Microsoft Word
The standard word processor whose .docx format most offices, schools and publishers expect.
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- Alternatives ranked
- 7
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About Microsoft Word
Word is the word processor most people learned on and the one whose file format the rest of the industry copies. The desktop version handles everything from letters to long reports with styles, tables of contents, citations, mail merge, track changes and detailed page layout, and it is still what many publishers, law firms and universities require for submissions. A free web version covers everyday editing and real-time co-authoring through a Microsoft account, while the full desktop app comes with a Microsoft 365 subscription; a one-time Office purchase is also still sold for those who avoid subscriptions. Copilot can draft and summarise text in paid plans. The downside is complexity: decades of features make the ribbon crowded, and layout can still behave unpredictably with images and complex formatting. It runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and the web.
Best for: Writers and offices that must send and receive .docx files with exact formatting.
Pros and cons
What works
- The reference implementation of .docx, so files look the same for recipients
- Track changes, comments and styles are mature and widely understood
- Free web version with real-time co-authoring
Why people leave
- Full desktop features need a Microsoft 365 subscription
- Layout with images and tables can still shift unexpectedly
- The ribbon is crowded for simple writing
Top Microsoft Word alternatives
See all 7- 1
Google Docs81.5Free, browser-based and simpler, with the smoothest real-time collaboration.
- 2
LibreOffice62.6LibreOffice Writer is a free desktop word processor that opens and saves .docx.
- 3
Apple Pages59.6Free on Apple devices with cleaner page-layout tools and Word export.
- 4
ONLYOFFICE57.2Open-source editor whose interface and .docx handling stay very close to Word.
- 5
Zoho Writer55.3Free online word processor with offline desktop apps and document automation.
Why people left Microsoft Word
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Microsoft Word: common questions
Is Microsoft Word free?
Microsoft Word has a free plan and paid plans. Free version: Word for the web (checked on Microsoft Word's own site).
Is Microsoft Word open source?
No, Microsoft Word is not open source. Open-source alternatives include LibreOffice and ONLYOFFICE.
What platforms does Microsoft Word run on?
Microsoft Word is available for Web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to Microsoft Word?
The highest-ranked Microsoft Word alternatives right now are Google Docs, LibreOffice and Apple Pages. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.