Is Microsoft Office better than Google Docs? That depends on what you want to do, and how old you are, since both are now free.

At Chabot College, teachers and students over 30 believe Word and Excel specifically, are important software skills to have before entering the workforce, especially a job in tech or business.

“I would say Microsoft is more professional, but I prefer Google.” Chiffah Dobshi, 19. Most under 30 find Google products easier to use, though their security does seem to be in question, “I’ve always been kinda suspicious of Google programs since they’re all online. I like using Google Docs, but I think in a work environment I’d probably be using Microsoft Word more.” John, 18.

It’s hard to say which product suite will be most used in the future, but it’s a safer bet to know how to use either one with ease. So far, Microsoft and Google put similar effort into the quality of their products, although Google keeps everything online, and technically has the rights to anything you write on their server.

“The security of online software? I assume it’s non-existent,” said Business Teacher, Melissa Patterson, “You don’t even list Microsoft Office on your resume anymore, because they expect you to know the main three, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, at least a working knowledge.”

In case you want to make sure your Microsoft skills match your Google skills, Chabot and Microsoft have now made it possible for all Chabot students, faculty, and administrators to create an MS Office 365 OneDrive account. This is free to use for the entire time they associated with Chabot College.

Microsoft is offering to match or exceed what Google offers students, with their entire suite (including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), and online storage, in their OneDrive. You can access the account on multiple systems and it is compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS and Android devices.