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Zoho Writer

Free online word processor with AI and document automation

Free plan · from $2.50/moDocs & WikisChecked Oct 5, 2026
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Zoho Writer report card

3.8GPA

Excellent · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 9, 2026

Best for a free word processor on every device

Zoho Writer is a full word processor that's free, for you or for a whole organization, with no limit on documents. It runs on everything, Linux included, works offline, and can turn out contracts and forms from templates. The odd bit is paying: there's no Writer plan to buy, so businesses get the paid edition through Zoho WorkDrive, and heavy automation is charged in credits.

Who Zoho Writer is for

  • Great if you want a free word processor on every device, Linux included
  • Handy when you send the same contracts, letters and forms and want them filled in from CRM data
  • Good for teams already on Zoho WorkDrive or Zoho Workplace, since Writer comes with both

Who Zoho Writer is not for

  • Skip it if you want a team wiki, because this is a word processor, not a knowledge base
  • Pricey if you generate documents in bulk, as credits past the monthly allowance cost $0.05 each
  • Not for you if you need grammar checks beyond English, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese

Why Zoho Writer gets a 3.8

Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.

  • AValue for moneyWriter itself costs nothing. A business that wants the paid edition gets it with Zoho WorkDrive, from $2.50 a user a month billed annually with a 3-user minimum. Automation past the free allowance is $0.05 a credit, falling to $0.01 at high volume.
  • AFree plan and trialFree for individuals and organizations, with all the editing features and no limit on the number of documents. You even get 200 document automation credits a month per organization. Most people will never need to pay.
  • AFeaturesReal-time editing with tracked changes, comments and versions, and it opens and saves Word and Google Docs files. Zia drafts, rewrites and translates into more than 70 languages. Templates turn business data into documents, forms and signature requests, and there's a plagiarism checker.
  • BEase of useNo rating on record to go by, so a B is as high as we go. It's a word processor: open it and type. One wrinkle is that Zia's grammar and spelling checks only cover English, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.
  • APlatforms and integrationsWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, with a full offline mode in the desktop apps. It connects to Zoho CRM, Zoho Sign, Docusign and Adobe Sign, publishes to WordPress and Medium, and has an API.

What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Zoho's own pages on 5 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.

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What is Zoho Writer?

Zoho Writer is an online word processor with real-time collaboration, tracked changes and comments, and support for Word and Google Docs formats. Its Zia assistant drafts and rewrites text, checks grammar and translates into more than 70 languages, and built-in automation generates documents, fillable forms and signature requests from templates. Writer itself is free; businesses get the paid edition with Zoho WorkDrive, and automation beyond a monthly allowance is bought in credits.

Zoho Writer has a free plan. Paid plans start at $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Zoho WorkDrive Starter). See every plan

Good for

  • 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

Worth knowing

  • 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.

Key features

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.

Zoho Writer pricing

Starts at
$2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Zoho WorkDrive Starter)
Free plan
Free for individuals and organizations with all editing features and no limit on the number of documents, plus 200 free document automation credits a month per organization.
Free trial
15-day free trial of Zoho WorkDrive, no credit card required
Free$0The full word processor on web, desktop and mobile, with unlimited documents and 200 free automation credits a month per organization.
WorkDrive Starter$2.50per user / month, billed annually ($3 monthly); min. 3 usersZoho 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$3per 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$4.50per user / month, billed annually ($6 monthly); min. 3 users3 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$6per 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$9per user / month, billed annually ($11 monthly); min. 3 users5 TB of team storage for 3 to 10 users, custom workflows, data loss prevention policies and an admin audit trail.

Read from zoho.com on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Zoho Writer before you buy.

Pricing in detail

Ways to pay less

  • Annual discountLower 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.

    Stated on zoho.com
  • Annual discountLower 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.

    Stated on zoho.com

Works with

Zoho Writer alternatives

All Zoho Writer alternatives comparedAll docs and wiki tools

Common questions

Is Zoho Writer free?

Zoho Writer has a free plan. Free for individuals and organizations with all editing features and no limit on the number of documents, plus 200 free document automation credits a month per organization. Paid plans start at $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Zoho WorkDrive Starter).

How much does Zoho Writer cost?

Zoho Writer lists 6 plans. Free: $0. WorkDrive Starter: $2.50 per user / month, billed annually ($3 monthly); min. 3 users. Workplace Standard: $3 per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly). WorkDrive Team: $4.50 per user / month, billed annually ($6 monthly); min. 3 users. Workplace Professional: $6 per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly). WorkDrive Business: $9 per user / month, billed annually ($11 monthly); min. 3 users. Prices were read from zoho.com on Oct 5, 2026.

What platforms does Zoho Writer work on?

Zoho Writer is available on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.

Does Zoho Writer offer any discounts?

Zoho Writer publicly lists the following: Lower WorkDrive rates with annual billing; Lower Workplace rates with annual billing.

Is Zoho Writer open source?

Zoho Writer is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.

Does Zoho Writer work offline?

Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.

Does Zoho Writer have an API?

Yes. Zoho Writer offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does Zoho Writer integrate with?

Zoho Writer's listing names Zoho CRM, Zoho Sign, Docusign, Adobe Sign, Signeasy, WordPress, Medium and Zotero. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Does Zoho Writer have a free trial?

Yes. 15-day free trial of Zoho WorkDrive, no credit card required.

Who makes Zoho Writer?

Zoho Writer is made by Zoho Corporation. It dates from 2005.

What are the alternatives to Zoho Writer?

The closest alternatives to Zoho Writer in our directory are Google Docs, Microsoft Word, ONLYOFFICE, Proton Docs and Collabora Online. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Zoho Writer.

Sources for this page

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026.