Quill compared with the alternatives.
Quill is a word processor for the Mac that costs $19 once, with no subscription and no account. The table below compares it with Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, LibreOffice Writer, Google Docs and ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors on price and features.
| 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
Checked against each product’s own website and documentation on 13 November 2026. Select a name for the detail and the sources.
One at a time
- Quill vs 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.
- Quill vs 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.
- Quill vs LibreOffice WriterLibreOffice Writer is The Document Foundation’s free, open-source word processor; the Mac App Store build costs $8.99 once.
- Quill vs Google DocsGoogle Docs is Google’s browser-based word processor, free with a Google Account, with paid plans that add Gemini and business features.
- Quill vs ONLYOFFICE Desktop EditorsONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors is a free, open-source office suite from Ascensio System SIA that includes a word processor.
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.
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.