Google Docs vs Zoho Writer

Google Docs

• People and teams who draft and review documents together in a browser
• Organizations that already pay for Google Workspace
• Collecting edits and comments from collaborators outside the company

Zoho Writer

• Individuals who want a free word processor on every device
• Businesses generating contracts, letters and forms from CRM data
• Teams already using Zoho WorkDrive or Zoho Workplace

Google Docs

• There is no standalone paid Docs plan; the business version comes only as part of Google Workspace, with Gmail, Drive and Meet.
• Gemini in Docs and eSignature are not in Business Starter; both start at Business Standard, $14 per user / month on a 1-year commitment.
• Offline editing on a computer works only in Chrome or Microsoft Edge with the Google Docs Offline extension installed.
• Google lists Docs for web browsers, Android, iPhone and iPad; no Windows or Mac desktop app is listed.

Zoho Writer

• There is no standalone paid Writer plan; the pricing page sends businesses to a Zoho WorkDrive subscription for the paid edition.
• Document automation is metered: 200 free credits a month per organization (1,000 on the paid edition), then $0.05 a credit, falling to $0.01 at high volume.
• WorkDrive plans start at 3 users; buying 1 or 2 seats means contacting Zoho's sales team.
• Zia's grammar, spelling and style checks cover English, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.

Google Docs

Co-editing, comments and version history

Several people can edit one document at the same time, leave comments and assign action items. Earlier versions can be opened and restored, and sharing settings control who can view, comment or edit.

Smart chips and building blocks

Typing @ inserts people, files, calendar events and dropdown menus, or building blocks such as meeting notes, email drafts and review trackers.

Document tabs and pageless mode

A document can be split into tabs for each part of a project or report, and pageless mode removes page breaks for continuous writing.

Gemini in Docs

Drafts and restyles documents from prompts, drawing on a user's Drive, Gmail and Chat. Among Business editions it starts at Business Standard; Starter does not include it.

Word and PDF files

Microsoft Word documents can be edited directly without making a copy, or converted to Docs format. PDF files can be imported and worked on as well.

Offline editing

Documents can be opened, created and edited without a connection. On a computer this requires Chrome or Microsoft Edge with the Google Docs Offline extension.

Zoho Writer

Real-time collaboration and review

Documents are shared with set permissions and edited together in real time, with tracked changes to accept or reject, comments with @mentions and document versions.

Zia writing assistant

Zia generates, rewrites, shortens and summarizes text, checks grammar and spelling in English, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, and translates into more than 70 languages.

Document automation

Merge, fillable and sign templates generate personalized documents, PDFs and web forms from business data, with a visual flow builder. Generating documents uses credits.

Word and Google Docs compatibility

Writer imports, edits and saves DOCX and Google Docs files along with RTF, ODT, TXT, HTML and PDF. Imports are limited to 50 MB for DOCX and 10 MB for other formats.

Offline mode and apps

Desktop apps for Windows, macOS and Linux have a full offline mode, and there are iOS and Android apps. Changes made offline sync when you are back online.

Plagiarism check and publishing

An in-document plagiarism checker reports the degree of overlap with links to matching sources, and documents can be published to WordPress, Medium or Blogger from Writer.

Google Docs

• Personal Google Account$0

  Create, edit and share documents in a browser or the mobile apps, with comments, version history and offline access.

• Business Starter$7

  per user / month, 1-year commitment ($8.40 flexible)

  Google Workspace with Docs and 30 GB of pooled storage per user. Gemini in Docs and eSignature are not included.

• Business Standard$14

  per user / month, 1-year commitment ($16.80 flexible)

  2 TB of pooled storage per user. The lowest Business edition with Gemini in Docs and eSignature with Docs and PDFs.

• Business Plus$22

  per user / month, 1-year commitment ($26.40 flexible)

  Everything in Standard with 5 TB of pooled storage per user, plus Vault, eDiscovery and advanced endpoint management.

• EnterpriseCustom

  No minimum or maximum user count, with data loss prevention, context-aware access and data regions; priced through Google sales.

Zoho Writer

• Free$0

  The full word processor on web, desktop and mobile, with unlimited documents and 200 free automation credits a month per organization.

• WorkDrive Starter$2.50

  per user / month, billed annually ($3 monthly); min. 3 users

  Zoho WorkDrive with the Zoho Office Suite, including Writer, 1 TB of team storage for 3 to 10 users and 1,000 free automation credits a month.

• Workplace Standard$3

  per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly)

  Zoho Workplace: Writer, Sheet and Show alongside Mail with 30 GB per user, WorkDrive, Cliq and Meeting.

• WorkDrive Team$4.50

  per user / month, billed annually ($6 monthly); min. 3 users

  3 TB of team storage for 3 to 10 users, a 50 GB upload limit per file and data recovery for up to 120 days.

• Workplace Professional$6

  per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly)

  100 GB of mail storage per user, 1 TB of team file storage for 3 to 10 users and the Connect intranet.

• WorkDrive Business$9

  per user / month, billed annually ($11 monthly); min. 3 users

  5 TB of team storage for 3 to 10 users, custom workflows, data loss prevention policies and an admin audit trail.

Google Docs

• Annual discount

  Save 16% with a 1-year commitment

  Business Starter is $7 per user per month on the Annual/Fixed-Term Plan against $8.40 on the Flexible Plan. Standard drops from $16.80 to $14 and Plus from $26.40 to $22.

• Nonprofit

  Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0

  Eligible nonprofits get Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0, or Business Standard at $3.50 and Business Plus at $6.16 per user per month on a 1-year commitment.

• Education

  Education Fundamentals at no charge

  Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals, which includes Docs, is available at no charge to qualifying institutions.

Zoho Writer

• Annual discount

  Lower WorkDrive rates with annual billing

  WorkDrive Starter is $2.50 per user a month billed annually against $3 billed monthly. Team is $4.50 against $6 and Business $9 against $11.

• Annual discount

  Lower Workplace rates with annual billing

  Workplace Standard is $3 per user a month billed annually against $4 billed monthly, and Workplace Professional is $6 against $7.