior to the end of the current subscription period, unless auto-renewal is disabled beforehand. To manage your subscriptions or to disable auto-renewal, after purchase, go to your iTunes account settings. A subscription cannot be cancelled during the active subscription period. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Privacy and Cookies: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=521839 Terms of Use: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=530144 Contract Summary: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/outlook/contract-summary Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2259814

Screenshots

Google Docs4 screens
Microsoft Outlook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Google Docs at none against Microsoft Outlook's shown. Google Docs also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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 and Microsoft Outlook sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Google Docs against 4.8 for Microsoft Outlook. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.2M and 9.3M respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Google Docs's written reviews are positive against 64% of Microsoft Outlook's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Google Docs versus Microsoft Outlook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGoogle DocsMicrosoft Outlook
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (3.2M ratings)4.8 (9.3M ratings)
Positive reviews69.8% of reviews — better64.4% of reviews
Number of ratings3.2M9.3M — better
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#9 — better#10
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size348 MB464 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGoogleMicrosoft Corporation

Customer experience

Google Docs

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

Microsoft Outlook

All ratings9,258,706 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral2.5%
Negative0.9%
Written reviews7,289 reviews
Positive64.4%
Neutral7.9%
Negative27.7%

User reviews

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

Microsoft Outlook

From 9.3M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great for corporate email
  • 👍 Customizable and user-friendly
  • 🚀 Seamless integration with Microsoft 365
  • 👍 Solid email and calendar functionality

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable at times
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🔒 Security issues with password resets
  • 👎 Limited file attachment options

Bugs and requests

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

Microsoft Outlook

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Frequent crashes when adding accounts
  • Delayed email notifications and syncing issues
  • Inability to delete emails in bulk
  • Calendar reminders not working as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved search and filtering capabilities
  • Better integration with native iOS apps and services
  • Enhanced calendar management features

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Google Docs

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

Microsoft Outlook

Subscriptions4
  • Microsoft 365 Basic$1.991 Month
  • Microsoft 365 Personal$9.991 Month
  • Microsoft 365 Family$12.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Microsoft Copilot Pro$20.001 Month

Questions

Is Google Docs free?
Google Docs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Microsoft Outlook free?
Microsoft Outlook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Google Docs or Microsoft Outlook?
Google Docs and Microsoft Outlook are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3.2M and 9.3M ratings respectively.
Do Google Docs or Microsoft Outlook have ads?
Microsoft Outlook shows ads; Google Docs does not.
Which is updated more often, Google Docs or Microsoft Outlook?
Google Docs ships an update weekly, and Microsoft Outlook weekly. Most recently, Google Docs was updated on September 24, 2026 and Microsoft Outlook on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Google Docs or Microsoft Outlook?
Google Docs currently peaks at #9 in the App Store charts, and Microsoft Outlook at #10. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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