Portable file vs proprietary format

Vela Docs vs Google Docs

Google Docs is the gold standard for real-time prose collaboration, and Vela Docs's UX model is inspired by it: cursors, threaded comments, share-by-link. The difference is the file. Google Docs is a proprietary format you can only edit inside Google Docs. Vela Docs operates directly on .md and .html files, which stay portable, you can download the source and take it to any other tool.
Drop a file or click to upload
Up to 1 MB · stays in your browser
When to choose Google Docs

Google Docs is the better choice when: the content is prose, not a file format. Memos, meeting notes, general writing where format portability doesn't matter and Google Workspace integrations do.

Your team already lives in Google Workspace and any new tool is a tax.

You need rich features that Google Docs has and Markdown doesn't represent: complex tables, embedded charts from Sheets, multi-column layouts, voice typing.

When to choose Vela Docs

Vela Docs is the better choice when: the file is fundamentally .md or .html. AI assistants emit these formats by default; engineering specs, READMEs, AI decks, and one-pagers usually start their life as one of them. Keeping the source format avoids a lossy conversion cycle.

You'll ultimately ship the file somewhere that wants .md or .html: a GitHub repo, a documentation site, an email template, a static HTML page. Going Google Docs → export adds an unreliable conversion step.

Privacy matters for this particular draft. Local-first storage means nothing uploads until you choose to share.

Feature comparison

 Vela DocsGoogle Docs
Real-time co-editingyesyes
Inline comments on textyesyes
Drop a .md file to openyesimport onlyimport only
Drop a .html file to openyesimport onlyimport only
Native format is portable Markdownyesno
Native format is portable HTMLyesno
Clean .md exportyesvia add-onvia add-on
Share-link viewers, no accountyesdepends on settingsdepends on settings
Local-first storage before shareyesno
Comments threading and resolveyesyes
Slide-deck Present modeHTML decksHTML decksSlides appSlides app
Free for teamsyespersonalpersonal

Comparison reflects standard / free tiers as of 2026. Google Docs's feature set evolves; this page is updated when material differences change.

Common questions

Why not just paste my .md or .html file into Google Docs?
You can, but you'll lose the structure. Google Docs converts pasted Markdown into its own rich-text format. Lists and headings sometimes carry, but code fences, tables, footnotes, and any HTML structure don't. Worse, exporting back to .md isn't a Google Docs feature, you'd be in proprietary-format jail. Vela Docs preserves the .md or .html exactly; you can download the original format any time.
Does Google Docs have real-time editing and comments?
Yes, Google Docs invented the modern shape of both. Vela Docs adopts the same model (live cursors, threaded comments anchored to text, share-by-link with role control) but operates on .md / .html files instead of Google's proprietary doc format.
Is Vela Docs trying to replace Google Docs?
No. Google Docs handles prose collaboration for any document. Vela Docs handles the narrower case of "the file is .md or .html, and we want to collaborate on it without converting formats." Most teams using Vela Docs also use Google Docs for general prose work.
What if I want to send the final output back to Google Docs?
Easiest path: open the Vela Docs file in your browser, select all, copy, paste into a new Google Doc. Most formatting (headings, lists, bold, italic) carries over. If you need to preserve code blocks or tables faithfully, export from Vela as HTML and import to Google Docs via File > Import.
Privacy comparison?
Vela Docs is local-first: the file stays in your browser until you click Share. Google Docs uploads everything to Google's servers from the first keystroke. For sensitive AI-generated drafts (financials, legal, M&A), the local-first default has real value, nothing leaves your machine without an explicit action.
Pricing comparison?
Google Docs is free for personal Gmail and bundled with Google Workspace for organizations. Vela Docs is free today with no asterisks. Organizational features (SSO, audit log, retention controls) on Vela are on the roadmap.

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