Microsoft Word is a full-featured word processor for creating, formatting, and editing documents, including real-time collaboration and AI-assisted writing. Users frequently praise its comprehensive features, though many seek alternatives due to high costs or preference for open-source solutions.
LibreOffice Writer ranks as the top alternative, offering a free, open-source replacement that handles most Word workflows without licensing fees. ONLYOFFICE takes second place with strong Microsoft-format compatibility and office-style co-editing that teams need for collaborative document work. Google Docs rounds out the top three with web-first editing and real-time collaboration, though some users raise privacy concerns about surveillance.
For specialized writing needs, Story Architect adds character tracking, plot management, and scene organization that goes well beyond typical office tools. Framapad brings built-in group chat with color-identified participants for live brainstorming sessions. The landscape splits between full office suites and collaboration-first web editors, giving users options across different workflow preferences.
Microsoft Word is a word processor, with alternatives spanning full office suites and web collaboration editors. Open source options like LibreOffice Writer, ONLYOFFICE, and AbiWord provide transparent licensing and offline-friendly editing for users who prioritize open-source software.
Linux users have native support in LibreOffice Writer, ONLYOFFICE, and AbiWord without Windows dependencies. For self-hosted collaboration, ONLYOFFICE, Etherpad, and Framapad offer control over where documents live, useful for organizations that need data sovereignty. Web-based editing through Google Docs, ONLYOFFICE, and Word Online serves teams that need browser-based workflows with collaboration features for distributed teams. Cross-platform users can choose ONLYOFFICE, WPS Writer, and Zoho Writer for editing across desktop and mobile devices.
Words is an intuitive word processor and desktop publisher application. With it, you can create informative and attractive documents with pleasure and ease.
Almost everyone thinks Calligra Words is a great Microsoft Word alternative.
Authorea is the online document editor for researchers that allows researchers to write, cite, host data, and publish research documents. Authorea is trusted worldwide by leading researchers writing and publishing content in every discipline, from astrophysics to zoology.
Much better for writing academic papers/documents
Almost everyone thinks Authorea is a great Microsoft Word alternative.
Switch between typing and voice to take notes with ease, supporting 40 languages. Real-time transcription captures paragraphs and emoticons while ensuring clear punctuation. Pro upgrade offers cloud storage and multiple note management options.
It has a WYSIWYG editor similar to MS Word and its online.
Cloud based document storage and editing, without giving up your privacy.
Almost everyone thinks Airborn is a great Microsoft Word alternative.
Nisus Writer feels like home with support for Mac OS X autosave, document versioning, and iCloud. Built from the same core as Nisus Writer Pro, Express features the same elegant user interface and compatibility that has been universally praised by both users and press alike.
Nisus Writer is a powerful stable long text editor you can rely on even with scientific booklength manuscripts with many long footnotes and right-to-left languages like Hebrew, tables, headers, footers, images, table of contents, bibliography, index, and more. I work with it since more than thirty years (Nisus 3). It is very well crafted piece of software.
Gingko Writer is a text editor that uses a tree-like structure to help you organize and visualize your thoughts, making it easier to outline, draft, and refine complex texts.
Scriptable, macros, multipart selection, styles. Multilingual. Text expanding feature. Document Manager. Use any number of keys to execute menu command, e.g. press Command key, then FAU for "Find all uppercase words." Extremely customizable.
Lattics is an all-in one knowledge management tool. It offers most of the things in Obsidian, Scrivener and Zotero together.
Campfire provides a one-stop-shop for novelists: organizational and writing tools (Campfire Write), a hub of writing resources (Campfire Learn), & a writing and reading platform for building an audience and sharing your work (Campfire Explore).
Mellel is a sophisticated, time-tested and reliable word processor, especially designed to handle long and complicated documents, books, manuscripts, dissertations, and more.
Mellel is almost the best choice for working with DOCX files without MS Word. As soon as it is able to export the comments to DOCX, it does everything that a writer needs for his editorial communication with a publishing house. Very long documents, very long and many footnotes, especially Hebrew text editing, sophisticated index features and writing helps, and many more features a writer really needs: Mellel has it all.
I've used many word processors before. Mellel is the best option.
Most users think Mellel is a great Microsoft Word alternative.
A powerful writing environment for novelists and screenwriters
Do you have a story to tell? Unlike conventional word processors, Storyist helps you track your plot, characters, and settings, and keeps all of your writing organized and accessible—so you can focus on telling your.
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It lacks many features and the UI is a mess.