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
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. The plans as Microsoft Word’s own site listed them on October 7, 2026, 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
From Microsoft Word’s own pages, checked on October 7, 2026:
- 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.
Who Microsoft Word suits, and what its pages do not say
Best for: Authors who need the DOCX format editors and KDP accept.
Not confirmed on Microsoft Word’s pages when we checked: word-count goals, notes beside the manuscript and exports a book file (EPUB or print PDF). That is what the vendor states, not a test; a feature can exist without being described, and the score only credits what is.
About 1,000,000 people a month search Google in the US for “microsoft word”, down 44% over the past year (Google Ads data via DataForSEO).
Microsoft Word alternatives
| Software | Score | Price from | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novlr | 8.7 | Free plan; paid from $8 a month (billed yearly) | Writers wanting a free web app with no built-in AI |
| Google Docs | 8.3 | Free | Authors sharing drafts with editors at no cost |
| LivingWriter | 7.8 | Free plan; paid from $179 a year | Plotters writing on web, desktop and mobile |
| Scrivener | 7.7 | $59.99 one-time | Mac or Windows authors who want a one-time licence |
| Ulysses | 7.6 | $39.99 a year | Apple-only writers who like plain-text markup |
Compare: All book writing software · All software for authors
Microsoft Word questions
How much does Microsoft Word cost?
Free plan; paid from $179.99 one-time. Microsoft Word lists 8 plans; the full list is under Pricing above.
What does Microsoft Word run on?
Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and web, according to its own site.
What file formats can Microsoft Word export?
DOCX and PDF, according to its own site.
How the score is computed: the formula, step by step. Prices and features were read from Microsoft Word’s own site on October 7, 2026; nobody pays to be listed.