LibreOffice 25.8: New features
By LibreOffice - The Document Foundation ·
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Best Free Word Processors 2026: 7 Options Compared
Best free Word Processors compared: LibreOffice, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, ONLYOFFICE and 3 more, with free-plan limits, platforms and prices from official pages checked October 23, 2026.
•3 min read•Office, Docs & Presentations
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LibreOffice | Free (download and use at no cost per its site) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Offline writing on any computer | Docs only |
| Google Docs | Free (Free for anyone with a Google Account; storage comes from the Google account quota) | Web, iOS, Android | Shared drafts and comments | Docs only |
| Microsoft Word | Free (Word for the web is free with a Microsoft account; files must be saved in OneDrive, which includes 5 GB on a free account) | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web browser | People who exchange .docx daily | Docs only |
| ONLYOFFICE | Free (Startup cloud plan with up to 3 admins, unlimited users and guests, 12 rooms and 2 GB of storage); paid from $20 per admin/month (Business cloud plan; only admins are paid) | Web, Self-hosted, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Closest Word-style layout | Docs only |
| WPS Office | Free (Free WPS Standard: 1 user, 1 GB cloud storage, limited AI tools) | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Web browser | Users who want a Word-like ribbon | Docs only |
| Zoho Writer | Free (Free for individuals and organizations with no document limit; DOCX import up to 50 MB) | Web browser, Android, iOS | Teams already using Zoho | Docs only |
| SoftMaker FreeOffice | Free (Free for personal and business use) | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Older or lower-spec computers | Docs only |
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See the tools in action
Images from the linked documentation. Versions and features may differ from current plans.
LibreOffice Writer — official interface example
The Document Foundation · Source · CC BY-SA 3.0
Good fit if
- You want a Word replacement that never needs an account (LibreOffice is the pick)
- You co-edit documents with several people at once (Google Docs is the pick)
- Clients send you .docx files that must keep their layout (ONLYOFFICE is the pick)
- Your team already uses Zoho apps (Zoho Writer is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You need paid-tier features, uptime guarantees or support that these free plans leave out
Free word processors now cover almost everything a normal user does: letters, reports, résumés, school essays, tables and footnotes. What separates them is where the file lives and how well they open Microsoft formats. Web-based editors, Google Docs, Word for the web, Zoho Writer, are the easiest start because you sign in and type, and sharing a link replaces emailing attachments. The price is that your documents sit in someone else's cloud, and Word for the web insists on saving to OneDrive. Desktop programs, LibreOffice Writer, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors, WPS Office and SoftMaker FreeOffice, keep files on your disk and work offline, and they are better when you need page layout, long documents or tight control over fonts. Fidelity with .docx files varies, so open a real document you care about before committing, because layout shifts in tables and headers are the usual complaint. Some free tiers also add limits, such as storage in a cloud account or an AI feature behind a paywall. LibreOffice and ONLYOFFICE publish their code, which matters if you want to avoid vendor lock-in. The list below gives each tool's own free limit and where it comes from.
LibreOffice
The reference free desktop option under MPL-2.0 with no accounts, ads or paid tier on the download page. Writer opens and saves .docx, though complex layouts can shift.
Price: Free (download and use at no cost per its site) (LibreOffice pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux. MPL-2.0 (open source).
Best for: Offline writing on any computer.
Worth knowing: Desktop suite of Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base and Math; it has no built-in cloud storage or email.
Google Docs
Free with a Google Account and best for real-time co-editing; storage counts against the account quota. Offline use needs setup, and Word-format fidelity is decent but not perfect.
Price: Free (Free for anyone with a Google Account; storage comes from the Google account quota) (Google Docs pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Web, iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: Shared drafts and comments.
Compare: Google Docs alternatives
Microsoft Word
Word for the web is free with a Microsoft account and has the closest Word look, though files must be saved to OneDrive (5 GB on a free account) and the editing feature set is trimmed.
Price: Free (Word for the web is free with a Microsoft account; files must be saved in OneDrive, which includes 5 GB on a free account) (Microsoft Word pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web browser. Proprietary.
Best for: People who exchange .docx daily.
Compare: Microsoft Word alternatives
ONLYOFFICE
Strong .docx compatibility in a free desktop editor, with an AGPL-3.0 server if you self-host. The hosted startup plan has limits on admins, rooms and 2 GB of storage.
Price: Free (Startup cloud plan with up to 3 admins, unlimited users and guests, 12 rooms and 2 GB of storage); paid from $20 per admin/month (Business cloud plan; only admins are paid) (ONLYOFFICE pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web, Self-hosted, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. AGPL-3.0 (Docs server) (open source).
Project activity: 7.1k GitHub stars · latest release v10.0.0 (Oct 12, 2026) · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Best for: Closest Word-style layout.
WPS Office
Free WPS Standard gives one user 1 GB of cloud storage with limited AI tools; the interface is familiar to Word users. Closed source.
Price: Free (Free WPS Standard: 1 user, 1 GB cloud storage, limited AI tools) (WPS Office pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Web browser. Proprietary.
Best for: Users who want a Word-like ribbon.
Zoho Writer
Free for individuals and organizations with no document limit and imports DOCX up to 50 MB. Part of the Zoho suite, so it pairs well with their other free apps.
Price: Free (Free for individuals and organizations with no document limit; DOCX import up to 50 MB) (Zoho Writer pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Web browser, Android, iOS. Proprietary.
Best for: Teams already using Zoho.
SoftMaker FreeOffice
Free for personal and business use, aimed at Microsoft-format compatibility on a lighter install than LibreOffice. Not open source.
Price: Free (Free for personal and business use) (SoftMaker FreeOffice pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: Older or lower-spec computers.
Worth knowing: Word processor (TextMaker), spreadsheet (PlanMaker) and Presentations; compatible with Microsoft Office formats.
Which one to pick
- You want a Word replacement that never needs an account: LibreOffice
- You co-edit documents with several people at once: Google Docs
- Clients send you .docx files that must keep their layout: ONLYOFFICE
- Your team already uses Zoho apps: Zoho Writer
Limits of this review
Docs-only for LibreOffice, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, ONLYOFFICE, WPS Office, Zoho Writer, SoftMaker FreeOffice: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you commit.
Related guides
More in Office, Docs & Presentations
- Microsoft Word alternatives
- Microsoft Office alternatives
- Microsoft Excel alternatives
- Google Docs alternatives
Sources
Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Based on official pricing, license and product pages checked between 2026-10-22 and 2026-10-23: LibreOffice, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, ONLYOFFICE, WPS Office, Zoho Writer, SoftMaker FreeOffice. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.