The best alternatives to Microsoft Word

If we ask you, “How do you write texts on your computer?” Then the answer would probably be “With Word.” Microsoft’s word processing program has dominated the market for decades, but it also costs money.

Some would argue that quality comes at a price. For many, however, this is no longer an argument, and they are therefore looking for cheaper or even free alternatives that fulfill the same purpose as Word but do not put a strain on their wallet.

So if you’ve been looking for a new text program for a long time, or if Word with its full range of functions is too expensive for you, then please take a look at these four alternatives. And if you absolutely have to use Word, there is a free option for that too.

Although Microsoft sets the Office standard for word processing with Word, there are good alternatives, such as Writer as part of LibreOffice. Functionally, you can really let off steam with the open-source office, and it’s an absolute recommendation for private use.

In purely functional terms, you should be able to use LibreOffice in many cases in companies, but the problem is the compatibility with Microsoft Office, which is tacitly assumed in the business world. For example, if you create a document with colleagues from other companies and everyone uses Word, it is quite annoying if you use Writer and this causes layout shifts, for example.

We prefer LibreOffice, but of course you can also use the more popular one, OpenOffice. You can also find Writer there as a Word replacement. But note that LibreOffice is better maintained.

There is no shortage of online alternatives for Office programs. Since a Google account is simply already available for many users due to the widespread use of Android and Gmail, Google Docs a possible Word alternative.

It is comparable to Word Online and offers similar advantages, such as easy team editing and simple options for sharing text documents. But the disadvantages are also similar: you put your own texts on Google servers and have to be online to edit them. Compared to the Word desktop version, you also have to make functional compromises. But the only way to find out whether it really hurts is to try it out.

It is also available as a free Office alternative, SoftMaker FreeOffice. It includes alternatives to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and is committed to compatibility with Microsoft formats.

In order to use it, you have to register once with your name and email address. You can then use the package to create your own text documents, which, compared to online services, can also be done offline, for example, on the train.

Changing a document quickly on your smartphone or tablet also works. The program recognizes that work is being done via touchscreen and, for example, enlarges the icons and distances so that operation can also be done with fingers.

Compared to the other three Word alternatives, WriteMonkey has the fewest features. But that doesn’t mean that the text program is the worst way to go. If you’re someone who gets easily distracted by colorful icons and lots of options, you’ve come to the right place.

Other target group: If you like to travel in a minimalist way, then WriteMonkey is exactly the right thing because there are no distractions; the content is more important here.

The developers opted for a very simple design: writing takes place in full-screen mode on a black background (can be adjusted). You won’t be distracted by any subcategories or other features. Full concentration is required when writing here.

Of course, you don’t have to do without common features such as copying from the clipboard, setting the page size or printing out immediately.

The good news is that for many home users, Microsoft Word is also free. You can use it with a Microsoft account and via the official online version of Office. You can then easily open Microsoft Word in the browser.

Note that this version is slimmed down compared to the desktop version. In many cases, however, the range of functions should be sufficient. You can just try it out to see if this works for you. If you reach your limits with online Word, you can always switch to one of the alternatives presented above with more functions.

There is no real Word alternative preinstalled under Windows. Of course you can have different requirements. To simply write raw text, the editor (also known as Notepad) may be sufficient. Functionally, however, you are severely limited.

An old classic is no longer included as standard in Windows 11. WordPad is no longer installed. Microsoft has stopped working on the software and no longer offers it for subsequent installation via the Microsoft Store. But what you will find there are third-party solutions.

Apple users also receive a suitable Word alternative called Pages when they purchase the device. The software is free to use on Apple devices and brings an intuitive, distraction-free interface that focuses on creative layout and design.

The advantages include seamless synchronization via iCloud, high-quality templates, and new AI writing tools that support formulation. However, a major disadvantage remains the limited compatibility: when exporting to Word format (.docx), formatting errors can occur, and collaboration with non-Apple users is often cumbersome.

In addition, compared to Microsoft Word, Pages lacks some advanced functions for complex scientific work or in-depth data analysis. However, most private users should be able to do their writing work well with Pages.