Free WordPad Alternatives for Windows

There are many alternatives to WordPad for Windows and since it's discontinued a lot of people 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 WordPad and many of them are free and available for Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free Windows alternatives to WordPad are Apache OpenOffice Writer, FocusWriter, WPS Writer and WriteMonkey.

filter to find the best alternatives

WordPad alternatives are mainly Text Editors, but if you're looking for Word Processors or Office Suites you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Windows, Linux, iPad, Chrome OS, Windows + Free, Mac and Free. 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 WordPad.
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Alternatives list

  1. LibreOffice - Writer icon

    LibreOffice - Writer

     1303 likes

    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.

    88 LibreOffice - Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • ReactOS
    LibreOffice - Writer screenshot 1
     
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    11
    LibreOffice - Writer vs WordPad Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    TBayAreaPat
    1

    LibreOffice is great. If you want something more lightweight, consider HS Writer.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    4

    I like and use LibreOffice, but MS WordPad is extremely more simple than LibreOffice. A similar programme to WordPad is Abiword.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    DavidGP
    Negative
    2

    It's an idiotic comparison. Like calling an eighteen-wheeler an alternative to a bicycle.

    3 of 11 comments
    • LibreOffice - Writer is Free and Open SourceWordPad is Free and Proprietary
    • LibreOffice - Writer is Privacy focused and LightweightWordPad is not according to our users
  2. Apache OpenOffice Writer icon

    Apache OpenOffice Writer

     682 likes

    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...

    73 Apache OpenOffice Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Main window
     
  4. FocusWriter icon

    FocusWriter

     209 likes

    Simple but configurable and themeable, distraction-free text editor for writers. Open-source and available across desktop platforms.

    102 FocusWriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    FocusWriter screenshot 1
     
  5. WPS Writer icon

    WPS Writer

     113 likes

    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.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
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    1
    WPS Writer vs WordPad Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Modern Microsoft Word Look-Alike that opens MUCH faster than Word! Has EVERYTHING you need. Not as bloated as Libre. Stable, Familiar UI, and most importantly....FREE!

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • WPS Writer is Freemium and ProprietaryWordPad is Free and Proprietary
  7. Windows Notepad icon

    Windows Notepad

     181 likes

    Fast, streamlined editor with extensive features, bundled with Windows since 1985. Supports plain text, UTF-8, and over 100 languages with enhanced functionality since 2018, including dark mode, Bing search, and large file handling.

    143 Windows Notepad alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Windows Notepad screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Windows Notepad vs WordPad Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    10

    It's s a text editor, not a RTF editor like Wordpad. If you are looking for an alternative to wordpad, this has nothing to do with it.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Windows Notepad is Free and ProprietaryWordPad is also Free and Proprietary
    • Windows Notepad is Minimalistic and LightweightWordPad is not according to our users
  9. TextMaker icon

    TextMaker

     64 likes

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

    70 TextMaker alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    TextMaker screenshot 1
     
  10. Jarte icon

    Jarte

     21 likes

    The Jarte word processor uses Microsofts reliable, fast starting WordPad word processing engine while adding many features missing in WordPad.

    54 Jarte alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    Jarte screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Jarte vs WordPad Comments
    gapps
    Positive
    0

    Tried many. Kept coming back to simple efficiency of Jarte. Not a programmer, just wanted rich text. Jarte has all the options I need with no fuss. (Win11 user)

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    It is small, fast, efficient text editor. Many of the other results here are not. It is built on WordPad's "engline".

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Jarte is Freemium and ProprietaryWordPad is Free and Proprietary
  12. MarkFlowy icon

    MarkFlowy

     12 likes

    Modern markdown editor application, Build fast and efficient workflows.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    MarkFlowy screenshot 1
     
  13. AbleWord icon

    AbleWord

     14 likes

    AbleWord is a very capable word processing application that can read and write most popular document formats including PDF's.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Main screen
     
  14. Indigrid icon

    Indigrid

     27 likes

    A new medium for your ideas—augment your thinking with a text editor designed for structuring lists. Side-by-side views allow 3 modes of thinking.

    244 Indigrid alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Indigrid screenshot 1
     
12 of 37 WordPad alternatives