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Microsoft Word Review: Price, Features and Score

Microsoft Word: General word processor in Microsoft 365, desktop, web and mobile. Free plan; paid from $179.99 one-time, on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and web. We did not test it; the facts come from its own pages.

Prices and data checked October 7, 2026 · Author Score computed by a published formula, not paid for

Microsoft Word on the BookBird Author Score

Author Score · book writing software · #7 of 16 ·

Best for: Authors who need the DOCX format editors and KDP accept

BookBird Author Score7.3/10 #7 of 16 book writing software. Worked out from Microsoft Word’s own pages, its price and US searches for its name, not typed in. Author jobs50 pts31.3/50Each of the 8 author jobs on the book writing software list is worth an equal share of 50 points, and counts only when Microsoft Word’s own pages confirm it. 5 of 8 confirmed = 31.3 points. A job the vendor does not mention earns nothing.Cost25 pts25/25A free plan, or a platform that takes no upfront fee, earns all 25 points.Adoption25 pts16.7/25Searches, 20 points: 1,000,000 a month for “microsoft word”, against Google Docs, the most searched in this category (20,400,000), on a log scale = 16.4. Trend, 5 points: down 44% (last three months against the first three of the year) = 0.3; a fall of half or more earns 0, no change 2.5, a rise of half or more 5. 72.9 of 100 points= 7.3 out of 10 The full method, with every product’s points →

Author jobs, from Microsoft Word’s own pages

  • Yes: Chapters and scenes you can reorder
  • Not stated: Word-count goals (not stated)
  • Not stated: Notes beside the manuscript (not stated)
  • Yes: Version history or snapshots
  • Yes: Works offline
  • Yes: Exports to Word (DOCX)
  • Not stated: Exports a book file (EPUB or print PDF) (not stated)
  • Yes: Syncs across devices

Microsoft Word pricing

Several ways to pay, one-time option. There is a free plan. Plans, in US dollars:

  • Microsoft 365 Personal: $9.99 a month
  • Microsoft 365 Personal: $99.99 a year
  • Microsoft 365 Family: $12.99 a month
  • Microsoft 365 Family: $129.99 a year
  • Microsoft 365 Premium: $19.99 a month
  • Microsoft 365 Premium: $199.99 a year
  • Office Home 2024: $179.99 one-time (1 PC or Mac, classic 2024 desktop apps)
  • Word for the web and mobile: Free (with a free Microsoft account)

Microsoft 365 trial is stated as "Try free for 1 month" (not a day count).

What Microsoft Word offers

  • Desktop Word inside Microsoft 365, with Copilot on paid plans
  • Free web and mobile versions with a Microsoft account
  • Headings can be dragged in the Navigation pane to move whole sections
  • Version history for files stored in OneDrive
  • Desktop apps work without an internet connection once installed
  • Up to five devices signed in at once; 1 TB OneDrive on Personal
  • Save as PDF from the desktop apps
  • One-time Office Home 2024 option

Runs on: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and web. Exports: DOCX and PDF. Works offline.

Microsoft Word alternatives

SoftwareScorePrice fromBest for
Novlr8.7Free plan; paid from $8 a month (billed yearly)Writers wanting a free web app with no built-in AI
Google Docs8.3FreeAuthors sharing drafts with editors at no cost
LivingWriter7.8Free plan; paid from $179 a yearPlotters writing on web, desktop and mobile
Scrivener7.7$59.99 one-timeMac or Windows authors who want a one-time licence
Ulysses7.6$39.99 a yearApple-only writers who like plain-text markup

Compare: All book writing software · All software for authors

How the score is computed: the formula, step by step.