Software & Apps Apps 131 131 people found this article helpful 7 Best Free Online Word Processors for 2021 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 06, 2021 Tweet Share Email Apps Best Apps Payment Services 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 options below are free and easy to use, and getting started is a breeze. These are the best online word processors out there and no matter what feature you're looking for, you're going to find one that works the best for you. Each one has unique features that make it excel over the others, but there are always a few drawbacks, so be sure to read through our descriptions to see what we learned while using them. 1:59 Free Word Processors Alternatives to MS Word 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. 01 of 07 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. It lets you 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 MS Word one bit. While 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 word processor also lets you edit documents that exist on your computer (like DOCX files) by simply uploading them to the site. You can use Google Docs through the mobile app or website. Visit Google Docs 02 of 07 Zoho Writer What We Like Lots of collaboration tools. Accessible offline. Includes version controls. What We Don't Like Difficult to organize files. Less functionality than MS 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 ease. Documents auto-save, you can see past revisions that were made to the document, spelling errors are called out, there's an auto correct 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. A unique feature of this online word processor 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. Visit Zoho Writer 03 of 07 ONLYOFFICE Personal What We Like Intuitive to use. Many add-ons available. Easy to add images and formatting. Public collaboration. What We Don't Like Difficult to import documents from other products. Limited documentation. Some features can be buggy. 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. Visit ONLYOFFICE Personal 04 of 07 Microsoft Word Online What We Like Edit Word documents for free. Interface is similar to the desktop app. Offers real time collaboration, even with non-users. Integrates with Skype. What We Don't Like Many missing features. 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 OneDrive account. 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. Another option is to transform the document into a web page (it uses Sway) that you can share with anyone. Visit Microsoft Word Online 05 of 07 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, enable smart punctuation. Visit Calmly Writer Online 06 of 07 Hancom Office Online What We Like Advanced features available. Lightweight. Apps for multiple devices. What We Don't Like Poor template choices. No share options. Supports only one format when downloading. Hancom Office Online (previously called Thinkfree Office Online) is a robust free online word processor that lets you create new documents from scratch or via templates, and save your document offline in the DOCX format. There are lots of typical tools in this editor. You can add shapes, images, tables, text boxes, symbols, headers and footers, pages numbers, hyperlinks, etc. It also supports bookmarks, custom page setup preferences, and more. Visit Hancom Office Online 07 of 07 Aspose.Words What We Like No user account required. Perfect for quick edits. Download the doc in three different formats. What We Don't Like Can't make a new document, only edit existing ones. Basic editing tools. This online word processor is a bit different than the others in this list because instead of letting you make a new file from scratch, its only purpose is editing existing files that you already have on your computer. One reason you'd use this site over the others is if you have a document, like a DOC or DOCX, but you don't have a program on your computer that can edit it. Sure, you could use one of the editors listed above, but Aspose.Words is great in that you don't have to wait around to make a user account; just upload the file, make the changes you need to, and then download it. It accepts lots of file types, including DOCX, PDF, MD, RTF, HTML, DOC, DOTX, DOT, ODT, OTT, TXT, MHTML, and XHTML. When you're ready to save, you can pick from DOCX, PDF, and HTML. Visit Aspose.Words Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! 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