Software & Apps Apps 105 105 people found this article helpful 6 Best Free Online Word Processors for 2020 by Stacy Fisher Stacy is a freelancer with over 18 years experience writing about technology and personal finance. She has published hundreds of articles and co-authored a book. our editorial process Stacy Fisher Updated on January 16, 2020 Apps Best Apps Tweet Share Email Online word processors are a great alternative to the traditional word processor that you have to buy, install on your computer, and wait while it loads up and opens your document. The online word processors below are free, easy to use, and quick to get started with. We've found some excellent free online word processors and compiled them into the list below. These are the best online word processors out there and no matter what feature you're looking for, you're going to find an online word processor that works the best for you out of the options below. If you'd like a word processor that will do a little more, consider downloading some free word processor software. We also keep a list of free Microsoft Office alternatives if you're looking for more than just a word processor. 1:59 Free Word Processors Alternatives to MS Word Many of these free online word processors will allow you to use free Word templates to create professional documents in your online word processor. 01 of 06 Google Docs What We Like Cloud-based. Accessible from multiple devices. Google Script automation. Converts Word documents. What We Don't Like Limited features compared to Microsoft Word. Limited space. Requires a Google account. Our Review of Google Docs If you're looking for a free online word processor the most similar to a traditional word processor such as Microsoft Word then you're going to want to check out the popular Google Docs. Google Docs allows you to create, edit, and collaborate on documents quickly and easily knowing that you'll be able to access them anywhere you want, anytime you want. There's a bunch of editing options available and you won't miss Microsoft Office one bit with Google Docs. Though this word processor is entirely free, it doesn't at all mean that it's lacking in features; you can insert images, tables, comments, and special characters, as well as headers/footers, bookmarks, and a table of contents. You can even type with just your voice! In addition to creating your own documents online, Google's online word processor also lets you edit documents that exist on your computer (like DOCX files) by simply uploading them to Google Docs. Visit Google Docs 02 of 06 Zoho Writer What We Like Lots of collaboration tools. Accessible offline. Includes version controls. What We Don't Like Difficult to organize files. No spell check feature. Less functionality than Microsoft Word. Like Google Docs, Zoho Writer is an online word processor that's incredibly easy to use while at the same time has all the bells and whistles of a traditional word processor. You'll be able to create and edit documents with this free online word processor with ease. Spell check is included, documents are auto-saved, you can see past revisions that were made to the document, and you can upload MS Word files as well as save Zoho Writer documents to your computer in popular formats like PDF and DOCX. A unique feature of this online word processor is the ability to chat within Zoho Writer as you collaborate on a document. Logging on to Zoho Writer is super simple if you already have a Google, Yahoo!, Facebook, or Twitter account. Visit Zoho Writer 03 of 06 ONLYOFFICE Personal What We Like Intuitive to use. Many add-ons available. Easy to add images and formatting. What We Don't Like Difficult to import documents from other products. Limited documentation. Some features can be buggy. Sign in with your Google or Facebook account and get instant access to ONLYOFFICE Personal's free online word processor. You can upload existing DOCX files from your computer as well as from websites like Google Drive, Zoho, Box, and OneDrive. Documents can then be saved back to your computer This word processor looks very nice, has plenty of useful features, can import a variety of objects (charts, pictures, tables, shapes, etc.), and lets you co-edit and chat with others, even the public, which means they don't need to be logged in to their own account to collaborate with you. A document can be shared with read-only or full access rights. One feature worth mentioning is the ability to restore to older versions of documents so that you can undo changes another user may have made. Visit ONLYOFFICE Personal 04 of 06 Microsoft Word Online What We Like Edit Word documents for free. Interface is similar to the desktop app. Offers real time collaboration. Integrates with Skype. What We Don't Like Many missing features. No free offline option. Lacks support for many file formats. Word Online is Microsoft's online word processor and is a stripped down version of the popular Microsoft Word. You can open documents you have stored in your online OneNote account or use the upload button on Word Online to upload a file directly to the website. It auto-saves your documents and there are plenty of editing options like adding tables, headers and footers, pictures, and basically anything else you can do with a common word processor. You can also share a document with others rather easily, and download a copy of the file to your computer in DOCX, PDF, or ODT. Visit Microsoft Word Online 05 of 06 Calmly Writer Online What We Like Simple and clean interface. Focus mode highlights what you're working on. Automatically saves files. What We Don't Like Very limited features. No documentation available. Calmly Writer Online is unique because it would appear to lack all the bells and whistles of a normal word processor, but it actually has a lot going on in the background. The simplicity of the program makes sure you're concentrating on what really matters: your words. At the top of the workspace is a menu button where you can make a new document, open an existing one (from your computer or Google Drive), save the document (to TXT, HTM, or DOCX), insert pictures, toggle fullscreen, print, and change preferences. Some of the options you can play around with let you turn the workspace into a darker mode, adjust the text width and size, and more. Visit Calmly Writer Online 06 of 06 Thinkfree Office Online What We Like Advanced features available. Lightweight. Apps for multiple devices. What We Don't Like Poor template choices. Difficult to work with macros. Not many add-ons available. Thinkfree Office Online (also called Hancom Office Online) is a robust free online word processor that lets you edit existing MS Word documents, create new documents from scratch or via templates, and save your document offline in the DOCX format. There are lots of regular word processor tools in this editor. You can add shapes, images, tables, text boxes, symbols, headers and footers, pages numbers, hyperlinks, etc. This online word processor also supports bookmarks, page setup preferences, and more. Visit Thinkfree Office Word Web