Microsoft Word vs WordPerfect (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Microsoft Word: it is first in our ranking of writing tools, and it grades higher too, 3.4 against 2.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Microsoft Word grades higher on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms. WordPerfect grades higher on value for money.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Microsoft Word
Word processor sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser
WordPerfect
Word processor with Reveal Codes, sold as the WordPerfect Office suite
Which one is for you
Pick Microsoft Word if
- Fits if people send you Word files and expect them back looking the same
- Works for contracts and reports that need track changes and version history
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you only write the odd letter, because the free web version or Google Docs will do
- Pricey if Word is the only app you want, since the subscription bundles Excel and PowerPoint too, from $9.99 a month
- Tight if you want track changes or advanced formatting on a phone or tablet, which needs a subscription
- Not for you if you do your real writing on an iPad, going by reviews about crashes and lost pages
- Watch out: Copilot has usage limits and works only for the owner on Family, and Business Basic has no desktop Word
Pick WordPerfect if
- Fits if you draft contracts or long documents and like to see formatting codes
- Works for people who already have WordPerfect files to keep
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac, phone or browser, as it runs on Windows only
- Not for you if you want live co-editing or cloud storage, since none is described
- Pricey if you want the Standard edition: $173.99 on sale, $249.99 list
- Watch out: the pages describe the 2021 edition and show Black Friday sale prices, so list prices may return
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAMicrosoft WordVery good | 2.0GPAWordPerfectFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$9.99 a month, or $99.99 a year, which works out at $8.33 a month: dead on the middle for writing tools. You do get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and 1 TB of storage for it, but you can't subscribe to Word alone, and Google Docs is free. | B$49.99 one-time for Home & Student on sale ($99.99 list); the Standard edition that has Reveal Codes and PDF forms is $173.99 on sale. Against the writing middle of $9.75 a month, that's under two years' cost. |
| Free plan and trial | BWord for the web is free for one person, with real-time collaboration, basic spelling and grammar, basic templates, dictation and 5 GB of storage. The desktop apps and Copilot aren't in it, track changes on a phone needs a subscription, and the paid trial is a month. | CA free trial download with no card, but no free plan. |
| Features | ATrack changes, version history, co-authoring with people who haven't even got an account, thousands of templates. Plus Dictate transcribing a whole audio file into a document, Immersive Reader, an Accessibility Checker for contrast and wording, and Copilot drafting, which has usage limits. | CReveal Codes, 60+ formats, PDF tools, redaction and legal tools. Gaps: no cloud storage or real-time co-editing described. |
| Ease of use | A4.73 on the App Store from over 3 million ratings, and most people already know their way round it. What you get on the web, a phone and a desktop differs in confusing ways, mind, and phone reviewers report lost work. | CNo store rating on record. Reveal Codes and its own way of working mean a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWindows, Mac, iPhone, Android and the web, with OneDrive, Copilot and Microsoft Designer wired in, so every device type is covered. No Linux app is listed, so there it's the browser version. | DWindows 10 and 11 only. No Mac, web or mobile version. |
| Best for | files that others expect in Word format | Reveal Codes and legal-style documents on Windows |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Microsoft Word and WordPerfect. How we grade
Where they differ
- WordPerfect can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Microsoft Word also covers dictation and grammar & style.
- WordPerfect also covers spreadsheets, presentations and pDF editing.
At a glance
| Microsoft Word | WordPerfect | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $9.99 / month, or $99.99 / year (Microsoft 365 Personal) | $49.99 one-time (WordPerfect Office Home & Student) |
| Free plan | Word for the web is free for 1 person: real-time collaboration, basic spelling and grammar, basic templates, dictation and 5 GB of cloud storage. The mobile apps cover basic editing without a subscription. | None |
| Free trial | 1-month free trial of Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium. | Free trial download of WordPerfect Office Standard; the page says no credit card is required. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Microsoft | Corel Corporation |
| Price read from | microsoft.com | wordperfect.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Microsoft Word
- The Windows and Mac apps need a Microsoft 365 subscription or a one-time Office purchase; only the web version is free.
- Copilot requires a paid subscription, has usage limits, and on shared plans works for the subscription owner only.
- On phones and tablets, advanced formatting and track changes need a Microsoft 365 subscription.
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($7.00 per user / month paid yearly, or $5.40 without Teams) includes only the web and mobile versions of Word.
WordPerfect
- The listed system requirements are Windows 11 or Windows 10; there is no Mac, web or mobile version.
- The pages describe the 2021 edition of the suite; no newer release is named.
- Sold per license with no cloud storage or real-time co-editing described on the product pages.
- The Standard-edition page shows a banner about a limited-time Black Friday offer, so list prices may return.
Key features
Microsoft Word
- Copilot in Word
- Drafts, rewrites and summarizes documents and answers questions about them. It needs a Microsoft 365 subscription, and usage limits apply.
- Editor
- A built-in checker for spelling, grammar and writing style. The free web version includes basic spelling and grammar checks.
- Real-time co-authoring
- Share a document with anyone, including people without an account, and edit it together, with track changes and version history. Shared files are stored in OneDrive.
- Templates
- Thousands of customizable templates are available at no charge, and the free web version includes a basic set of templates, fonts and icons.
- Dictate
- Speech-to-text for writing by voice, plus transcription of audio files into a document. Dictation and voice commands are part of the free web version.
- Immersive Reader and Accessibility Checker
- Immersive Reader gives a pared-back reading view, and the Accessibility Checker recommends fixes to formatting, color contrast and word choice.
WordPerfect
- Reveal Codes
- A window shows the formatting codes behind the text, so you can see and edit how a document is formatted, including codes in table cells.
- Microsoft Office and 60+ formats
- Opens, edits and saves DOCX, XLSX and PPTX files, and handles over 60 file formats overall.
- Built-in PDF tools
- Creates fillable PDF forms, exports PDF with password protection and supports PDF/A archiving; the suite can also import PDFs.
- Redaction and metadata removal
- Blacks out sensitive text so it cannot be recovered, and strips hidden text, comments and reviewer notes from files.
- Legal tools
- A legal toolbar covers pleading papers, indexes, tables of contents and a Table of Authorities.
- Quattro Pro and Presentations
- The suite adds a spreadsheet and a slideshow program that work with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint files.
Plans
Microsoft Word
Free$0
Word for the web for 1 person, with real-time collaboration, basic spelling and grammar, basic templates, dictation and 5 GB of storage.
Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99
per month, or $99.99 per year
1 person signed in on up to 5 devices, 1 TB of cloud storage, and the Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps with Copilot.
Microsoft 365 Apps for business$10.00
per user / month, paid yearly
Desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook for up to 300 employees, with 1 TB of cloud storage per user.
Microsoft 365 Family$12.99
per month, or $129.99 per year
Everything in Personal for 1 to 6 people, who share 2 TB of cloud storage between them. AI features are for the subscription owner only.
Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99
per month, or $199.99 per year
Everything in Family, plus extensive Copilot usage and agentic AI features such as advanced research and analytics.
Office Home 2024$179.99
one-time purchase for 1 PC or Mac
Classic 2024 desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, with no upgrade path to later releases.
WordPerfect
Home & Student$49.99
one-time purchase, shown with $99.99 crossed out
Suite for home and school: documents, presentations and spreadsheets, with templates, photos and graphics. Price shown as a sale on the page today.
Standard$173.99
one-time purchase, shown with $249.99 crossed out
WordPerfect, Quattro Pro, Presentations and WordPerfect Lightning, with built-in PDF forms and Reveal Codes. Price shown as a sale today.
Professional$239.99
one-time purchase, shown with $399.99 crossed out
Everything in Standard plus the Paradox database; the page also lists legal tools. Price shown as a sale today.
Ways to pay less
Microsoft Word
- Annual discount
Save up to 17% by paying yearly
Microsoft 365 Personal is $99.99 a year against $9.99 a month, Family $129.99 against $12.99 and Premium $199.99 against $19.99.
- Education
Students save 50% on Microsoft 365 Personal
Verified college and university students pay $4.99 a month for Microsoft 365 Personal. Student status has to be re-verified each year to keep the price.
- Education
Office 365 A1 free for eligible schools
Educators and students with an eligible school email address get Office 365 A1 at no cost, which includes the web versions of Word and the other core apps.
- Lifetime license
Office Home 2024 one-time purchase
$179.99 buys the classic 2024 desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote for 1 PC or Mac, with no subscription.
WordPerfect
- Education
Education license pricing
Corel sells separate education editions of the suite and of PDF Fusion for schools and students after eligibility checks.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Word or WordPerfect?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Microsoft Word starts at $9.99 / month, or $99.99 / year (Microsoft 365 Personal), and WordPerfect starts at $49.99 one-time (WordPerfect Office Home & Student).
Which has a free plan, Microsoft Word or WordPerfect?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Microsoft Word has a free plan. WordPerfect does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Microsoft Word and WordPerfect run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Microsoft Word lists a web app and macOS, iOS and Android apps. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.