5 best free alternatives to Google Docs

Google Docs gets the maximum vote when it comes to a workspace with real-time collaboration by multiple people from a remote location. From security to the user interface to features, everything seems up to the mark in Google Docs. Nevertheless, many people are looking for Google Docs alternatives. If you are looking for a substitute, then this article will help you to find out some best free alternatives to Google Docs.

Free Google Docs alternatives

There are many shared document editing tools like Google Docs, but the following list contains only the best of them.

1] Microsoft Word Online

This is probably the most identical to Google Docs. Word Online comes to you from Microsoft. Word Online is also a great substitute for Microsoft Word desktop software, and the best part is that Word Online is available for free. The user interface of Microsoft Word Online is very similar to Microsoft Office. You will see plenty of templates and will be able to save a document in PDF or ODT format, and carry out almost all the tasks that are possible with the desktop version. The documents are saved to your OneDrive account. Go here.

2] Zoho Writer

Zoho Writer is very similar to Google Docs. It will let you create, manage and synchronize documents on multiple devices. You just need to create a Zoho account to access Zoho Writer. You will get almost all the features as Microsoft Word Online provides. It is also possible to share a document and let him/her edit the same. The user interface is neat and clean as all the options are well-managed. Visit Zoho Writer at here.

3] OnlyOffice

OnlyOffice is yet another alternative to Google Docs that allows users to connect different cloud storage accounts to synchronize and store a document. This is quite a feature-rich Google Docs alternative. It will let you share a document and allow him/her to edit it. As far as features are concerned, you will get almost all the options like Microsoft Word. You can download a document in different formats including PDF, TXT, DOCX, ODT, etc. This is needless to mention that if you download a document in TXT format, all the formatting will be removed. Visit OnlyOffice here.

4] Nuclino

Nuclino is yet another great collaboration tool for making shared workspace to edit documents. Although it doesn’t come with as many options like Google Docs or Microsoft Office Online, it is useful for creating different teams and collaborating with them. Although it has paid versions, the free version is more than enough for a small team as you can invite unlimited members, create unlimited pages, integrate different apps and much more. Visit Nuclino here.

5] Dropbox Paper

Even after being a new contender in the market, Dropbox Paper has gained huge success because of having such a great user interface, features and more. The user interface is elegant and clean as most of the formatting-related options appear after choosing text or creating a new paragraph. Like other tools, you can invite people to view or edit your document. All the created documents get stored in Dropbox. Its mobile apps will also let you edit any document on the go.

Hope you find these free Google Docs alternatives worth considering.

---

— Update: 04-03-2023 — us.suanoncolosence.com found an additional article Google Docs Alternatives: The 6 Best Choices for 2022 from the website helpjuice.com for the keyword free alternatives to google docs.

More than 2 billion active monthly users were taking advantage of Google’s G Suite as of 2020. The usage of G Suite, which includes Google Docs and other productivity tools, has surely grown in the months and years since those usage numbers were last reported.

It’s no wonder why Google Docs has reached such widespread popularity. Through most of the 20th century, collaborating on a document meant hard copies and red lines passed around the office. In the 1990s and early 2000s, teams collaborated by commenting on Word documents and sending updates as attachments via email.

Google Docs changed all of that. With Google Docs, you can share a document with an individual or a team, and you can invite those collaborators to read, review, edit, comment and more.

But Google Docs is imperfect. And, while it has been a valuable tool in recent years, the growing needs of businesses that are working remotely and asynchronously have outpaced the capabilities of Google Docs.

Luckily, there are Google Docs alternatives that do a much better job of meeting the ever-changing needs of modern businesses. Below, we explore some of Google Docs’ shortcomings, and we present five Google Docs alternatives that you can explore for your business.

The 3 Primary Shortcomings of Google Docs

Google Docs is a handy tool for meeting specific needs. But businesses of all sizes that attempt to use Google Docs for word processing and collaboration quickly discover its shortcomings. While there are many ways that Google Docs fails to meet the needs of modern businesses, here’s a look at the three most prominent limitations.

1. Difficult-to-Navigate File Structure

Typically, any document you create with Google Docs gets saved in the Google Drive that’s associated with your Google account. And, if you’ve ever opened your Google Drive, you know just how difficult it can be to find what you’re looking for.

Most professionals try to name their documents something unforgettable — a name that can be easily found using Google Drive’s search bar. But, inevitably, searches for specific documents turn up nothing.

When a search of your Google Drive fails, you’re left to browse through your many files and folders to find what you’re looking for. The search can be time-consuming and sometimes fruitless, which only makes the process more frustrating.

2. Complex Permissions and Sharing

The ability to share a Google Doc with collaborators is one of the product’s most attractive capabilities. No more passing around hard copies to get red-lined, and no more sending documents as email attachments.

But permissions and sharing can be a challenge in Google Docs, too. You have three options for sharing:

• Restricted to certain individuals.
• Available to only those in your organization.
• Accessible by anyone who has the share link.

Then, within each of the sharing options listed above, you can provide view, comment or edit access.

This all sounds simple and straightforward, but it can quickly get complicated. What if you share with someone who is logged into Google using a different account? That person will reach out to you to request access.

You can choose to make a document accessible and editable to anyone with the link. That helps you skirt the issue of users logged into Google using different accounts. But it also downgrades the security of documents that are proprietary or sensitive in nature.

The larger your team grows and the larger the number of collaborators on a given document, the more complicated permissions and sharing of Google Docs become.

3. Limited Collaboration Features

While Google Docs is good for simple collaboration, it’s not as effective for larger efforts that require real project management. There are no task status tools within Google Docs. There are no progress tracking features. And there is no time tracking. 

As your business and your team grow, you’ll discover that these collaboration tools no longer meet your growing needs.

The Best Alternatives to Google Docs

Have you outgrown Google Docs? It happens. But you should know that there are Google Docs alternatives that are less well known but that pack a much bigger punch when it comes to editing and collaboration features. Here’s a rundown of the most attractive alternatives to Google Docs as your business grows and demands something more effective.

1. Helpjuice

Many companies that once used Google Docs for knowledge sharing and support have turned to Helpjuice’s knowledge base software to capture and organize company-wide information. 

Like Google Docs, Helpjuice’s knowledge base software comes with features like user-friendly content authoring and formatting, Google-like searchand real-time collaboration. However, unlike Google Docs, it’s much easier to structure content through categories, tagging, and folders making company-wide information more readily accessible by users when needed. Because Google Drive, which is used for storing your Google Docs, comes with limited abilities to structure how content is stored, knowledge can quickly become lost or hard to find making Google Docs a highly inefficient way to share knowledge with both customers as well as employees. 

Helpjuice allows companies to:

• Google-like search that makes use of machine learning to make content easy to find.
• Ability to structure content in a way that makes it accessible and navigable.
• Real-time collaboration inside of articles.
• Access control allowing you to limit access as needed to which users can view a particular document. 
• Advanced analytics to allow you to track and measure the impact of content.
• Create multiple versions of the same document whenever a document is updated so that an audit trail exists for any revision/
• Restore article history as needed.

“It’s much easier keeping our knowledge base updated and organized through Helpjuice than it is to keep track of multiple Google Docs or static HTML files,” said Nicole, a support manager at Collage.com. “We are happy customers of Helpjuice and look forward to continuing our relationship.”

Also, some companies have also discovered that using Google Docs makes their businesses look unprofessional. For example, one company that had been using Google Docs to catalog information and share it with founders and investors switched to Helpjuice to make their documents look more polished, in addition to other motivating factors.

“Helpjuice is a game-changer for providing a lot of information to both sets of customers in a clean format that is easy to update when the SEC changes or updates its regulations,” said Elena, a marketing and fundraising support professional at Wefunder.

Organizations large and small are using Helpjuice to overcome the shortcomings of Google Docs. Create an account to explore how Helpjuice can help your business scale.

2. Zoho Writer

If you’re accustomed to using Google Docs, you’ll find that Zoho Writer is strikingly similar. You get plenty of editing options, which you access via a sidebar. And you also get a series of advanced features that allow you to do even more with your documents. For example, take advantage of mail merge and electronic signature capabilities, and use the chat feature to hold conversations with others.

If you want to do even more with Zoho Writer, which is the word processor inside of Zoho Docs, you may be forced to upgrade to a paid plan. For example, if you need to share files with non-Zoho users, or if you want to password-protect your Zoho documents, you’ll be forced to get onto a paid plan.

Features:

• Zia, an AI-powered assistant, provides grammar, readability, and style suggestions
• Collaborative features like quick chat to talk to collaborators in real-time as well as access receipts so that you can see which collaborators as well as when they viewed a document 
• Clipping feature that allows you to quickly take any interesting content you find online and clip to a new document in Zoho Writer

3. Dropbox Paper

Dropbox Paper emphasizes collaboration over advanced editing. And that might be just fine for some people who are exploring alternatives to Google Docs.

On the collaboration front, Dropbox Paper allows users to directly tag other users and invite them to edit a document. Dropbox Paper also facilitates in-depth interactions and comments. On the flip side, Dropbox Paper is somewhat limited in its editing capabilities. There also aren’t preset customizations or templates available, which users of other word processors might miss.

Features:

• Ensure projects stay on track with the ability to create and assign to-do lists with due dates 
• Coordinate projects with visual charts that show timelines as well as milestones
• Easily connects to your calendar of choice making it easy to add and find a meeting agenda and any other relevant documents during meetings

4. Quip

Quip is a versatile and accessible alternative to Google Docs. It’s completely free to use, and it’s easy to jump into the application and start working no matter the device you’re using — laptop, tablet or mobile. The Quip interface is simple to learn, and its collaboration features are hard to beat. There’s a chat section within each document where stakeholders can hold conversations about content.

Quip is a little less helpful when you’re working on lengthy documents with complicated components like photos and tables. You can insert these components, but it’s not as easy to format and customize them as when working inside other alternatives to Google Docs.

Features:

• Native apps for Windows and Mac
• Ability to have one-to-one messaging as well as team chats in documents and spreadsheets
• Extensive library of templates to help you and your team get started quickly

5. Xara

Xara is an alternative to Google Docs that brings a whole different world to your workflow. Google Docs is a simple editing and collaboration tool. From only an editing perspective, Xara allows you to create any type of content, with your team, immediately brand it, and distribute it internally and externally. Furthermore, all your important images, components, logos, fonts and company assets are kept at your fingertips, and organized for you.

Xara is a visual communication platform that lets you create, collaborate on, and scale the content that makes your brand stand out- Creating meaningful touch points with your audience, instead of tasks. Optimized for business teams, with design in mind.

Features:

• Brand management tools keep your content always on brand.
• Digital asset management capabilities to grow the value of your content and assets.
• Creative collaboration keeps your team in sync and all your work centralized.

6. Microsoft Word Online

Looking for an alternative to Google Docs that is incredibly easy to learn and use? That’s exactly what Microsoft Word Online offers. Almost all professionals have used Microsoft’s desktop applications; Microsoft Word Online is extremely similar, which makes onboarding a breeze.

MS Word Online also makes available some advanced features that you won’t find in Google Docs. For example, Word Online includes OneNote, which is a comprehensive note-making application. There’s also extremely helpful support content built into MS Word Online. When you run into a problem, simply use the Tell Me feature to get the info you need to move forward.

Because MS Word Online is completely free, it’s an attractive choice for users who would like the Microsoft Office Suite — but who don’t want to pay the fee. Perhaps the biggest shortcoming with MS Word Online is the lack of offline work capabilities. You can edit a current document while offline, but you cannot create documents or complete other tasks.

Features:

• Feature-rich editor
• Multiple templates to choose from

Using Helpjuice as an Alternative to Google Docs

The Helpjuice platform was built with collaboration and scale in mind. When you choose Helpjuice to create a knowledge base, you also get:

• Google-like search functionality.
• The ability to fully customize your knowledge base.
• An easy-to-learn and use interface.
• Analytics that help you track content performance.
• Accessible, helpful support.
• SEO optimization.
• Multi-language support.

Not ready to make the switch? 

No problem… with Zapier, you can synchronize Google Docs with Helpjuice, allowing you to enjoy all the benefits that a Helpjuice knowledge base offers when it comes to storing, organize, and sharing company-wide information with the people that need it.

Check out the following instructions to learn how you can use Helpjuice to essentially turn the articles you create in Google Docs into a knowledge base.

How to Use Zapier to Synch Google Docs With Helpjuice 

To get started, you’ll want to make sure to be signed into your Google Workspace. You’ll also want to be signed into your Helpjuice account. (If you don’t have a Helpjuice account, you can sign up for a free 14-day trial – no CC needed).

After being signed into both accounts, you’ll want to click on the following link which will allow you to use a Zapier workflow to connect your Google Docs and Helpjuice accounts.

You should see the following screen that allows you to set a trigger (creating an article in Google Docs) and the subsequent action that happens (article from Google Docs gets pushed to Helpjuice):

1. Connect Google Docs 

Make sure you are signed into the Google Workspace that’s associated with the Google Docs account that has access to the articles you’ll want to add to your Helpjuice knowledge base.

Click on the sign in button.

2. Connect Helpjuice

After connecting your Google Docs account, you’ll want to connect your Helpjuice account. To do that, you’re going to need to get your API key.

To get your API key, you’ll need to log into your Helpjuice account and click on settings.

After going into your Helpjuice settings, you’ll want to click on API Credentials which can be found under Company Settings. You’ll see a box with a private key – this is the key that you want to put into Zapier.

3. Test Zap

To make sure that everything is set up correctly, you’ll want to do a test of your Zap.

If the test is successful, you’ll get a message letting you know that the test article has been sent.

Head over to your Helpjuice knowledge base and you should see an article with the same title as the Google Docs file that you did a test with.

If everything looks OK then you will want to click on the Publish Zap button.

---

— Update: 19-03-2023 — us.suanoncolosence.com found an additional article The 8 Best Google Docs Alternatives for Online Word Processing from the website www.makeuseof.com for the keyword free alternatives to google docs.

Online word processors come with many advantages. Your documents are accessible from anywhere, they're open to collaboration and sharing, and are easy to import and export.

When you think of online word processing, you immediately think of Google Docs. It is a great service with an extensive array of features, plus heaps of add-ons, too.

That said, you might not always want to use Google Docs. Thankfully, there are several excellent Google Docs alternatives that you can use for online document editing. Here are the best alternatives to Google Docs you can use right now.

1. Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office (formerly Office Online, also known as “Office on the Web”) is the free offering from the world's most popular office suite. A Microsoft account is all you need to gain access to almost the entire gamut of Microsoft Office applications. Office Online grants access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook, as well as Sway and a host of other tools.

So, how does the Office on the Web compare to Google Docs (and the wider range of G Suite tools)? The offering is so good that some people have entirely eschewed purchasing Microsoft Office 2021 or Office 365 in favor of the free online suite.

Great collaboration tools are one of many reasons why you should use Office Online instead of paying for Microsoft Word, for example. Each feature has only strengthened the free service.

However, Microsoft has not given us the crown jewels. The online Office offering does carry some limitations.

For instance, the number of templates available is reduced. As well as this, you can use the integrated styles, but cannot make your own. Office contains a number of these “half-features” that you'll encounter from time to time. Some are negligible. Others can be massively frustrating—I'm looking at you, Merge Formatting.

The free online version of Microsoft Office is still an excellent alternative to Google Docs, despite the shortcomings found in several of the applications.

2. Zoho Writer

Zoho develops a huge number of apps, from a personal wiki to an email service, through CRM and bookkeeping tools, and more. Zoho Writer is Zoho's answer to Google Docs, and it is a strong alternative online document editor.

The word processor is excellent, with a ton of editing options, organized in a succinct and aesthetically pleasing sidebar. Almost anything you can do in Word can be done in Zoho, from adding a header and footer to directly posting a document to your blog.

It also features advanced options, such as mail merging and electronic signature support. Another extremely handy feature is the integrated Zoho chat, so you can chat with collaborators while working.

Zoho is the most feature-complete of the Web-based applications, including Google Docs, and is incredibly easy to use. Zoho doesn't get nearly the press Google Docs does, but I can't see a reason not to switch. Need more convincing? Here are even more reasons to try Zoho as your Google Docs alternative.

3. Dropbox Paper

Dropbox Paper is the online document editing offering from Dropbox, better known for its cloud storage solutions. All you need to use Dropbox Paper is a Dropbox account. Once you sign up, you can begin using this handy Google Docs alternative.

Dropbox Paper has some handy features. Adding and curating images is exceptionally easy, especially if you already use Dropbox as an image host. Similarly, embedding other content is just as easy. There's also the option to edit using Markdown language, which is handy for quick edits and basic styling.

As with other online document editing tools, collaboration and sharing are key. Dropbox Paper allows sharing and commenting by clicking a button and inviting users (other Dropbox users or from Google Accounts).

Article post on: us.suanoncolosence.com

Read also:

• Best Offline Games on Microsoft Store [Free & Paid]
• How to Delete a Stubborn Undeletable File or Folder in Windows
• How to Fix ‘Access Control Entry is Corrupt’ Error on Windows?
• How to download updates that include drivers and hotfixes from the Windows Update Catalog
• How to manage too many browser tabs in Chrome, Firefox, Brave, and Vivaldi

One cool collaboration feature is that you can “@” people from your document, even if they're not currently working on the same document. The person receives a notification that you want them to come and work with you. Another handy collaboration feature is Task Assignment. You can quickly turn any bullet list into a task list to be assigned to your collaborators.

As a Google Docs alternative, Dropbox Paper is a handy and quick document editing tool. However, it doesn't have the extensive range of editing tools available to Google Docs or some of the alternatives on this list.

4. ONLYOFFICE

OnlyOffice is a Google Docs alternative that offers both offline and online document editing tools. As we're primarily focusing on Google Docs alternatives that don't require downloading, we'll focus on the online OnlyOffice version.

Like Zoho Writer, OnlyOffice's personal document editing tool is one of the most comprehensive alternatives to Google Docs. You'll find extensive editing options in-line with offline document editing tools. You can customize formatting styles and layouts, invite collaborators to work with you, and even chat within the OnlyOffice window to keep your focus on the work window.

There's also the option to install OnlyOffice add-ons, which are extensions that increase the functionality of the document editing tool. For example, you can install the WordPress plugin and publish work directly to your website or the Zotero plugin, which helps you manage references and other research materials.

5. Nuclino

Nuclino is a brilliant free collaborative editor and alternative to Google Docs. It is extremely easy to use, has a great user interface (UI), and provides a satisfying experience in pretty much all areas. That said, it isn't necessarily a direct Google Docs competitor. Google Docs provides a rounded suite of tools, while Nuclino has a definite slant toward team and project management.

Nonetheless, writing and editing in Nuclino is aided by the clean aesthetic and easily implemented editorial tools. Nuclino is versatile, too. Multiple groups, multiple boards, easy invitations, smart tags, and integration with services such as YouTube, Vimeo, and SoundCloud provide a comprehensive service. There's the option to write and edit using Markdown, too.

However, Nuclino isn't strictly a document editing program if you're considering a pure editorial experience. If your team depends on advanced document editing and formatting or even just basic spreadsheets, you'll be importing to Nuclino from another source.

6. Etherpad

If collaboration is what you're into, give Etherpad a good look. There's no need to sign up or install Etherpad. You can simply select one of the public instances running Etherpad Lite, many of which feature secure encrypted connections. Once you're connected, either share a link to the pad or send invitations to your contacts by email.

As users enter the Etherpad, you can edit the text on the pad in real-time, and changes automatically appear. You can chat in the sidebar, highlight which user made a given change, and save revisions to revert if someone makes a mistake.

Furthermore, some public Etherpad instances allow you to choose how long the pad remains active for, adding a handy ephemeral document angle to this Google Docs alternative. For example, the Etherpad in the above image allows you to set a 24-hours, 60 days, or 1-year period before destruction.

7. Slite

Slite is another collaborative work tool you can use as an alternative to Google Docs. As it is a collaborative workspace, you might find that Slite replaces more than just Google Docs, too.

The free version of Slite allows you to create 50 shared documents per month, as well as unlimited personal documents. You can also invite an unlimited number of users to your free Slite. Furthermore, it integrates nicely with one of the most popular team management tools, Slack, meaning you can talk and work between the two with ease.

Other integrations include Figma, Loom, Trello, Asana, and GitHub. In that, Slite works as a document editing tool and as a project management option.

8. Calmly Writer Online

If you're looking for writing websites and apps like Google Docs but prefer simplicity to extravagant features, Calmly Writer Online covers all your needs for free. You get a clear space to enter your text and images, all of which you can just select and edit like any word processor.

For additional tools, just click on the Calmly Writer icon. From the menu that appears, you can save, print, or open a document, as well as set a range of preferences, including focus, dark, and dyslexic mode.

If you want to work offline, you can even download the whole app to your Windows, Mac, or Linux computer.

Which Is the Best Google Docs Alternative?

Google Docs is an excellent online document editing tool, but what is the best alternative? Well, you can choose a more traditional editor experience in Microsoft Office or Zoho Writer, or try a collaborative experience with Dropbox Paper or Nuclino.

Needless to say, you have more than a handful of Google Docs substitutes to consider before starting your next big project!

---

— Update: 22-03-2023 — us.suanoncolosence.com found an additional article 12 Google Docs Alternatives You Should Try from the website fellow.app for the keyword free alternatives to google docs.

Yes, we know what you’re thinking. “Google Docs is my organization’s bread and butter, and we love it. Why would we need Google Docs alternatives?” First things first: Yes, Google Docs is a powerful, borderline ubiquitous text-editing tool with excellent real-time collaboration features. And yes, it makes it easy as pie to share documents and obtain ample cloud storage for your digital files. But it’s not perfect.

For starters, Google Docs is notably finicky about offline access. Its change-tracking tools can also cause as many problems as they solve. Consider the below Docs alternatives if these problems hit close to home. 

The best Google Docs alternatives

The best alternatives to Google Docs often improve on the universal browser app’s flaws. Some alternatives, though, are more specific to certain use cases such as meeting documentation. Below is a list of all the text editor alternatives your organization might want to try.

• Microsoft Office Online
• Quip
• Fellow 
• Nuclino
• Dropbox Paper
• Zoho Writer
• OnlyOffice Docs
• Apache OpenOffice
• CryptPad
• Coda 
• Bit
• ClickUp

Microsoft Office Online

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of alternatives to Google Docs? We’ll guess: Microsoft Word. In that case, Microsoft Office Online can be a viable alternative to Google Docs. It basically brings all the desktop Word features you love online for real-time collaboration. If you get it as part of a Microsoft 365 plan, it comes with Excel, Powerpoint, and OneDrive cloud storage.

Microsoft Office Online suits teams that struggle to reckon with the chaos that can come from using Google Docs’ Suggesting tool for tracking changes. At the same time, Office Online lacks document password protection capabilities and any use of macros. If these features are paramount to you, then other Google Docs alternatives may suit you better.

Key features:

• Online version of classic desktop Microsoft Word document editing program
• Available with Microsoft 365 business plans that include Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, and other Microsoft apps
• Real-time collaboration and easier tracked changes, though issues with password protection and macros

Price: Microsoft Office Online is available through Microsoft 365 plans that cost between $5.00 and $12.50 per user per month.

Quip

Quip is a Docs alternative for sales teams that enables collaboration on basic written documents from any device. Its chat section lets you communicate with your collaborators in real-time, and its offline editing tools are readily accessible. You can also view all changes made to your documents with Quip’s news-feed-style edits list. Its main drawback is that it offers solely basic formatting tools, so you might struggle to organize more complex text documents.

Key features:

• Real-time chat with document collaborators
• Seamless offline editing
• News feed of recent changes, but not enough formatting features to support complex documents

Price: Quip starts at $10 per user per month.

Fellow 

With Fellow’s Streams feature, you can create team OKRs, personal to-do lists, and anything else you might store in a word document. Streams also facilitate team-wide collaboration on project plans and objectives. They come with templates that help you create text in your own way as well. Alongside all these document collaboration tools come abundant features that streamline your meetings, though free Fellow plans lack Stream sharing capabilities.

Key features:

• Digital notepad for individual task lists and team OKRs
• Team-wide collaboration tools for notes and other written materials, but only shareable on paid plans
• Templates for working with text however you please

Price: Fellow offers a free introductory app for teams of no more than 10 members. Paid plans for larger teams start at $5 per user per month.

Nuclino

Nuclino largely resembles Docs while you’re collaborating on copy. It’s what happens beyond the page that makes it a notable alternative. Nuclino lets you link related files together for a wiki-like effect rather than just storing them in folders. The result is that it’s easier to search for information in other related documents and link to one document within another. Nuclino, though, scales back on some important Docs formatting features to enable these linking tools.

Key features:

• Link related text documents to one another for wiki-like effect
• Easy linking to similar documents in body of text, though not as many formatting options as Docs
• Wiki of linked documents creates database you can search amid text editing

Price: Nuclino offers a free introductory tier, and its paid plan costs $5 per user per month.

Dropbox Paper

Dropbox Paper is like if Docs came with a little virtual assistant. As you work on text documents in Dropbox Paper, the assistant will alert you to documents newly shared with you and upcoming deadlines. You can also add due dates to tasks assigned in Dropbox Paper, a feature not yet possible with Google Docs. Dropbox Paper’s annotation features are also extensive, but as with many Google Docs alternatives, it includes just basic formatting tools.

Key features:

• Virtual assistant alerts you of key deadlines and newly shared documents
• Assigned tasks come with option to add due dates
• Extensive annotation tools, but only basic formatting features

Price: Dropbox’s team plans, which include Dropbox Paper, start at $12.50 per user per month. Dropbox’s well-regarded individual free plans don’t include Dropbox Paper. 

Zoho Writer

Where Zoho Docs is a popular Google Docs alternative for individuals, Zoho Writer is the equivalent for teams. It includes a writing assistant for readability, style, and grammar tips. You can also use it to directly seek and obtain approval from collaborators and supervisors. With WordPress integrated, you can upload your newly finished copy directly to your website. However, you can’t assign tasks to more than one person as with some other platforms.

Key features:

• Writing assistant provides style, grammar, and readability advice
• Streamlined approval from supervisors and collaborators, though tasks only assignable to one person
• Integration with WordPress for immediate posting of copy to your organization’s website

Price: Zoho offers a free introductory tier for one user. For teams with two or more users, Zoho starts at $49 per organization per month.

OnlyOffice Docs

OnlyOffice Docs is an online word processing platform with a strong emphasis on formatting and team collaboration. Its formatting features include customizable layouts and gutter and mirror margins. Its collaboration features run the gamut from dual editing modes to built-in chat tools. You can also install add-ons for quick translation, YouTube video embeds, and more. Some users say that, with all these features, OnlyOffice’s learning curve can be steep.

Key features:

• Customizable word processing layouts
• Dual editing modes and built-in chat tools
• Additional adds-on for numerous purposes, but abundance of tools can present substantial learning curve

Price: OnlyOffice Docs offers one-time lifetime license fees rather than monthly plans. These fees start from $1,200 for enterprise solutions for business. 

Apache OpenOffice

Apache OpenOffice, often known solely as OpenOffice, is a fully open-source document editor. It streamlines the often tedious process of adding mathematical equations to copy and facilitates the addition of a 3D digital illustration to text. Its multi-language tools streamline team collaboration on word documents across borders and time zones. All these features come in a notably outdated user interface that can make navigation feel unintuitive.

Key features:

• Easier addition of mathematical equations to copy
• Creation of 3D illustrations from right within word document
• Multi-language tools for easy collaboration with almost anyone, but poor user interface

Price: As a fully open-source tool, OpenOffice is free by definition.

Source: us.suanoncolosence.com

CryptPad

CryptPad’s primary selling point as a Google Docs alternative is its robust security measures. As its name suggests, CryptPad makes it easy to encrypt your text documents and protect them from unauthorized access. Its collaboration tools include an in-document chat tool, and its sharing links are embeddable in other written content. Its main drawback is its free plan’s minuscule storage space of 50 MB compared to Google Docs’ 15 GB for free users.

Key features:

• Encrypts documents to protect unauthorized access
• In-document chat tools to streamline collaboration
• Documents embeddable in other written documents, though only 50 MB of storage space available for free

Coda 

With Coda, you can create word documents in an especially collaborative space. You can also share ideas in formats beyond words and paragraphs, such as tables and videos. Creating a new task in Coda simply requires you to type “@” as in Google Docs, but only Coda allows for task automation. For more visually pleasing text work, Coda may feel underwhelming, as its font options are limited compared to other word processing apps.

Key features:

• Add videos, tables, and more to word documents
• Simple task creation and assigning
• Task automation unlike other word processors, but relatively few font choices for visual purposes

Price: Coda offers a basic free plan, with paid plans starting at $10 per user per month.

Bit

Bit is a word processor focused on improving collaboration for documents destined to live on the internet. As such, it comes with various workspaces you can link to different objectives and teams. It also makes organizing, sorting, and separating files especially easy. Document templates and a floating editor toolbar are also available. The Bit toolbar is more focused on HTML than advanced formatting, so the app might be a mismatch for formal documents.

Key features:

• Link workspaces to teams and objectives
• Improved file sorting, organizing, and separation
• Document templates with floating editor toolbar, though editing features lacking for formal documents

Price: Bit offers a free plan, and its paid plans start at $8 per user per month.

Clickup

ClickUp is a flexible productivity platform built for teams of all sizes and across industries to manage tasks, monitor updates, and work together, all in one place. It’s packed with a range of powerful and customizable features to accommodate any type of work—including a dynamic document editor: ClickUp Docs.

Like Google Docs, ClickUp Docs allows you to work alongside your team with real-time collaboration, and rich text editing to structure your writing without ever needing to hit “save.” What makes ClickUp Docs so powerful is that your carefully formatted knowledge bases, wikis, and roadmaps can be directly connected to your workflow, making it easier than ever to act on feedback. Even add nested pages to create a visual hierarchy! And since all Docs live within your workspace, you can easily access them via a shareable link, task relationships, or tags.

Key features:

• Comments that can be edited and assigned to the team in ClickUp Docs and tasks.
• Easily add formatting and style to your Docs with rich text editing that you can access with a simple slash command.
• Categorize Docs for easy access and searchability across your workspace.

Price: Access ClickUp Docs, add unlimited members and tasks and get 1,000 MB of storage with the Free Forever Plan, and gain more advanced features with paid plans starting at $5.

Google Docs alternative come in all shapes and sizes

Some Google Docs alternatives are designed to improve your team collaboration. Others add to Docs’ many file sharing and organization features. And others still help you and your team members brainstorm before, during, and after meetings. Fellow falls in the latter camp, and its customizable notes templates and easily shareable notepads can improve any team’s conversations. It’s the easiest way to make good on the gathering of all your best minds.

---

— Update: 23-03-2023 — us.suanoncolosence.com found an additional article 10 Best Google Docs Alternatives & Competitors 2023 from the website clickup.com for the keyword free alternatives to google docs.

Google Docs is a great document creation tool that lets you work alongside your team members in real-time. Teams can use it to document notes, ideas, and processes to keep everyone on the same page…literally. 

However, it lacks advanced collaboration options and offers limited offline access and permissions.

Instead of forcing you to compromise, we’re here to help you find the best Google Docs alternatives.

In this article, we’ll go over why you need an alternative to Google Docs and highlight the ten best tools you can use today.

Let’s document some alternatives. 📝

10 Best Google Docs Alternatives

Since Google Docs isn’t really the best document collaboration tool, here are ten excellent alternatives:

1. ClickUp

ClickUp is the world’s highest-rated productivity and document collaboration software used by several teams in small and large companies.

From helping you get ahead with unique project templates to tracking the time spent on tasks, ClickUp is the ultimate project management tool.

But wait… how will a project management software help you manage documents?

The answer lies in Docs.

What Are Docs In ClickUp?

ClickUp Docs let you create awesome documents for anything you can imagine! 🤩

Powerful knowledge bases, user guides, meeting minutes, SOPs….  when it comes to Docs, the world is your oyster. 

Just write out to your heart’s content using its unlimited number of pages. 

And for easy file management, use ClickUp Docs’ Relationships feature to link related tasks and pages, so you don’t have to look through multiple wiki pages to find them. Or you can tag Docs for easy reference and searchability. 

You can also create nested pages (up to five levels) in your Docs and move nested pages around by dragging and dropping them. 

Need to share your Doc with teammates or external collaborators?

Just use sharing and permissions in ClickUp!

You can share:

• Select pages of the document
• As a private link
• As a public link
• With Google for indexation

You can also enhance security measures by protecting your Docs from unwanted edits. Simply turn on the Protect this page option and add context for your audience.

What’s more?

Collaborative editing lets everyone in your Workspace comment, edit, and work on the Doc simultaneously, without any overlap. You’ll also know who is working on what with real-time Collaboration Detection in ClickUp.

You can also customize your Docs for your needs with a wide variety of features like:

• Author settings: show the Doc creator and contributors
• Custom cover image: choose from the gallery, your desktop, a link, or the Unsplash library
• Font size: choose from small, normal, or large for easy viewing
• Rich text editing: get creative with headings, tables, highlights, and more 
• Word counter: see how many words you’ve typed in your Doc
• Table of contents: outline the contents of your Doc and let readers jump to different sections with ease
• Emojis: add tons of fun and helpful emojis to your document 📝
• Banners: make important info stand out with colorful banners
• Dividers: help readers distinguish between different sections of your Doc
• Buttons: make your public Docs official with colorful buttons that match your brand
• Embed anything: bring anything you want into your Doc without wasting a second
• Attachments: add screenshots, PDFs, and other files to your Doc for quick reference

But that’s not all.

Other key ClickUp features:

• Tag team members: get your team members’ attention by mentioning them in a Doc
• Doc Mentions: use @@@ to mention Docs in a task description or comment field
• Doc Relationships: access your Docs in more places by linking your Docs amongst themselves or with tasks
• Assign comments: highlight any text in your Doc to add a comment and create a task for a teammate
• Embeddable widgets: add List and Board views widgets and edit workflows from within your Doc
• ClickUp Dashboards: add your Docs to your Dashboards for quick reference
• ClickUp Mind maps: map out brilliant ideas for your upcoming Doc 💡

ClickUp pros 

• Powerful free version that supports unlimited users
• Easy-to-use user interface with online and offline mode
• Manage files across popular cloud storage systems like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box
• Speed up your approval and feedback processes with proofing and annotation 
• Have casual conversations alongside your work with chat view
• Take unlimited notes, jot down ideas or create checklists with ClickUp Notepad
• Send and receive emails directly within a task with Email ClickApp
• Use hotkeys and shortcuts to create beautiful documents with ease
• Integrates with several third-party software like Evernote, YouTube, Calendly, and more
• Add and manage tasks using our iOS and Android mobile apps 

ClickUp limitations

• No Table view in the mobile app (yet)

And explore all the exciting features that this free alternative to Google Docs has in store for you! 

ClickUp pricing

ClickUp offers three paid pricing plans:

• Free Forever Plan (best for personal use)
• Unlimited Plan (best for small teams ($5/member per month)
• Business Plan (best for mid-sized teams ($12/member per month)
• Business Plus Plan (best for multiple teams ($19/member per month)

ClickUp customer ratings

• G2: 4.7/5 (2000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (2000+ reviews)

2. Microsoft Office Online

Microsoft Office Online is a great online collaborative writing tool. This office software gives you free access to Microsoft Word, Calendar, Forms, and more.

However, you can’t access password-protected documents or run macros inside a document when using MS Word online.

Microsoft Office Online key features

• Co-author and co-edit MS Word documents 
• Comes with the OneNote note-taking app 
• The ‘tell me’ feature helps you navigate the platform
• Every Word document is automatically saved to Microsoft OneDrive

Microsoft Office Online pros

• Supports formatting tools for APA, MLA, and Chicago styles
• Free templates for resumes, calendars, newsletters, and more
• Can organize your data with spreadsheets and workbooks

Microsoft Office Online limitations

• Lacks offline viewing functionality
• Microsoft Word online doesn’t have advanced proofing features
• Can’t create captions, citations, bibliographies, or a table of content in Microsoft Word online

Microsoft Office Online pricing

Microsoft Office Online is a free document editing solution.

Microsoft Office Online customer ratings

• G2: 4.5/5 (100+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (11,000+ reviews)

3. Zoho Docs

Zoho Docs is an online document editing tool with some basic project management features like reminders, user reports, and an in-app chat.

However, essential document management features like password-protected files and file sharing with non-users come with a price tag. 

Zoho Docs key features

• Create a document, spreadsheet, or presentation
• Attach documents to a chat and review them collaboratively
• Categorize files by project, file type, or author
• Integrates with Zoho Office Suite

Zoho Docs pros

• The free version supports two-factor authentication
• Available on iPhone and Android devices
• Can work on your files without an internet connection. Your edits will be synced once you’re back online

Zoho Docs limitations

• No pricing plan offers unrestricted file upload size
• Can be difficult to import files in the mobile apps
• Can’t assign tasks to multiple users for advanced collaboration

Zoho Docs pricing

Zoho Docs has three pricing plans:

• Free plan
• Standard plan: $4/month per user
• Premium plan: $6/month per user

Zoho Docs customer ratings

• G2: 4.4/5 (100+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (100+ reviews)

4. Dropbox Paper

Dropbox Paper is a document editing tool with a cool personal assistant feature. It lets you know when you have a looming deadline or when someone shares a doc with you.

However, if you want to use the app for personal use, you may wanna look elsewhere. 

You don’t get file locking on the personal pricing plans.

Dropbox Paper key features

• Assign to-dos to teammates and add due dates to tasks
• Improve feedback processes with annotations
• The note-taking feature gives your team a personal planning space
• Tag team members in comments without leaving the doc

Dropbox Paper pros

• Jot down ideas or give feedback on the go on your iOS or Android device 
• Can transform documents into presentations with the click of a button
• Supports templates for meeting notes, brainstorming, creative briefs, and more  

Dropbox Paper limitations

• Sorting and organizing files can be difficult
• Can be more expensive than other document editing tools
• Lacks advanced word processing features since it’s markdown-based

Dropbox Paper pricing

Dropbox Paper is a free tool.

Via @: us.suanoncolosence.com

Read more:

• How to use the PDF Tool & Inking Feature in Microsoft Edge
• Windows 11: Biggest Changes and New Features
• How to Fix Esrv.exe Application Error 0xc0000142 Quickly [Partition Magic]
• 10 Best Free Startup Manager for Windows 10 / 11 PC
• How To Fix Blue Screen of Death Windows 7

Dropbox Paper user ratings

• G2: 4.1/5 (4,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (100+ reviews)

5. Apache OpenOffice

Apache OpenOffice is an open-source collaboration tool that lets you create documents, 3D illustrations, mathematical equations, and more.

The office app has a cool editing feature that auto-corrects, auto-completes, and spell checks to catch mistakes on the fly.

However, its UI is quite outdated compared to other document editing tools.

Apache OpenOffice key features

• A word processor that you can use for note-taking or writing a book
• Spreadsheets to help you calculate, analyze, and present your data in numerical reports
• Create your own templates and use templates from the templates repository
• Share copies with whoever you want, free of charge

Apache OpenOffice pros

• The document editor can handle multiple languages
• Can install the app on as many PCs as you like
• The notes feature displays notes and comments on the side of the document

Apache OpenOffice limitations

• No iOS mobile device app to create documents on the go
• File formats like XLSX and PPTX are not yet supported
• No cloud save option available

Apache OpenOffice pricing

This document editing tool is free to download.

Apache OpenOffice customer ratings

• G2: 4.4/5 (10+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (30+ reviews)

6. Obsidian

Obsidian is a powerfulnote-taking and knowledge management app best known for note linking and customization capabilities, making it a strong contender for the top Google Docs alternative.

Unlike other note-taking apps, Obsidian acts like your “second brain”—giving your brain a break from constantly working on remembering the content of your notes, where they’re stored, and which notes are related. Obsidian can help you easily make connections between notes via backlinks, organize them according to patterns, topics, relevancy to one another, or any other way you prefer for better information organization.

Without a doubt, this granularity and internal contextual linking will level up your note-taking skills and drastically change how you manage your documents forever.

Key features

• Backlink and graph view help users easily navigate their notes
• Full-text search capabilities
• Daily notes
• Templates

Pros

• Supports CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) for portability
• Customizable platform; can add plugins to create a personalized note-taking tool kit
• Available on Mac, Windows, Linux, Web, iOS, Android

Limitations

• iOS version works only with iCloud (does not work with other Cloud folders)
• Unable to export notes to MS Word (only as a PDF file)
• No table editing yet (available as a plugin)

Pricing

Obsidian offers three plans:

• Personal: Free
• Catalyst: $25+ one-time payment
• Commercial: $50 per user per year

User ratings

• Product Hunt: 5/5 (195+ reviews)

Bonus: Obsidian Vs. Notion

7. Evernote

Evernote is one of the most recognizable note-taking and task management apps today for its note organization and accessibility. It’s designed to improve your note-taking, project planning, and team collaboration by allowing you to capture, organize, and access your digital notes easily across all your devices and even access them offline on mobile.

Use its Home feature to view your most important notes all in one dashboard, organize your notes using notebooks, notebook stacks, titles, and tags, and create to-do lists with your notes to turn your ideas into actionable items. Given that Google Docs doesn’t have this functionality makes it a great note-taking app alternative.

To get more out of this app and for a more seamless workflow, integrate Evernote to your most used and favorite work tools such as Google Calendar, Slack, (and ClickUp). 😉

Key features

• Home dashboard with widgets
• Geographic search
• Mobile offline notes
• PDF annotation
• Search in PDFs and Office docs
• Note history
• Tasks

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Accessibility
• Note-searching capabilities
• Task management features
• Available on all major platforms

Limitations

• Limited free plan
• Expensive premium plan

Pricing

• Free
• Personal: $8.99/ month
• Professional: $10.99/ month
• Teams: $14.99/ user/ month

User ratings

• G2: 4.5/5 (1,965+ reviews)
• Trust Radius: 8.3/10 (1,649+ reviews)

Check out these Evernote alternatives!

8. Coda

Coda is an all-in-one document management solution that brings all your words, data, and teamwork into one powerful doc.

Teams can combine building blocks to create a doc, create, edit, and view documents and spreadsheets simultaneously, create surveys and polls, set up custom workflows, automate notifications, and so much more.

Key features

• Automations
• Integration and plug-ins
• Revision history
• Drag and drop templates
• Advance document locking

Pros

• Includes drag and drop capabilities
• Offers customizable templates
• Real-time collaboration
• Mobile-friendly app

Limitations

• Onboarding can be intimidating; steep learning curve
• Issues with integration with other tools
• Slow speed and performance

Pricing

• Free
• Pro: $10/month per Doc Maker
• Team: $30/month per Doc Maker
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

User ratings

• G2: 4.5/5 (296+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (73+ reviews)

Check out these Coda alternatives!

9. Quip

Another incredible app that can be used as a Google Doc alternative is Quip— a document management and team collaboration software created by Salesforce to help you centralize and organize your team’s work and communicate within the same app.

With this tool, users can create and share documents, spreadsheets, presentation slides, and task lists and use the built-in chat feature to keep your team’s discussions organized in one place. The unique combination of communication and writing features enables your team to work more collaboratively and efficiently without emails—they can directly brainstorm ideas and discuss work directly within the app and around the document.

Key features

• Document and workflow management
• Discussions and forums
• Team or 1-1 chat/ real-time chat and editing
• Offline mode
• Search
• File sharing 
• Integration capabilities
• Status tracking
• Mobile access

Pros

• Great for online team collaboration
• Organization, visibility, and live editing in one app
• Features for note-taking and project management
• User-friendly interface

Limitations

• Basic formatting tools

Pricing

• Starter: $10/user/month (billed annually)
• Plus: $25/user/month (billed annually)
• Advanced: $100/user/month (billed annually)

User ratings

• G2: 4/5 (1,602+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (182+ reviews)

10. Microsoft Word

One of the best Google Docs alternatives and most widely-used word processors out there is Microsoft Word. Its user-friendly and advanced features allow users to create, save, and export professional-quality documents.

It comes with powerful document processing capabilities such as robust text and image formatting tools to enable you to edit your documents to suit your preference or project needs. Individuals and teams can also access a variety of ready-to-use templates to use to keep the processes consistent, speed up the documenting process, or simply as a formatting guide.

Key features

• Auto-save feature
• Font and text formatting
• HTML and image support
• Ready-to-use templates
• Grammar and spelling check

Pros

• Powerful document processing capabilities
• User-friendly interface
• Allows offline document preparation
• Integration with other tools

Limitations

• Must purchase the Microsoft package to access premium features

Pricing

• Microsoft 365 Personal (1 person): $6.99/ month or $69.99/year
• Microsoft 365 Family (up to 6 people): $9.99/month or $99.99/year
• Microsoft Corporation: $159.99

User ratings

• G2: 4.5/5 (1,586+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.8/5 (1,007+ reviews)

Check out these Microsoft Word Alternatives!

2 Major Reasons Why You Need A Google Docs Alternative

Google Docs is a cloud-based document editing and collaboration tool that lets teams create, share, and edit documents in a centralized place. 

It lets virtual teams easily collaborate on documents with features like:

• Comments
• User mentions
• Document revision history
• Autosave
• Document sharing

This way, you won’t have to collaborate by sending documents via email to one another. After all, long email threads only mean lost documents and stressful experiences with your team. 😫

Google Docs also lets you add images to your Google document using the built-in Google search engine and even use other Google apps like Google Slides alongside your work.

And while all that sounds cool, the Google Docs app does have a few glaring limitations:

1. Lacks advanced collaboration features

Google Docs has a few basic content collaboration features like real-time editing, document sharing, and cloud storage. You can sort of make timelines, Gantt charts, flowcharts or calendars in Google Docs.

However, if you want to document a large project, this Google app won’t cut it. 💇

It lacks advanced collaboration features like progress tracking, time tracking, custom task statuses, and more. These are essential if you want to monitor project performance and give life to that space vision.

2. Difficult to use as a knowledge base system

Here are three reasons why Google Docs isn’t the most comprehensive knowledge base solution:

A. File organization

“Ugh, where is that document I opened a second ago?”  

“I remember a teammate shared that doc with me, but I can’t find it anywhere!”

Sounds familiar?

Creating a decent filing system in Google Docs might feel like you’re on a trek. 

The journey is long, and the roads are rough.   

You’ll even have to use Google Drive to manually create folders and organize your documents based on their projects. 

Instead, with an alternative to Google Docs, you can spend that time being productive! 

B. Sharing and permissions

Sharing and permissions can be a total drag in Google Docs. 

Sometimes you forget to give a teammate access, and other times you hit the “anyone with link” option.

Scenario one will result in wasted time and confusion, and scenario two, well… let’s just say you’ve kinda freely given your documents to the internet.

C. Can’t nest pages

Google Docs doesn’t let you nest pages (create subpages).

Why are nested pages important for knowledge management?

Being able to nest pages means that you can create a well-structured document where certain pages are set up as subpages of other primary pages.

Without them, your complex documents will be difficult to organize. 

Time To Edit Out Google Docs 🖊

Don’t get us wrong, Google Docs is a handy document editing software.

But that’s about all it can do.

Fortunately, there are other collaboration tools that’ll make you strike through Google Docs.

If you’re confused about where to begin, why not start with ClickUp? 

Not only does ClickUp let you create documents and edit them alongside your teammates in real-time, but it also lets you manage projects with ease.

From helping you map out ideas in mind maps to tracking your due dates, ClickUp is the best Google Docs and Microsoft Office alternative.

Join ClickUp for free today to experience the ultimate document management tool!

---

— Update: 26-03-2023 — us.suanoncolosence.com found an additional article The Best Free Google Docs Alternative from the website www.taskade.com for the keyword free alternatives to google docs.

What Is Google Docs?

Google Docs is an online collaborative word processor that was launched by Google in 2006. Google created Google Docs after acquiring Writely in 2006. Writely was an online word processor created by Upstartle and Google built on that foundation to create Google Docs. 

Today, Google Docs is a vital part of the GSuite experience and is a popular tool that is used by many people around the world to collaborate and get work done. As part of the GSuite ecosystem, Google Docs integrates with other Google applications including Google Keep, which is Google’s version of a note-taking tool.

Google's strategic acquisition of companies enabled them to add useful features to Google Docs. For example, acquiring DocVerse enabled them to improve online collaboration while acquiring Quickoffice helped them improve compatibility with mobile devices.

Google Docs is frequently compared to Microsoft Word as it is a free alternative to the latter. It can be used via browser and also via mobile as an iOS and Android app. With Google Docs, you can edit and collaborate on shared documents with others online. 

Features of Google Docs

Google Docs is widely used today as it is a good tool to have for editing documents and collaborating with others online.

Editing documents in real-time with your team is easy to do with Google Docs. You simply need to share the document with your team members and ensure that they have editing rights. Alternatively, you can also restrict access to view only, or comment only. 

View-only access is good if you’re sharing documents outside of your business, while comments-only access allows your team members to give their comments on certain parts of the document. When commenting on the document, you can assign action items to team members so that they will get an email notification on their tasks.

This is especially handy when vetting through the work of a new staff member so that you can give comments on their work, getting them up to speed even quicker. You can also suggest changes within the document so that your team members can see exactly what you had in mind, before accepting the changes.

After sharing the document with your team, there will be an option for you to chat on the document itself. However, this chat function is very basic and is best used for quick clarifications and alignment.

Google Docs also has offline support so that you can edit your documents even without an internet connection. Your data will be synced on the cloud once you reconnect to the internet. Additionally, Google stores your document history in their servers so that you can revert back to a previous version if anything goes wrong. 

What Is Google Docs Good For?

Google Docs is best known for its ability to draft long-form articles and outlines with ease. The platform's wide array of formatting options and built-in autocorrect feature make it an ideal tool for typing out large chunks of text.

One of the key benefits of Google Docs is its real-time collaboration capabilities. With Google Docs, teams can work together on the same document in real-time, with up to 100 people able to collaborate simultaneously. This makes it an ideal tool for remote teams, or teams that need to work together from different locations.

In addition to real-time collaboration, Google Docs also features a simple chat box that allows you to quickly send messages to your team members who are working on the same document. While the chat function in Google Docs is basic, it can be a useful tool for quick communication.

However, many teams still opt to use additional tools for communication, as the chat function in Google Docs may not be comprehensive enough to meet all of their needs.

What Are Some Limitations of Google Docs?

Although Google Docs is a good tool to use when taking long-form notes, there are also some limitations that come with it.

Real-time communication within Google Docs is tricky as it only supports a basic chat function. The chat function is also not intuitive to use, which means that it takes some figuring out if you want to use it properly with your teammates.

In this sense, Taskade is the best free alternative to Google Docs when it comes to collaboration. This is because Taskade allows you to take long-form notes while supporting real-time editing and communication via built-in chat and video conferencing. This means that you can focus without having to break your flow by toggling between apps.

Even though Google Docs is good for taking notes, it simply doesn’t offer more than that. Tools such as Taskade allow you to take long-form notes, collaborate and communicate with your team in real-time. If you’re looking for a free all-in-one tool to take notes, to-do lists,  manage projects, and more, Taskade is your best alternative to Google Docs.

Is Google Docs Free?

Google Docs is free to use. You simply have to access it via your Google account to get started.

What Is Taskade?

Taskade is an online productivity and collaboration tool that was founded by John Xie, Dionis Loire, and Stan Chang in 2017. The Y Combinator-backed startup aims to help remote teams and individuals get work done faster and smarter.

Taskade is where remote teams get work done. With Taskade, you can take detailed notes, automate repetitive workflows, collaborate via built-in video chat with your team, and more, via an all-in-one unified workspace. 

Get a headstart on your projects and find a suitable structure for your notes via Taskade’s versatile collection of templates. Simply choose from a wide variety of templates and add them to your projects to get started instantly!

Taskade is a supercharged productivity app that both you and your team can use to collaborate on projects in real-time. Taskade’s free plan comes with unlimited projects and tasks so that you can get up and running as soon as you sign up!

Taskade is the best free Google Docs alternative. Get started instantly for free today.

Key Features of Taskade

• Project Views. Visualize your projects in several different ways. Cycle between the List, Mind Map, Org Chart, and Board views to work the way you want. 

  • List View. This is the default view on Taskade. Create new lists here.
  • Board View. This view lets you work horizontally like a Kanban board. Visualize your workflow and tasks in this full-width view.
  • Mind Map View. This view lets you work in a horizontal tree-structured manner and map out what you have in mind.
  • Action View. Work in table view and stay organized with your task due dates, and more.
  • Org Chart View. Break down larger tasks into smaller ones to help you get things done.

• Real-time Communication. Chat and video conference with your team while collaborating in real-time on the same page. 
• 500+ Templates. Choose from 500+ templates across 26 categories to improve your productivity and workflows. Customize existing templates or create new ones across your workspaces.
• Search. Search within projects or globally across workspaces and subspaces. Instantly browse and jump between projects anywhere in the Taskade.
• Zoom In, Zoom Out. Get a bird’s-eye view of the workflow by zooming out on all project views, or zoom in to focus on a specific area.
• Fold/Unfold. Fold (collapse) a parent task/bullet element to hide its subtasks. Indent outline elements with ⌨️ Tab and unfold lists with ⌨️ Shift+Tab.
• Multi-Select. Select and format multiple blocks or bulk assign them as tasks to other team members. You can also copy, paste, or indent selected blocks.

• Customize Sub-Tasks. Customize the format of your sub-tasks at individual levels. Choose from headings, numbered lists, shapes, and more.
• Recurring Tasks. Add due dates with start and end times to tasks within your project and set them to repeat daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly.
• Move Tasks. Move and copy selected tasks to other projects across any workspace. You’ll receive a pop-up notification on completion.
• User Roles & Permissions. Manage collaborators and assign user roles/editing privileges (Owner, Admin, Editor, Checker, Viewer).

• Sort Tasks. Sort sub-tasks/children elements by completed/uncompleted stats or the due date. Task sorting can be accessed from a convenient pop-up menu.
• Keyboard Shortcuts. Navigate projects, create content blocks, reorder elements, and complete tasks using a set of handy keyboard shortcuts.

• Team Calendar. Aggregate all tasks and projects in a shared calendar. The Taskade calendar integrates with Google (two-way), Apple, and Outlook. 
• Reorder Tasks. Lists in Taskade aren’t set in stone. Reorder tasks and find them a new home with intuitive drag-and-drop mechanics.
• Project History. See all the changes made by you and other collaborators. Click on the entries to navigate to the edited items within the project.
• Version History. Taskade saves snapshots of your project so that you can restore a previous version of your project with a single click.

• Export and Print. You can export your projects as plain text or markdown files. Attach them to emails, presentations, or for print.

• Cloud File Upload. Share files directly from Google Drive, Dropbox, Instagram, and Box in your projects with our integrations.
• Breakdown Larger Tasks. Organize your thoughts with Taskade’s unlimited hierarchy to break down large projects into tasks.
• Quick Search. Use CMD / CTRL + K to jump between any projects within Taskade web and apps.

For an exhaustive list of Taskade’s features, click here.

How Is Taskade Better Than Google Docs?

Here are some ways in which Taskade may be considered better than Google Docs for certain users:

1. Project Management: Taskade is specifically designed for project management, while Google Docs is a word-processing tool. Taskade offers features such as task lists, sub-tasks, templates, and automations that are designed to help manage projects more efficiently.
2. Real-time collaboration: Both Taskade and Google Docs support real-time collaboration, but Taskade offers more collaboration features such as the ability to assign tasks, set due dates, and leave comments.
3. Organization: Taskade offers more organizational features such as the ability to categorize tasks into different sections and the ability to prioritize tasks. This can be beneficial for those who need to keep their projects organized.
4. Customizability: Taskade is highly customizable, allowing users to tailor the platform to their specific needs. This includes the ability to create custom templates, automations, and even keyboard shortcuts.
5. Cross-platform compatibility: Taskade is available on multiple platforms, including web, desktop, and mobile. This allows users to access their projects from anywhere, on any device.

Taskade Cons

• No custom APIs (yet)

Taskade Pricing

Taskade Free 

• Single workspace with 5 active projects and 250 tasks per month
• 5 team members included with unlimited project sharing
• 5,000 AI words per month
• Access to 500+ free templates

Taskade Pro – From $19/month

• 2 workspaces with unlimited projects for every team and client
• 20 team members included for a flat monthly price
• 50,000 AI words per month

Taskade Business – From $49/month

• 10 workspaces with unlimited projects for every team and client
• 50 team members included for a flat monthly price
• 250,000 AI words per month
• Zapier integration

Taskade Ultimate – From $99/month

• Unlimited workspaces for your teams, clients, and organization
• 100 team members included for a flat monthly price
• Unlimited AI words per month
• Secure and simplify access with Single Sign On (SSO) through OKTA, Google, Azure, and more

Click here for more information.

Is Taskade Right for You?

Taskade can be used by individuals and teams working from anywhere. Use Taskade individually or collaborate with your team on detailed note-taking, weekly agendas, team meetings, project management, product roadmaps, and more. 

Make use of customizable board views to visualize your projects into digestible smaller tasks. Multiple board views are available even on Taskade’s free plan, allowing you to get more work done the smarter way. 

Collaborate with your team in real-time with free and unlimited chat and video conferencing available on every project. Automatic syncing ensures that your data is always up to date across devices.

Taskade is the simplest way to create task lists, checklists, and workflows. Manage projects and get more work done the simple way with Taskade.

Taskade is the best free Google Docs alternative. Try Taskade for free today.

Source: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/free-alternatives-to-google-docs

Article post on: us.suanoncolosence.com