Microsoft Word vs WPS Writer
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
WPS Writer
Word-compatible word processor in the WPS Office suite
Where they differ
- Microsoft Word starts at $9.99 / month, or $99.99 / year (Microsoft 365 Personal). WPS Writer starts at $5.83 per month, billed $69.99 per year (WPS Pro+).
- Only WPS Writer lists a Linux app.
- Microsoft Word also covers dictation.
At a glance
| Microsoft Word | WPS Writer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9.99 / month, or $99.99 / year (Microsoft 365 Personal) | $5.83 per month, billed $69.99 per year (WPS Pro+) |
| 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. | WPS Standard: the free WPS Office suite, Writer included, with basic PDF features, a PDF reader, limited template downloads and 1 GB of cloud space. |
| Free trial | 1-month free trial of Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium. | 3-day free trial on the WPS Pro+ Sharing Plan. Purchases carry a 30-day money-back guarantee. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Microsoft | Kingsoft Office Software |
| Price read from | microsoft.com | wps.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Microsoft Word
- People who want a full desktop word processor on Windows or Mac
- Households: Microsoft 365 Family covers 1 to 6 people
- Occasional writers who only need the free browser version
- Buyers who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription
WPS Writer
- People who want a free word processor that opens and saves Word files
- Families or small groups splitting a paid plan through the Sharing Plan
- Working on the same documents across computers, phones and the web
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.
WPS Writer
- WPS Writer is not sold on its own: it comes with the WPS Office suite, and every plan covers the whole suite.
- The free plan is limited to 1 GB of cloud space and restricted template downloads, and no advertising is listed as a Pro+ benefit.
- AI tools on Pro+ have a daily usage limit; once it is reached they pause until the next day.
- The pricing page says its prices apply to PC and Android, and it gives no prices for Mac or iOS.
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.
WPS Writer
- Word-compatible editing
- Opens and saves .docx, .doc and .rtf files, and the vendor says styles, headers and footers, tables, images and macros are preserved.
- AI writing and rewriting
- WPS AI drafts reports, proposals and letters from a prompt, and can polish wording, change tone, or expand and shorten selected text.
- AI summary, translation and spell check
- Summarizes long documents and answers questions about them, translates whole documents, and lists spelling and grammar suggestions to review one by one or in batches.
- Real-time co-editing
- Documents can be shared with view, comment or edit permissions and edited together across desktop and web, with comments, mentions and version history.
- Templates and design resources
- Templates, fonts, icons, covers and table styles for reports, resumes and letters. Template downloads are limited on the free plan and unlimited on Pro+.
- PDF conversion
- Converts PDF files into editable Word documents. The free plan has basic PDF features; full PDF editing and conversion tools are part of Pro+.
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, each with 1 TB of storage. 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.
WPS Writer
WPS Standard$0
The free WPS Office suite, including Writer, with basic PDF features, limited template downloads and 1 GB of cloud space.
WPS Pro+$69.99
per year ($5.83 / month); or $20.99 per 3 months
Suite-wide plan for one user: full PDF editing and conversion, unlimited template downloads, 20 GB of cloud storage, no advertising and AI tools with daily limits.
WPS Pro+ Sharing Plan$41.99
per user / year, 2 users minimum; or $4.99 per user / month
Suite-wide Pro+ benefits for each member of a family or small group, with a private 20 GB of cloud storage per member. Members can be added or removed.
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.
WPS Writer
- Other savings
Sharing Plan cuts the per-user price by 40%
With at least 2 users, the WPS Pro+ Sharing Plan costs $41.99 per user a year against $69.99 for a single Pro+ subscription. The pricing page labels this as saving 40%.
- Annual discount
Lower monthly cost on the 1-year plan
WPS Pro+ for a year is $69.99, which the page shows as $5.83 a month, against $20.99 for the 3-month plan, shown as $6.99 a month.
