Google Docs alternatives for the Mac.
If you want a word processor that runs on your Mac and keeps your files there, Quill costs $19 once, needs no account and works without a browser.
Google Docs at a glance
Google Docs is Google’s browser-based word processor, free with a Google Account, with paid plans that add Gemini and business features.
- Personal Google Account: Free
- Google AI Pro (adds Gemini in Docs for personal accounts): $19.99 a month
- Google Workspace Business Starter: $7 per user a month on an annual plan, $8.40 on the Flexible Plan
- Google Workspace Business Standard: $14 per user a month on an annual plan, $16.80 on the Flexible Plan
- Google Workspace Business Plus: $22 per user a month on an annual plan, $26.40 on the Flexible Plan
Quill beside Google Docs
Docs is free with a personal Google Account. Google AI Pro, which adds Gemini in Docs for personal accounts, costs $19.99 a month. Quill costs $19 once, tax included. The trial is free for 7 days with no card, one licence covers up to 3 of your Macs, every future update is included, and refunds are available within 30 days.
| Feature | Quill | Google Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19 once | Free |
| Pay once | Yes | –Free |
| Opens and saves .docx directly | Yes | Yes |
| No account needed | Yes | No |
| Word-style ribbon tabs | Yes | No |
| Every command open to a local AI agent | Yes | PartlyRemote MCP preview |
| Real-time collaboration | No | Yes |
| Tracked changes | No | Yes |
Yes Yes Partly Partly No No
Other options
- Microsoft WordMicrosoft Word is Microsoft’s word processor, at $99.99 a year on Microsoft 365 Personal or $179.99 once as Office Home 2024.
- Apple PagesApple Pages is Apple’s word processor for the Mac, free on the Mac App Store; the optional Apple Creator Studio costs $12.99 a month or $129 a year.
- LibreOffice WriterLibreOffice Writer is The Document Foundation’s free, open-source word processor; the Mac App Store build costs $8.99 once.
- ONLYOFFICE Desktop EditorsONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors is a free, open-source office suite from Ascensio System SIA that includes a word processor.
| Feature | Quill | Microsoft Word | Apple Pages | LibreOffice Writer | Google Docs | ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $19 once | $99.99/yr or $179.99 | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Pay once | Yes | PartlyOffice Home 2024 | –Free | –Free | –Free | –Free |
| Opens and saves .docx directly | Yes | Yes | PartlyImport and export | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| No account needed | Yes | No | PartlyiCloud to share | Yes | No | PartlyCloud needs sign-in |
| Word-style ribbon tabs | Yes | Yes | No | PartlyOptional Tabbed view | No | Yes |
| Every command open to a local AI agent | Yes | PartlyAdd-ins, VBA | PartlyAppleScript | PartlyMacros, UNO | PartlyRemote MCP preview | PartlyPlugins, macros |
| Real-time collaboration | No | PartlyMicrosoft 365 only | Yes | No | Yes | PartlyVia a cloud |
| Tracked changes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Yes Yes Partly Partly No No
Try Quill free for 7 days.
Then $19 once, for up to 3 of your Macs. No subscription and no account.
Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Sources
Checked against each product’s own website and documentation on 13 November 2026. If something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll correct it.
- Compare Microsoft 365 plans and pricing (US)
- What’s the difference between Microsoft 365 and Office 2024?
- What’s the difference between Microsoft 365 and Office 2024? (lifecycle page)
- Office 2024 for consumers available October 1 (Microsoft 365 blog)
- Microsoft Word on the Mac App Store (US)
- System requirements: Office suites for individuals and families
- Free Microsoft 365 for the web
- Collaborate on Word documents with real-time co-authoring
- Document collaboration and co-authoring
- Track changes in Word
- Welcome to Copilot in Word
- Word add-ins overview (Microsoft Learn)
- Office for Mac for Visual Basic for Applications (Microsoft Learn)
- Run an AppleScript with VB (Microsoft Learn)
- Word MCP server reference, preview (Microsoft Learn)
- Pages: Create Documents on the Mac App Store (US)
- Apple Creator Studio
- About Apple Creator Studio (Apple Support)
- What’s new in Pages on Mac
- Convert Pages, Numbers, or Keynote files to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and more
- Export to Word, PDF, or another file format in Pages on Mac
- Intro to collaboration in Pages on Mac
- Collaborate on documents in Keynote, Pages, and Numbers
- Track changes in Pages on Mac
- Use Writing Tools on Mac
- Get started with Pages on Mac
- LibreOffice Writer
- Download LibreOffice
- LibreOffice system requirements
- LibreOffice on the Mac App Store (US)
- LibreOffice 26.8 announcement (TDF Community Blog)
- Using Microsoft Office and LibreOffice (LibreOffice Help)
- Recording and displaying changes (LibreOffice Help)
- Scripting LibreOffice (LibreOffice Help)
- Starting LibreOffice with parameters (LibreOffice Help)
- Notebook bar (LibreOffice Help)
- Feature Comparison: LibreOffice - Microsoft Office (TDF wiki; read via search result)
- LibreOffice Online
- Google Docs product page
- Compare Flexible and Annual/Fixed-Term payment plans (Google Workspace Help)
- Google Workspace pricing (served in GBP when fetched)
- Google AI plans (US)
- Buy more Google storage (Google Drive Help)
- Work on Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides offline
- Work with Microsoft Office files
- Suggest edits in Google Docs
- Collaborate with Gemini in Google Docs
- Extending Google Docs with Apps Script
- Configure the Docs MCP server
- ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors
- Download ONLYOFFICE desktop apps
- ONLYOFFICE/DesktopEditors on GitHub
- Desktop Editors for macOS system requirements
- Desktop Editors changelog
- Desktop Editors: Getting started
- ONLYOFFICE Document Editor
- Introducing the user interface of the Document Editor
- Using the AI agent in ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors
- Setting up AI tools
- Connecting MCP servers (Desktop Editors API docs)
- ONLYOFFICE MCP server
- ONLYOFFICE legal terms (Ascensio System SIA)
Microsoft Word is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Pages is a trademark of Apple Inc. LibreOffice is a trademark of The Document Foundation. Google Docs is a trademark of Google LLC. ONLYOFFICE is a trademark of Ascensio System SIA. Quill is not affiliated with them.