Free Microsoft Word Alternatives for Windows

There are many alternatives to Microsoft Word for Windows if you are looking for a replacement. The best free Windows alternative is LibreOffice - Writer, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Microsoft Word and many of them are free and available for Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free Windows alternatives to Microsoft Word are ONLYOFFICE, Apache OpenOffice Writer, WPS Writer and TextMaker.

filter to find the best alternatives

Microsoft Word alternatives are mainly Word Processors, but if you're looking for Text Editors or Note-taking Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Mac, Free, Windows, Linux, Android and iPad. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Microsoft Word.
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Alternatives list

  1. LibreOffice - Writer icon

    LibreOffice - Writer

     1294 likes
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    An open-source word processor offering rich formatting and style options across multiple platforms. Versatile enough to handle both simple memos and complex book publishing, it supports a wide range of document formats and Microsoft Word compatibility, enhancing productivity through templates and layouts.

    84 LibreOffice - Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • ReactOS
    LibreOffice - Writer screenshot 1
     
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    61
    801
    Comments about LibreOffice - Writer as an Alternative to Microsoft Word
    Comment summary: LibreOffice Writer is frequently praised as a reliable and cost-effective alternative to Microsoft Word. Users commend its open-source nature and compatibility across multiple platforms. Its capability to handle a wide range of functions like Word, without a price, is highlighted. However, some users note challenges with certain features, such as image cropping and citation management. While newer versions may face compatibility issues with DOCX files, many find it a suitable replacement for Word.
    Top Positive Comment
    KuboFHromoslav
    41

    If you do not need some very rare functions, LibreOffice Writer is better and totally libre alternative!

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    It's the best alternative I could find for Microsoft Office.

    harrietwintrose
    Positive
    0

    Probably has more functionality, but more important is that fid the UI much cleaner and so much easier to use.

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    3 of 61 comments
    Microsoft Word Icon
    LibreOffice - Writer icon

    • Almost everyone thinks LibreOffice - Writer is a great Microsoft Word alternative.

    • LibreOffice - Writer is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Microsoft Word.

    • LibreOffice - Writer is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Microsoft Word.

    • LibreOffice - Writer is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft Word is Paid and Proprietary
    • LibreOffice - Writer is Privacy focused and LightweightMicrosoft Word is not according to our users
  2. ONLYOFFICE icon

    ONLYOFFICE

     628 likes
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    Open-source office suite offering document, spreadsheet, and presentation editing with co-editing modes, plugin support, integration across 30+ services, robust security, and mobile access. Available in Community, Enterprise, and Home Server editions for versatile deployment.

    70 ONLYOFFICE alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • AppImageHub
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Samsung Galaxy Store
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flatpak
    • Cloudron
    ONLYOFFICE screenshot 1
     
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    7
    82
    Comments about ONLYOFFICE as an Alternative to Microsoft Word
    Top Positive Comment
    Alternative Software
    2

    Very easy to use and has a familiar interface. It’s much better than LibreOffice for both compatibility with MS Word and its overall design.

    RemovedUser
    Positive
    2

    Best alternative I tested to date.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    3

    If you know how to use Word, the you will feel at home using OnlyOffice. It's feature rich, supports all platforms and even the browser. You can collaborate with other people, and OnlyOffcie respects your privacy.

    Compared to something like Apple Pages, it's not the cleanest and smoothest experience, but if you have used MS Word og LibreOffice, it won't be a problem.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
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    3 of 7 comments
    Microsoft Word Icon
    ONLYOFFICE icon

    • Almost everyone thinks ONLYOFFICE is a great Microsoft Word alternative.

    • ONLYOFFICE is the most popular Web-based, Android, iPhone, iPad, SaaS, Android Tablet & Self-Hosted alternative to Microsoft Word.

    • ONLYOFFICE is Free Personal and Open SourceMicrosoft Word is Paid and Proprietary
    • ONLYOFFICE is Privacy focusedMicrosoft Word is not according to our users
  4. Apache OpenOffice Writer icon

    Apache OpenOffice Writer

     682 likes
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    Writer, part of the Apache OpenOffice suite, is an open-source word processor. It supports the ISO standard Open Document Format (ODF) for data interchange as its default file format, as well as Microsoft Office 97-2003 formats, Microsoft Office 2007...

    72 Apache OpenOffice Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Main window
     
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    10
    108
    Comments about Apache OpenOffice Writer as an Alternative to Microsoft Word
    Top Positive Comment
    chtfn
    6

    Unfortunately, is lagging far behind LibreOffice. Would be great to see development pick up and take a different direction, but it seems very much stalled, with the latest major in 2014 (7 years ago at the time of writing). I strongly recommend using LibreOffice instead, for security reasons, and also for newer features.

    Top Negative Comment
    AndreStork
    1

    It's pretty much the worst Office alternative available. It has a bad UI and I shouldn't talk about compatibility with .docx files

    KuboFHromoslav
    Positive
    1

    OpenOffice was a great alternative to Word about 15 years ago. Since then, the development has staled and the new leader is LibreOffice. Unless you are using OpenOffice for some obscure, niche reason (compatibility with very old stuff, "not fixing what is not broken", etc) a much better alternative to MS Word would be LibreOffice.

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    3 of 10 comments
    Microsoft Word Icon
    Apache OpenOffice Writer icon

    • Most users think Apache OpenOffice Writer is a great Microsoft Word alternative.

    • Apache OpenOffice Writer is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft Word is Paid and Proprietary
    • Apache OpenOffice Writer is Privacy focusedMicrosoft Word is not according to our users
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Zoho Writer icon
    Zoho Writer

    Cloud-based word processor with AI assistant for improved writing, document publishing across platforms, e-signature, mobile apps, and MS Word compatibility. Offers collaborative tools, custom workflows, secure cloud storage, and...

    https://www.zoho.com
    Learn More
  6. WPS Writer icon

    WPS Writer

     113 likes
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    WPS Writer, part of WPS Office , is dependable and fast word processing software that is highly compatible with Microsoft Word , and can read and edit DOC and DOCX formats.

    68 WPS Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
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    22
    177
    Comments about WPS Writer as an Alternative to Microsoft Word
    Comment summary: WPS Writer is praised for its similarity to Microsoft Word, featuring a comparable interface, low system requirements, and cross-platform stability. Users enjoy its wide range of features, including PDF conversion, and note its compatibility with DOCX files. Despite positive feedback, some users express concerns about limited open-source availability, lack of an equation editor on Linux, spell-check issues, and occasional document navigation frustrations.
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    7

    I think WPS Office is the closest you can get to Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint). It handels .docx witch was my main problem. The WPS Writer may be in a early stage but I see alot of potential of it becomming better, more easy to use, beautiful and more stable.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    8

    Very poor multi language / proofing support.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    2

    The tool almost same as microsoft office. I think It's the closest to microsoft office

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
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    3 of 22 comments
    Microsoft Word Icon
    WPS Writer icon

    • Almost everyone thinks WPS Writer is a great Microsoft Word alternative.

    • WPS Writer is Freemium and ProprietaryMicrosoft Word is Paid and Proprietary
  7. TextMaker icon

    TextMaker

     64 likes
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    TextMaker is the word processor in SoftMaker Office – fast, powerful, compatible and GDPR-compliant.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    TextMaker screenshot 1
     
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    8
    65
    Comments about TextMaker as an Alternative to Microsoft Word
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    5

    If you are like me: one who only needs the necessary to fulfill your needs, and really like when the response of the software comes quickly (think that the MS Office in general certainly does not). This is the right solution. It is fully compatible with outputs formats from MS Word; it is fast; and it does everything you need to white a nice and organized document, whatever that is.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    it's the absolute #1 alternative to Micro$oft !!!

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Similar feature set; much much faster with larger documents.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
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    3 of 8 comments
    Microsoft Word Icon
    TextMaker icon

    • Almost everyone thinks TextMaker is a great Microsoft Word alternative.

    • TextMaker is Freemium and ProprietaryMicrosoft Word is Paid and Proprietary
    • TextMaker is LightweightMicrosoft Word is not according to our users
  8. Walling icon

    Walling

     44 likes
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    Working on a project, researching a topic or writing an article? Walling makes it easy to break down your ideas, refine them and visually organize them.

    274 Walling alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Walling screenshot 1
     
  10. Zoho Writer icon

    Zoho Writer

     58 likes
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    Cloud-based word processor with AI assistant for improved writing, document publishing across platforms, e-signature, mobile apps, and MS Word compatibility. Offers collaborative tools, custom workflows, secure cloud storage, and seamless integration with other Zoho applications.

    76 Zoho Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    Zoho Writer screenshot 1
     
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    2
    14
    Comments about Zoho Writer as an Alternative to Microsoft Word
    offtheshelves
    Positive
    -1

    DISCONTINUED. Replaced by Zoho WorkDrive which is NOT FREE.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Awesome interface, is does not conform to the previous stigma and innovates

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Microsoft Word Icon
    Zoho Writer icon

    • Most users think Zoho Writer is a great Microsoft Word alternative.

    • Zoho Writer is Free Personal and ProprietaryMicrosoft Word is Paid and Proprietary
    • Zoho Writer is Privacy focusedMicrosoft Word is not according to our users
  11. Story Architect (STARC) icon

    Story Architect (STARC)

     14 likes
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    A smooth yet powerful writing experience for devoted authors. With only wanted features and native workflow it runs faster than all your previous apps combined.

    42 Story Architect (STARC) alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once or Subscription)
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Chrome OS
    • AppImageHub
    • Flathub
    • Android
    Story Architect (STARC) screenshot 1
     
  14. Daino Notes icon

    Daino Notes

     8 likes
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    Offers fast, distraction-free note-taking via a high-performance editor with real-time Markdown, local-first storage, image support, Kanban task boards, intuitive drag-and-drop, keyboard shortcuts, configurable themes, fast search, and cross-platform access.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Daino Notes screenshot 1
     
  15. Saga.so icon

    Saga.so

     11 likes
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    Integrates documents and notes for unified knowledge management, autolinks concepts, provides always-on search, public web sharing, real-time collaboration, drag & drop external files, unifies multiple tools for collective team workflows and efficient content creation.

    26 Saga.so alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Saga.so screenshot 1
     
12 of 34 Microsoft Word alternatives