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Microsoft Word vs Pages: A Head-to-Head Comparison
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Published onOctober 4, 2024
published onOctober 4, 2024
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This Microsoft Word vs Pages comparison will help you choose the best personal and professional productivity tool. If you find yourself often juggling between the two, read on.
I’ve tested both software for over a week to compare their features head-to-head. Let’s find out which one suits your needs more!
Microsoft Word vs Pages: Overview
Find below a quick summary of both of these products:
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Wordis the leading document editing software. It’s been a standalone tool for many years, then included in various iterations of workplace productivity products, likeMicrosoft Office,Office 365, and nowMicrosoft 365. It’s also available as a web app for browsers and a mobile app for Android and iOS devices.
You can try out its features forfree for 30 daysas a part of the Microsoft 365 trial subscription package. However, the web and the mobile apps are free for all users. Hence, it has become an indispensable document-processing software in most business workstations and personal PCs.
Apple Pages
Conversely,Apple Pagesis the word processing app of the iWork productivity tool package. It’s the native document creation and editing software for most Apple devices. However, there’s an online version delivered through iCloud that’s open for everyone for free.
It’s less popular than Word due to the restrictions of its standalone usage on Apple devices.
User Interface and Experience
Microsoft Word’s iconic UI includes an elaborateribbon menuon the top. Its tabbed menus, likeFile,Home,Insert,Draw, etc., take you to more granular options.
The actual document editor is in the middle with default rulers on the top and left side of the canvas. When you select non-text objects, likepictures,shapes,tables, additional tabbed menus open on the ribbon. If you right-click on such an object and selectFormat Shape,Picture, or other options, a right-side navigation panel opens for visual customization.
For text editing, the most commonly used tools show up on the right-click context menu for quick access.
However, the user experience has much scope for improvement. For instance, Microsoft hasoverburdened the software with so many featuresthat it might take months for you to explore them all. Also, remembering all the standard document formatting features is a challenge.
Meanwhile, working on Pages is a cakewalk. It mainly focuses on authoring and editing space. It opens alarger canvascompared to Word. There’s no ribbon menu on the top to distract you.
Instead of the ribbon menu,Pages analyzes the content or object you’ve selectedon the editor and accordingly shows the tools you’ll probably use.
However, if you need more options, you can access them from the sleek menubar on the top. It shows fixed menus, likeInsert,Table,Chart, etc., and doesn’t change with the content you select on the canvas.
Also, these menus don’t open another bulky toolbar as it does on the Word app. Instead, Pages menus open as a context box so you can quickly go through all the available commands.
Various visual formatting functions aren’t visible by default. You can expand the right-side navigation menu,Document, by clicking on it. It gives you options likePrinter & Paper Size,Page Orientation,Header,Document Body,Headers & Footers,Bookmarks, and more.
Features
Now, let’s go through the main features together.
Ready-to-Use Templates
Microsoft Word offers a wide variety of templates for professional and personal needs. For the standalone app, you’ll need an internet connection to explore and download them.
You can easily access them from theFile>Newmenu. They’re organized in the following niches:
All these sectionscontain over 50 templates.
You can either go to any of the above menus and look up the template you need or simply search for a document type name, likeResumein theSearch for online templatesfield.
If you need access to more options, you can visit theMicrosoft Createportal for more free pre-made Word formats.
Compared to MS Word,the number of templates in Pages is limited. However, most are truly helpful compared to hundreds in the Word app.
Accessing them is also easier. You simply need to hitCommandandNto instantly go to the template library. Now, you can scroll down to explore the document types and premade formats within those sections. You can also find a list of the document genres in the left-side navigation panel.
Here are the niches you can explore on the Pages app:
Overall, the premade documents look a bit more polished compared to those in Word.
Cloud Storage and Syncing
Microsoft Word usesOneDrive cloud storage.However, the process is a bit challenging. You must sign in to the standalone desktop app using the same account you use for OneDrive online.
Then, you must also turn on theAutosavefeature on the offline document. Now, here comes the first challenge. Often, your PC fails to register and show the logged-in account in theWord app’s Connected Servicessection of the Info menu.
Even if it does show up, theonline syncing isn’t user-friendly at all.You might end up creating multiple editions of the same document.
Consequentially, you’ll get confused about which one to continue with. However, online syncing works better between the Word web version and the Android or iOS app.
On the other hand, syncing and collaborating with Pages isa breeze thanks to iCloud. You don’t need to manually add any accounts to sync content to iCloud.
As you sign on to a Mac using yourApple ID, it automatically syncs the Pages data to iCloud. The synced document appears instantly in theOpen Recentmenu.
Integrations and Extensions
Microsoft Word is highly popular for itsextensive integration options. Installing third-party apps is also easy through theDevelopertab’sAdd-Inscommand. It takes you to a curated store of safe extensions.
Contrarily, Pages is very limited when it comes to integrations. Since it isn’t popular with cross-device users, there isn’t a marketplace for integrations either.
You can, however, use theShortcutsapp of Mac to createtriggers and actions-based integrations.You can put various Pages actions, likeediting a paragraph,formatting a table,formatting a picture,editing a graph, etc., in theactions fieldand trigger it with an app or input in the trigger box. However, this requires in-depth knowledge of Apple Shortcuts.
Automation Capabilities
MS Word is highly regarded for its support for various automation methods. The first and foremost is theWord VBA Editor. You can writeVBA scriptsdirectly in the Word app to create macros. Then, save these macros in your Microsoft Office installation directory for future use.
For example, you can create a VBA macro that will automaticallycreate a new document,insert a title in bold and centered,add a paragraph of text, andsave it.
Besides VBA, you can also useMicrosoft PowerAutomate,Quick Parts,Building Blocks,Mail Merge, andMicrosoft Graph APIfor advanced automation.
On the other hand, automating tasks in Pages is only for advanced users and developers. You’ll need to learn tools likeAppleScript,macOS Automator,JavaScript (JXA), etc.
Pricing
If you wish to use Microsoft Word to its fullest potential, you’ll need a paid subscription. However, you can’t just buy Word these days. You must get the wholeMicrosoft 365 subscriptionwhich comes in the following tiers for home and business users:
Both Business and Home options come with discounted prices for annual subscribers. Everything renews automatically.
However,Apple Pages is freefor everyone who owns a compatible Apple device or an iCloud account.
User Support
You can get help from Microsoft experts as a home or business user via theMicrosoft 365 supportportal.
You may find different support channelsdepending on your region. US, CA, and UK users can count on email, chat, and phone support.
Apple offers aphone support channel.You simply need to visit theGet Support Devicesportal. Choose the device you’re using right now to access Pages and the phone option will show up at the bottom.
Microsoft Word vs Pages: The Verdict
Hopefully, this in-depth Microsoft Word vs Pages comparison has helped you make up your mind.
Overall, Microsoft Word is better than Pages in most use cases because of its popularity, platform support, and automation. Though its editing tools and ease of use aren’t the best, you can still learn the tool gradually.
You can get MS Word on Mac, iPad, and iPhone, so syncing and collaboration shouldn’t be any challenge.
However, if you only prefer Apple products, you should stick with Pages.
Which one do you prefer? Comment below to let everyone know.
More about the topics:apple,Microsoft 365,Microsoft Word
Selma Citakovic
Content Editor
Selma is a tech fan and editor at Windows Report. She is also an experienced writer with a focus on cybersecurity, troubleshooting hardware and operating systems, gaming, and all things Windows.
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Selma Citakovic
Content Editor
Selma is a tech fan and editor at Windows Report. She is also an experienced writer with a focus on cybersecurity and all things Windows related.
