The best Microsoft Word alternatives in 2026

All eight offer a free way to edit documents, and they differ most in the “AI capabilities” column.

All eight open and save Word files, but they describe that support in different ways. Some work in the native format, some import and export it, and some make a vendor compatibility claim. They also differ on offline use and where they run.

We used Word as the baseline, because it has native .docx, full page layout, tracked changes and comments, and Copilot on Microsoft 365 plans. We compared each alternative on five points:

1. Word files: whether it opens and saves .docx, and what the vendor documents about keeping sections, headers and footers, footnotes, numbering, tracked changes, and comments.
2. Built-in AI: what it can do, and whether you can review each change before you keep it.
3. Collaboration: whether other people can edit the same document, and how.
4. Price: what one person pays, compared with Microsoft 365 Personal.
5. Platforms and control: where it runs, and whether it is open source or can be self-hosted.

The order is our editorial judgment, and it gives the most weight to Word file handling and AI editing. It is based on each vendor’s documentation, listed prices, and our separate hands-on test of Revise, Copilot, and Gemini. We did not run the same Word file through all eight. If price or privacy matters more to you, use the fit table further down instead of the order of the list.

Where this post refers to our own test, it means our AI document review test, which ran several of these tools on the same contract in August 2026.

It helps to start with the reason you are leaving Word. If the files still have to go back to Word users, the alternatives that document their Word handling in detail matter most. If you just want to stop paying, the free desktop suites provide core word processing without a subscription.

• Native format. .docx is Word’s own format, so there is less risk of problems from conversion. In our review test, Word handled the test file and exported it with its formatting intact.
• Review tools everywhere. Track Changes works in Word on the desktop, the web, iPhone, and iPad (Microsoft support).
• AI already included. Microsoft 365 Personal includes Copilot in Word, and Family includes it for the subscription owner. Both have usage limits.
• Wide platform support. Word runs on the web, Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, and Word for the web is free with a Microsoft account.

If you receive Word files only occasionally, the free Word for the web may be all you need alongside another editor.

For comparison, Microsoft 365 Personal is $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year and includes the Word desktop apps and Copilot with usage limits. Word for the web is free.

1. Save old files as .docx. Some editors, including Revise, do not open the older .doc format.
2. Test your hardest document first. Use the one with section breaks, numbered clauses, footnotes, and tracked changes.
3. Check the tricky parts. Open the converted file and look at the page breaks, headers and footers, and numbered lists.
4. Send one file back to a Word user and ask them to open it before you move everything.

The best way to choose is to think about where your documents go next. If they stay with you or your team, a free option may be enough, depending on your collaboration, layout, and AI needs. If they go back to Word users, test your hardest file in the alternative first.

If you are staying in Word and only want a different AI, see Copilot for Word alternatives.