Google Suite vs Microsoft Office: Which one is better?
There is a plethora of options out there, but these two are the only ones worth talking about. Both offer a similar bundle of web applications that are different enough for you to know the benefits of each before making a decision.
Microsoft Office Pro’s and Con’s
Microsoft Office has been around for three decades. While plenty of other alternatives have been around, Microsoft was always the big kid on the playground of commercial office suites.
Microsoft is well known for their offline applications, however, they’ve recently made their apps available online right from your browser. They’re certainly not as meaty and fulfilling as their offline office suite, but there is still plenty there to work with – maybe too much. With Word Online you still have all of your format options, and it feels just like the offline version with the clunky top bar that doesn’t seem to serve any purpose besides showcasing other third-party programs that you don’t need. Seeing as a large number of people using these online apps are going to be on the go using their laptop, they’re sacrificing a lot of screen space just to keep the top bar.
Where Office Online really shines is with their Excel program. While Word Online may be too complex than it needs to be for an online application – Excel Online gets points for being complex here. You don’t lose a lot from the offline version, and people who really dive into Excel’s advanced features will be happy to know they can still create formulas, filter data, and continue to create spectacular spreadsheets as you can with the offline application.
Unfortunately, it feels like the Microsoft team was exhausted after polishing off their beloved Excel when they finally got around to bringing PowerPoint to the browser. If you only need to create a basic slideshow with minor text animations and fun transitions then you’ll be just fine, but when it comes to more complex backgrounds, including audio files, changing views, printing slide options, and the amazing Presenter View – you’re out of luck.
Google Suite Pro’s and Con’s
Google’s apps are slick, clean, and speedy, and while lacking some of the advanced features of Microsoft programs they offer enough to please the majority of people using them.
Google Sheets will never completely replace Excel, but they managed to check all the boxes for casual spreadsheet users. On the surface, Sheets will do everything you were doing on Excel unless you’re working with giant amounts of data or using a lot of their advanced functions. Where Sheets outpowers Excel is with the simplicity and ease of use, you don’t feel surrounded by daunting features you’ll never use. They also have an amazing revision history function, no longer will you be sending outdated versions of the same file back and forth between your fellow coworkers. Google Sheets gives you a very clear look at your past changes and history, with the option to restore your file with the click of your mouse button.
Similar to Sheets, Google Docs and Slides are cleaner and simpler, and lacking in those advanced features that most people never touch. G Suite has many other benefits; it’s a great solution for people with multiple devices, you don’t have to lug around your laptop or external drives – as long as you’re at a computer with an internet connection you can quickly gain access to all of your files. G Suite also plays well with others, there are hundreds of third party web applications that can integrate within your browser without any effort required.
Final Verdict:
Advanced Features vs Clean U.I.
Unless you’re already set in stone using Microsoft Office’s offline applications, I highly recommend picking Google for your commercial office suite needs.