PolicyCo vs Google Docs for Policy Management
Purpose-built policy management vs. general-purpose document editing
Google Docs is an excellent collaborative writing tool used by millions of organizations. Many teams start managing policies in Google Docs because it is familiar, free, and easy to share. However, as organizations grow and compliance requirements increase, the limitations of using a general-purpose document tool for policy governance become apparent. PolicyCo is purpose-built for policy lifecycle management, providing structured workflows, compliance mapping, and audit trails that Google Docs was never designed to offer.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | PolicyCo | Google Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Policy version control | Formal version numbers, effective dates, and complete release history with redlines showing every change | Basic revision history showing individual edits; no formal versioning or release process |
| Approval workflows | Multi-stage approval: Draft → Review → Release Candidate → Final Release, with role-based permissions | No built-in approval workflow; relies on comments, suggestions, and informal email chains |
| Compliance framework mapping | Map policy articles directly to SOC 2, HIPAA, NIST, ISO, and custom framework controls | No compliance mapping capability; requires separate spreadsheets to track control coverage |
| Attestation tracking | Digital signatures with timestamps, IP addresses, automated reminders, and exportable reports | No attestation capability; requires manual email tracking or third-party tools |
| Procedure distribution | Clean Viewer interface with permission-based access and ChatGPT-powered search | File sharing via links or folders; no dedicated reading interface or intelligent search |
| SSO integration | SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect with SCIM provisioning included on all plans | Google Workspace SSO for Google Docs; no SCIM or cross-provider identity management for policy access |
| Audit trail | Every approval, release, attestation, and evidence submission logged with timestamps and user identity | Document activity log shows who viewed or edited; no structured compliance audit trail |
| Evidence collection | Structured evidence templates linked to procedures with assignees, reviewers, and recurring schedules | No evidence collection capability |
| Review reminders | Automated email reminders 60 days and 1 day before policy review due dates | No built-in review scheduling; relies on external calendar reminders |
PolicyCo
Formal version numbers, effective dates, and complete release history with redlines showing every change
Google Docs
Basic revision history showing individual edits; no formal versioning or release process
PolicyCo
Multi-stage approval: Draft → Review → Release Candidate → Final Release, with role-based permissions
Google Docs
No built-in approval workflow; relies on comments, suggestions, and informal email chains
PolicyCo
Map policy articles directly to SOC 2, HIPAA, NIST, ISO, and custom framework controls
Google Docs
No compliance mapping capability; requires separate spreadsheets to track control coverage
PolicyCo
Digital signatures with timestamps, IP addresses, automated reminders, and exportable reports
Google Docs
No attestation capability; requires manual email tracking or third-party tools
PolicyCo
Clean Viewer interface with permission-based access and ChatGPT-powered search
Google Docs
File sharing via links or folders; no dedicated reading interface or intelligent search
PolicyCo
SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect with SCIM provisioning included on all plans
Google Docs
Google Workspace SSO for Google Docs; no SCIM or cross-provider identity management for policy access
PolicyCo
Every approval, release, attestation, and evidence submission logged with timestamps and user identity
Google Docs
Document activity log shows who viewed or edited; no structured compliance audit trail
PolicyCo
Structured evidence templates linked to procedures with assignees, reviewers, and recurring schedules
Google Docs
No evidence collection capability
PolicyCo
Automated email reminders 60 days and 1 day before policy review due dates
Google Docs
No built-in review scheduling; relies on external calendar reminders
Key Differences
Google Docs excels at real-time collaborative writing. PolicyCo adds the governance layer: structured approvals, version control with formal releases, and audit trails that satisfy compliance requirements.
PolicyCo maps policies to framework controls, collects evidence, and tracks attestations — the full chain auditors need. Google Docs requires separate tools and spreadsheets to achieve similar coverage.
With a handful of policies, Google Drive folders work fine. At scale, finding the right version of the right policy becomes a needle-in-a-haystack problem. PolicyCo provides structured navigation, search, and department-based organization.
Google Docs is effectively free for document editing. PolicyCo is a paid platform. The investment is justified when compliance requirements, audit preparation, or workforce scale make manual governance processes unsustainable.
Which Is Right for You?
Choose PolicyCo if...
Organizations with compliance requirements (SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO), formal policy approval processes, large workforces requiring attestation tracking, or anyone preparing for external audits.
Choose Google Docs if...
Early-stage teams with a small number of policies, no immediate compliance requirements, and a preference for familiar, free tools. Google Docs is a reasonable starting point before you need structured governance.
The Bottom Line
Google Docs is an excellent starting point for small teams writing their first policies. But as organizations grow and face audit requirements, the lack of approval workflows, compliance mapping, attestation tracking, and structured evidence collection creates real gaps. PolicyCo is designed for the stage where policy management becomes policy governance — when you need not just documents, but documented proof of compliance.
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