With the processing power that we carry in our pockets and bags in the name of smartphones, it is becoming necessary to put this power into use through various means either entertainment or productivity. In this day and age, one doesn’t need a $1000 dollar smartphone to get some work done while on the go. Productivity on the go could mean something as simple as editing a document and emailing it to someone.
In this piece, we look at five of the best document editing apps, available both on Android and iOS and try to differentiate them from one another, based on features offered by each app. I use Microsoft Word, which I find convenient thanks to the office 365 subscription in my possession but there are a number of other apps out there that make productivity easier while on the go, here they are in alphabetic order:
Google Docs
App size: 28MB (Android), 225MB (iOS)
Cost: Free
Features: create and edit word documents, online synchronization, ability to collaborate
Downsides: will require additional apps for you to edit slides and sheets – Google Sheets and Google Slides
Microsoft Word
App size: 68MB (Android), 261MB (iOS)
Cost: Free with a subscription option for more features
Features: create and edit word documents, read PDFs, e-Book reader, templates, online synchronization, ability to collaborate
Downsides: will require additional apps for you to edit powerpoint slides and excel sheets
Office Suite
App size: 34MB (Android), 166MB (iOS)
Cost: Free (contains ads) with a subscription option – Kes.1,000 for one mobile device, Kes.3,100 for 1pc and 2 mobile devices
Features: create and edit virtually all types of documents including PDF, word, excel and powerpoint, PDF camera scanner, cloud storage, text-to-speech support, ability to collaborate
Downsides: some of the additional are only available through a subscription
Polaris Office
App size: 56MB (Android), 182MB (iOS)
Cost: Free (contains ads) with a subscription option – starting from Kes.300 per device to remove ads
Features: create and edit virtually all types of documents including PDF, word, excel and powerpoint, cloud storage, ability to collaborate
Downsides: some of the additional are only available through a subscription
WPS Office
App size: 37MB (Android), 238MB (iOS)
Cost: Free (contains ads) with a subscription option – Kes.400 monthly or Kes.2,100 annually per device
Features: create and edit virtually all types of documents including PDF, word, excel and powerpoint, convert docs to PDF, PDF camera scanner, powerpoint templates, cloud storage, text-to-speech support, ability to collaborate
Downsides: the most interesting and useful features such as converting text on images to an editable file are only available through a subscription
