10 Best Google Docs Alternatives for 2024

There are a lot of good reasons why many companies trust Google Docs for document creation.  With its incredible features, such as offline editing, easy customization, voice typing, and many more, it has made the task of writing, editing, and collaborating effortless.

But why are people still looking for alternatives to such useful software?

Well, along with all the pros, Google Docs has its drawbacks too. For instance, businesses now look for software that can help them analyze the performance of their knowledge base, which is not possible with Google Docs. 

Also, it becomes tricky to keep everyone up-to-date about work progress as Google Docs doesn’t offer a task status feature. 

If you are sailing in the same boat, then you have landed in the right place. In this blog, we have carefully curated a list of 10 Google Docs alternatives that you might find helpful. 

Let’s dig in!

Why Look For Google Docs Alternatives?

Google Docs is undoubtedly one of the most used software by teams. However, despite its advanced features, such as voice typing, offline editing, document version history, and more, people still look for its alternatives. Let’s find out why. 

Doesn’t Provide Hosting Services

When working with Google Docs, you are going to need an external hosting site to publish your document. Unlike full-fledged SaaS knowledge base software that provide hosting services, Google Docs allows you to only generate a shareable document link for accessing files.. 

Lacks a Home Page Builder

A home page is the first thing your site visitors see, and it can give them insights into your services and make them stay longer. This means a good homepage can make or break the deal. However, with Google Docs, you don’t get a homepage builder. 

Lack of Article Status Feature

In order to keep your entire team in the loop, it is important that your document creation tool has the feature to set different statuses. For instance, if a piece of content is written and needs to be reviewed, you must be able to set the status to “Ready for Review.”  With Google Docs, that ain’t possible. 

Absence of Built-in Reports

It is important to know how your document is performing in order to understand its effectiveness for customers and employees. This can be achieved with the help of reports and analytics. However, Google Docs doesn’t provide a built-in reporting and analytics feature so evaluating article performance is not possible. 

The Features Google Docs Alternatives Must Have

In order to make the right choice, it is important that you have clarity of what exactly you are looking for. Following are a few features that you must keep at the top of your mind while looking for a Google Docs alternative.  

1. User Access Permissions

Google Docs alternatives should allow you to define the roles and permissions of users and groups, so they can work in collaboration. This helps the entire team to have clarity about who is responsible for writing, editing, publishing, etc. 

2. Customizable Templates

Expert-designed templates can take away half of the burden. They offer a customizable framework that you can edit as per your need.  This is why it is essential for Google Docs alternatives to offer ready-made templates that can get your knowledge base up and running in minutes.

3. In-Depth Reports 

This is a crucial feature that is vital for analyzing content performance. Reports give useful insights into your top and poor-performing articles, most-read articles, failed searches, and a lot more. Such insights help you identify your weak areas so that you can pay extra attention to them and make necessary improvements. 

Here’s a quick video explaining how reports help in tracking knowledge base performance. 

4. Third-Party Integrations

Google Docs alternatives should offer robust third-party integrations so you can achieve more from a single platform. Integrations with tools like Jira, Slack, Google Analytics, and other ticketing and chat tools let you extend the potential of your document management tools. 

5. High Searchability 

Looking for relevant information can take up a lot of time with the lack of a search system. It is important that the software you choose should offer a strong search system that works as seamlessly as Google and delivers instant and accurate results matching users’ queries.  

6. Powerful Customization

All Google Docs alternatives should be equipped with robust customization features such as white labeling and CSS. Such features help you tailor the documentation to your unique needs and blend it with your company’s branding. 

Our Selection Criteria for Google Docs Alternatives

With numerous knowledge base software available in the market, choosing the right one can not only be confusing but also time-consuming. To help you out through the process, we followed strict criteria for choosing the best alternatives to Google Docs, so you don’t have to do the heavy lifting. 

Here are the criteria that we followed: 

Core Knowledge Base Features

All alternatives to Google Docs must include the core knowledge base features that are required during content creation, design, and publication. This includes readymade templates, user access controls, customization options, in-depth reports, and many others. 

Listed on Popular Review Platforms

All the Google Docs alternatives must be listed on popular review platforms, such as SoftwareWorld, Getapp, G2, and Capterra.   

Minimum 10 User Reviews

User experience is a crucial criterion in choosing an alternative to Google Docs. It is important that all alternatives should have received at least 10 positive reviews and high ratings on the above-mentioned review platforms. 

10 Best Google Docs Alternatives to Consider in 2024

There are several powerful tools that can replace Google Docs. With the market replete with such software, choosing the right one can be confusing.  

This is why we have carefully curated the following list of 10 best Google Docs alternatives to help you through the decision-making process. 

1. ProProfs Knowledge Base

ProProfs knowledge base is a simple-to-use software that requires no coding experience. This software is an all-in-one package of advanced features that can help you create and publish knowledge bases, documentation, user manuals, and guides with ease. 

With its ready-to-use templates, a rich help authoring system, and loads of customization options, you can get your knowledge base ready in no time. 

Along with that, ProProfs makes it easy for teams to work according to their assigned roles and collaborate under one roof to generate content quickly. 

Key Features:

• Create public and private knowledge bases using expert-designed templates
• Boost collaboration by setting roles and permissions for users and groups
• Set review workflow status to bring transparency in the content creation process
• Optimize your knowledge base for search engines to generate traffic

Pros:

• Easy to set up and install
• Budget-friendly plans with no hidden charges

Best For: Public and private knowledge base, access roles and permissions, custom workflows

Third-party integrations allowed: Yes

Pricing: Starts from $49/author/month

2. Nuclino

Nuclino is loved by people because, in addition to all the features that Google Docs offers, it provides functionalities like version history, auto-saving changes, collaborative editing, and many more. 

With the help of Nuclino, you can style your documents and make them visually appealing by adding graphs, tables, lists, images, and more. Using this software, you can speed up the editing process and create your knowledge base quickly. You can also link related files together in order to make it easy for customers to locate relevant information.  

Key Features: 

• Collaborate with your team members and generate an error-free document 
• Secure your document with its auto-save content feature 
• keep track of all the changes made with the help of its version history tool
• Use readymade customizable templates to create knowledge bases for your business

Pros:

• Lets you add visuals to your documents
• Have a mobile application for better access

Best For: Generate and edit documents, link similar topic pages together, view version history

Third-party integrations allowed: Yes 

Pricing: $5/user/month

3. Quip

Quip is an easy-to-use, versatile software developed by Salesforce. This software is perfect for collaborating within the team and centralizing your work. Additionally, just like Google Docs, you can continue editing your document offline. 

What makes Quip an unbeatable alternative to Google Docs is the chat box that is available within every document that keeps all comments, discussions, and suggestions under one roof. 

Quip is perfect for creating short-form content for your knowledge base. You can select a template from its library and customize it according to your needs.

Key Features:

• Include real-time chat box for better collaboration
• Create short-form documents for mobile as well as desktop 
• Edit your document without the internet by using its offline editing feature
• Use one of its readymade templates for simpler document creation

Pros:

• Lets you collaborate with your team in the chat box
• Offers project management tools

Cons:

• Provides basic formatting tools 
• Offers advanced features at a much higher cost

Best For: Internal collaboration and communication, offline editing

Third-party integrations allowed: Yes 

Pricing: $10/user/month

4. Zoho Docs

Zoho Docs is a part of the Zoho Office Suite that includes all the features that Google and Microsoft Workspace offers and much more. With the help of Zoho Docs, editing your knowledge base collaboratively is a piece of cake. It offers a collection of advanced features and custom layouts to choose from. However, a few of these menus are hidden and therefore require a little extra attention from new users. 

Key Features: 

• Create spreadsheets, documents, and presentations
• Edit, review, and revise your documents
• Access your knowledge base on all types of electronic devices
• Create and edit documents in the offline mode

Pros:

• Offers two-factor authentication
• Allows offline editing of documents

Best For: Creating different types of content, offline editing, collaborative review and edit

Third-party integrations allowed: Yes 

Pricing: $5/user/month

5. Microsoft Word Online

Microsoft Word Online is an alternative to Google Docs that most professionals who have worked with MS Word Desktop would find very familiar. 

With the help of this software, you can use all the features of MS Word Desktop and collaborate with your team members in real-time too. Also, with its OneNote feature, you can create detailed notes and share them with your team. If you are stuck or need assistance, you can take advantage of its Tell Me feature and look for solutions. 

Key Features:

• Collaborate with your team using MS Word advanced collaboration tools
• Create notes with OneNote and share them within the team
• Save documents quickly to Microsoft OneDrive
• Use creative sets of customizable templates to generate your KB easily

Pros:

• Lets you save all your files in MS OneDrive
• Supports advanced formatting tools

Best For: Online content generation, access to Microsoft 365 pack, collaborative editing and review

Third-party integrations allowed: Yes 

Pricing: $5/user/month

6. Evernote

Evernote is the perfect tool for task management and note-making. This software can be of great use to plan projects, discuss and organize notes, and collaborate with your team. The Home feature in Evernote lets you categorize all the notes, tasks, and schedules according to the titles, tags, and more. 

To enhance your experience, you can also integrate the software with other useful tools, such as Slack, ClickUp, and Google Calendar. 

Key Features:

• Create and organize elaborated notes
• Collaborate and discuss ideas under one roof
• Preview note version history to review all the edits made by team members
• Create personal knowledge base using 100+ professionally-designed templates

Pros:

• Offers user-friendly interface 
• Lets you view all the previous edits made to the notes

Best For: Generate personal KB, team collaboration, managing notes, and planning projects 

Third-party integrations allowed: Yes 

Pricing: $5/user/month 

7. Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is possibly the most significant Google Docs replacement for document generation. The tool offers an abundance of advanced features, along with cloud-based storage that can help your business throughout the document creation process. 

Additionally, you get to avail the online version of all other Microsoft applications along with the MS 365 plan that can be used to arrange meetings, create presentations, manage worksheets, and more. 

With Microsoft 365, you get various toolbars that include multiple editing tools. You can use these to suggest changes, leave comments, and much more. 

Key Features:

• Collaborate and revise your knowledge base under one roof 
• Access to an online version of all Microsoft apps
• Use 100+ creative templates to generate documents 
• Avail online version of Microsoft applications to create presentations, worksheets, etc.

Pros: 

• Have in store a lot of advanced collaboration tools
• Offers more than 100+ templates

Best For: On-the-go access, customizations, access to all Microsoft apps

Third-party integrations allowed: Yes  

Pricing: $9.99/month

8. Coda

With Coda, you can elevate your knowledge base to a much better and more creative level. Your team can bring all their documents together and create one final file that includes tables, graphs, images, and a lot more. 

What makes Coda stand out is its task automation features. You can set a task and assign it to other team members quickly and make faster decisions. However, one thing that might set you off is its limited font options. 

Key Features: 

• Use task automation feature for faster results
• Create one strong document by bringing together all documents and data 
• Share ideas and allot tasks within the team all under one roof
• Add images, tables, videos, and more to improve engagement

Pros:

• Lets you drag and drop visuals into the document
• Can be easily run on Andriod as well as iOS

Best For: Collaborate and discuss ideas, allot roles and responsibilities 

Third-party integrations allowed: Yes 

Pricing: $12/user/month

9. Dropbox Paper

 What makes businesses lure over Dropbox Paper is its little virtual assistant. It lets you know every time someone shares a document, leaves a comment, etc. Also, in order to make sure that your team achieves their targets in time, Dropbox Paper has a feature where you can manually put in the due date, and it will automatically alert you. 

Also, with Dropbox paper, you can tag your team members in a doc, discuss ideas, and edit collaboratively. 

Key Features:

• Use virtual assistant feature that sends you alerts
• Add task deadlines to achieve organizational goals efficiently 
• Invites other team members for collaboration
• View personal progress with visual charts

Pros: 

• Lets you convert docs into presentations within a few seconds
• Alert users about upcoming or missed deadlines

Best For: Increasing productivity, meeting deadlines, checking personal progress

Third-party integrations allowed: Yes 

Pricing: $9.99/month

10. Fellow

Fellow is a collaborative software that allows you to plan and generate a knowledge base for your business efficiently. It also helps you when you run out of topics to discuss during a meeting and provides you with conversational ideas. In fact, during meetings, you can take notes too, using this tool. 

Additionally, you get access to various templates designed specifically for meetings. You can use them to present your thoughts and even plan a project. 

Key Features:

• Take meeting notes using checklists
• Use meeting templates to discuss your ideas
• Present plans on one-on-one discussions
• Create, edit, and revise your knowledge base

Pros: 

• Offers an abundance of features for organizing meetings and note-making
• Helps in organizing agenda and everyday commitments

Best For: One-on-one meetings, creating digital notepad, team collaboration

Third-party integrations allowed: Yes 

Pricing: $6/month/user

Comparison of the Best alternatives of Google Docs 

Conclusion: Which Google Docs Alternative Should You Go For?

With millions of people using Google Docs every day, there is no doubt that it is an amazing tool for businesses to create a knowledge base. This software lets you collaboratively generate and edit content online and offline, set different permissions for team members, add bookmarks for faster access to various sections, and so much more. 

However, there is much more that entrepreneurs look for throughout the content generation process that Google Docs doesn’t offer.  This includes in-depth reports and analytics, hosting services, home page builders, and much more. This is why Google Docs doesn’t fit the bill for most businesses. 

If you are also looking for a replacement, the list of the top 10 Google Docs alternatives will provide all the help you need. However, if you are still not sure which one to pick, here are our recommendations. 

If your checklist includes simple-to-use, affordable software with advanced features, ProProfs Knowledge Base might be the right choice for you. You can also go for Microsoft 365 if your business has been struggling with real-time collaboration.