6 Best Free Online Word Processors for 2023

Best Overall: Google Docs

If you're looking for a free online word processor that's similar to a traditional word processor, such as Microsoft Word, check out the popular Google Docs.

Google Docs lets you create, edit, and collaborate on documents quickly and easily, knowing you'll be able to access them anywhere you want, anytime you want. With robust editing options, you won't miss Microsoft Word a bit.

You can use it to insert images, tables, comments, and special characters, as well as headers and footers, bookmarks, and a table of contents. You can even type with just your voice! Collaboration is amazing with Google Docs, too, and you can even track edits made by multiple editors.

In addition to creating your own documents online, Google's word processor also lets you edit documents that exist on your computer (such as DOCX files) by simply uploading them to the site. This free site also serves as a functional PDF editor.

Google Docs is accessible through its mobile app and its website.

Best for MS Word Fans: Microsoft Word Online

Word Online is Microsoft's online word processor and is a stripped-down version of the popular Word desktop app. You can open documents you have stored in your OneDrive account.

It auto-saves your files 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. Another option is to transform the document into a web page (it uses Sway) that you can share with anyone.

Best for Collaborators: Zoho Writer

Zoho Writer is 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 ease. Documents auto-save, you can see past revisions that were made to the document, spelling errors are called out, there's an autocorrect feature you can customize, and you can upload MS Word files as well as save Zoho Writer documents to your computer in popular formats like PDF and DOCX.

One unique feature is the ability to chat as you collaborate on a document. 

Logging on is super simple if you already have a Google or Facebook account. It works from a computer and mobile devices.

Best Advanced Online Word Processor: ONLYOFFICE Personal

Sign in with your email, Google, LinkedIn, 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 in a variety of formats, including DOCX, PDF, ODT, TXT, RTF, and HTML.

This word processor looks very nice, a lot like MS Word. It even shares the same ability to hide the ribbon menu. There are plenty of other useful features; you can import a variety of objects (charts, pictures, tables, shapes, etc.), it supports plugins, and it lets you co-edit and chat with others, even the public. That 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.

Some other things worth mentioning: you have the ability to restore to older versions of documents so that you can undo changes another user made, the compare feature lets you see what's different between files, hyperlinks can be added to a place in the same document, and you can add a custom watermark.

Best for Focused Writing: Calmly Writer Online

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, enable smart punctuation.