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 FocusWriter, Apache OpenOffice Writer, WPS Writer and Windows Notepad.

filter to find the best alternatives

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

    92 LibreOffice - Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • ReactOS
     
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    11
  2. FocusWriter icon
     213 likes

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

    103 FocusWriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
     
  3. 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...

    75 Apache OpenOffice Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
     
  4. WPS Writer icon
     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
  5. Windows Notepad icon
     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
     
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    1
  6. TextMaker icon
     65 likes

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

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
  7. Jarte icon
     21 likes

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

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
     
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    2
  8. AbleWord icon
     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
     
  9. Indigrid icon
     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.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
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