Vendor lock-in is an inability to use another vendor without substantial switching costs. [1] Changing Google Docs for .docx has significant costs, because the

Vendor lock-in is an inability to use another vendor without substantial switching costs. [1] Changing Google Docs for .docx has significant costs, because their compatibility with MS Office is far from ideal. That said, using .docx is yet another vendor lock-in. As you might know, OOXML is not a true open standard: it was recognized as such by ISO only due to Microsoft's shenanigans. That's why it is not fully supported by any other software and trying to use alternative applications results in numerous compatibility issues. So your best option is to use LibreOffice, because it is libre software, capable, available from several vendors, and is based on true open standard, OpenDocument. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vendor_lock-in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vendor_lock-in