The best free alternative to Word depends on how you plan to use it: LibreOffice Writer for working offline on a computer, Google Docs for collaborative writing online, and ONLYOFFICE for sharing .docx files with Word users. Word itself is also available in a free, browser-based version with a Microsoft account.
This comparison presents 9 free word processors: what the free version includes, offline functionality, opening and saving .docx files, collaborative editing, and supported platforms. The information was gathered on October 9, 2026, from the publishers’ websites.
Before switching to a different program, Word Online may be sufficient. It’s free with a Microsoft account, includes 5 GB of storage on OneDrive, and allows multiple people to edit a document in real time, provided it’s saved to OneDrive.
Limitations: It works only online, and several features of the desktop software are missing: mail merge, macros, document comparison, bibliography, and section breaks. Password-protected documents open in read-only mode. On phones and tablets 10.1 inches or smaller, the Word app also lets you edit documents for free. The Microsoft 365 Basic subscription (€2 per month, including tax) adds 100 GB of storage but does not include Word for desktop, which is available starting with Microsoft 365 Personal at €99 per year.
Go to Word for the Web
LibreOffice is a free and open-source office suite published by The Document Foundation, a foundation incorporated under German law. Writer, its word processor, can be installed on Windows, macOS, and Linux and works offline. It opens and saves .docx files and can be set to use this format by default (Tools, Options, Load/Save).
Free: Yes, no paid version available. Latest version: 26.8.1, released on October 8, 2026.
Limitations: No real-time collaborative editing in the desktop version, and on Android, the app is mainly used for viewing documents.
Go to LibreOffice Writer
Google Docs is a free online word processor available with a Google account. Multiple people can edit the same document at the same time, and a .docx file uploaded to Google Drive opens directly in Docs without requiring conversion.
Free: Yes, with 15 GB of storage shared across Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. Paid: Google One starting at €1.99 per month for 100 GB; for businesses, Google Workspace Business Starter at €6.80 (excluding tax) per user per month, billed monthly. Without an Internet connection: on a computer, using Chrome or Edge and the Google Docs Offline extension.
Limitations: Macros in Word files are not supported, and charts or SmartArt graphics are converted to images or drawings.
Go to Google Docs
ONLYOFFICE, published by Ascensio System in Riga, Latvia, offers free desktop editors for Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as apps for Android and iOS. They open DOCX, ODT, XLSX, and PPTX files, and the editor claims “excellent compatibility with Microsoft Office formats.” Documents shared online can be edited collaboratively in real time.
Free: Yes, the desktop version is “completely free for personal use.” Paid: Online plans for businesses (DocSpace, ONLYOFFICE Docs). Latest desktop version: 9.4.0, released on May 19, 2026.
Limitations: The publisher does not specify whether the free desktop version can be used for professional purposes.
Go to ONLYOFFICE
WPS Office combines a word processor, a spreadsheet program, and presentation software, similar to Microsoft Office. It opens and saves files in .doc, .docx, and .docm formats, and is available for computers, mobile devices, and online. It is published by WPS Software, based in Singapore, a subsidiary of Kingsoft Office Software.
Free: Yes, ad-supported, with 1 GB of online storage and limited access to templates. Paid: WPS Pro+ for $69.99 per year, ad-free, with 20 GB of storage and full PDF editing capabilities.
Limitations: Ads in the free version, and prices are displayed only in dollars.
Go to WPS Office
Zoho Writer is the word processor in the Zoho suite. It is free for both individuals and organizations, with full functionality and an unlimited number of documents. It works online, with an offline mode in the browser, and as a desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It creates, edits, and saves .docx files and allows multiple users to write together in real time.
Free: Yes; supports importing .docx files up to 50 MB. Paid: A business edition, the price of which is not listed on the Zoho Writer page.
Limitations: Offline mode depends on the browser you are using.
Go to Zoho Writer
FreeOffice is the free suite from SoftMaker. Its word processor, TextMaker, can be installed on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and the company claims its software is “100% compatible” with its Microsoft Office counterparts. The suite is free for both personal and commercial use.
Free: Yes, including for business use. On mobile: The publisher directs users to SoftMaker Office for Android and iOS.
Limitations: No real-time collaborative editing.
Go to FreeOffice
Pages is Apple's word processor, available for free on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and accessible from a Windows PC at iCloud.com. It imports Word files and exports to Word, PDF, EPUB, RTF, and plain text formats. Multiple people can edit a shared document at the same time.
Free: Yes, including creation, editing, and collaboration. Paid: The Apple Creator Studio subscription (€12.99 per month or €129 per year) adds templates and AI features.
Limitations: Not available for Windows or Android; on Android, you can view a shared document but cannot edit it.
Go to Apple Pages
Apache OpenOffice is a free and open-source office suite for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Writer opens .docx files; its documentation states that it saves in the Microsoft Word format, without specifying .docx.
Free: Yes. Latest version: 4.1.16, November 10, 2025. The project has scrapped version 4.2 and is working on version 5, with no release date announced.
Limitations: Updates are infrequent. For a free alternative of the same type, LibreOffice is updated more frequently.
Go to Apache OpenOffice Writer
Yes. Word for the web is free with a Microsoft account and includes 5 GB of OneDrive storage. It works only online and does not have all the features of the desktop version: for example, it does not support mail merges, macros, or document comparisons. On phones and tablets with screens 10.1 inches or smaller, the Word app also lets you edit documents for free.
It depends on how you plan to use it. LibreOffice Writer is the most comprehensive option for working offline and saving files in .docx format. Google Docs is the simplest option for collaborative writing. ONLYOFFICE, which its developer describes as highly compatible with Microsoft Office formats, is suitable for exchanging .docx files with Word users.
LibreOffice Writer, ONLYOFFICE, WPS Office, FreeOffice TextMaker, and Apache OpenOffice are desktop applications. ONLYOFFICE is marketed by its publisher as a suite designed for offline use. Google Docs offers an offline mode in Chrome or Edge via an extension, and Zoho Writer is available in the browser or through its desktop app. Word for the Web, on the other hand, requires an internet connection.
Yes, all the software programs in this comparison open .docx files. LibreOffice, ONLYOFFICE, WPS Office, and Zoho Writer also save them in this format, and Apple Pages exports them; FreeOffice claims to be compatible with Microsoft Office files. Google Docs modifies the file or converts it, but does not support macros and converts certain elements into images. Apache OpenOffice opens .docx files; its documentation does not indicate that it saves them in this format.
LibreOffice, FreeOffice (for personal and commercial use), and Zoho Writer (for individuals and organizations) allow this. ONLYOFFICE offers its desktop version for free for personal use, without specifying anything regarding professional use. Google Docs is free with a personal account; for businesses, Google Workspace starts at €6.80 (excluding tax) per user per month, billed monthly.
Not much. Its latest version, 4.1.16, was released on November 10, 2025. The project has abandoned version 4.2 and is working on version 5, with no release date set. LibreOffice, which is based on the same code, releases several versions a year: version 26.8.1 was released on October 8, 2026.
Google Docs, Word for the Web, Zoho Writer, ONLYOFFICE Online, and Apple Pages allow multiple people to edit a document in real time. With Word for the Web, the file must be saved to OneDrive; with Pages, participants using Android can only view the document.
Switching word processors doesn't solve the problem of existing documents: in a business setting, they remain scattered across Microsoft 365, Google Drive, SharePoint, email, and file servers.
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