How To Windows View, Create, and Edit Documents in Microsoft Word for Free Take advantage of Microsoft Word Online, Office 365, and the Word app Share Pin Email Print Windows Tips & Tricks Basics Guides & Tutorials Installing & Upgrading Key Concepts by Scott Orgera Scott Orgera is a former writer who covering tech since 2007. He has 25+ years experience as a programmer and QA leader, and holds several Microsoft certifications. Updated November 12, 2019 58 58 people found this article helpful Available as part of the Microsoft Office suite or as a standalone application, Microsoft Word typically isn't free. However, there are a few ways to use Word for free if you need to edit or view a file with a DOC or DOCX extension. Microsoft Word Online What We Like Available for any operating system. Sharing and collaboration features similar to Google Docs. What We Don't Like Lacks features of the desktop version. Must upload images to OneDrive to use in documents. Word Online offers an almost a full-fledged version of the popular word processor in a browser window. As part of Office Online, it provides all the viewing and editing features needed to create and edit new or existing documents. While not all features found in the desktop version are in this browser-based app, it stores edited files in a cloud-based OneDrive repository as well as on a local computer in DOCX, PDF, or ODT formats. Word Online includes sharing features so that you can invite other users to view or collaborate on any document. In addition, the app includes a feature that embeds documents into a blog post or a personal website. Part of the Office Online suite, Word Online is compatible with the latest versions of most well-known browsers on Linux, Mac, and Windows operating systems. Sign Up for a Free Microsoft Office Account Start Using Word Online The Microsoft Word Mobile App What We Like Intuitive touch screen interface. Dictate text with the iPhone voice-to-text feature. What We Don't Like Not available for free on all tablets. Typing on a small screen can be difficult. The Microsoft Word mobile app is available as a free download for Android and iOS devices through Google Play or the Apple App Store. The app requires an Office 365 subscription to create or edit documents on an iPad Pro. However, the core functionality is accessible for free on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad Air, and iPad mini devices and includes the ability to create, edit, and view Word documents. There are some advanced features that are only activated with a subscription. Similar limitations are found on the Android version of the app, where authenticating with a free Microsoft account unlocks the ability to create and edit Word documents on devices with screens 10.1 inches or smaller. This is great for Android phones. On an Android tablet, you'll need a subscription to do more than view documents. Sign Up for an Office 365 Home Subscription Download Word for Android Download Word for iOS Office 365 Home Trial What We Like Store documents online to sync and share between devices. Unrestricted access to the Microsoft Office suite. What We Don't Like Credit card required. Automatically renews at the annual rate if you don't cancel the trial. If you want the advanced features of Word that aren't found in Word Online and the Word mobile apps, Microsoft offers a free trial of Office 365 Home. This version installs the complete version of the Word word processor along with the rest of the Office suite. You can use Office 365 Home on up to five PCs or Macs as well as the full version of the apps on five tablets and phones. This free trial requires a valid credit card number and lasts for a full month. At the end of the free trial, you are charged a yearly fee if you don't cancel the subscription. Register for this trial subscription on the Microsoft Office Products portal. Sign Up for the Office 365 Home Trial LibreOffice What We Like Looks like the classic version of Word. Doesn't collect data from you. What We Don't Like Online collaboration requires advanced set up. The prompt and dialog menu text is small. While not a Microsoft product, the LibreOffice suite is a free alternative that supports Word document formats. Writer, part of the open-source package available for Linux, Mac, and Windows users, provides an easy-to-use word processor interface. Use Writer to view, edit, or create new files from over a dozen formats including DOC, DOCX, and ODT. Download Libre Office Kingsoft Office What We Like Downloadable templates. Multilingual support. What We Don't Like Limited collaboration options. Must watch ads to use some features. Another multi-platform word processor, Kingsoft WPS Writer, supports documents in Word formats and also provides unique features including an integrated PDF converter. Downloadable for free as part of the WPS Office package, WPS Writer can be installed on Android, iOS, Mac, Linux, and Windows devices. A business version of the product is available for a fee. Download WPS Office Google Docs What We Like Save documents to the cloud and access from all devices. Real-time collaboration with detailed tracking of changes. What We Don't Like Offline editing requires a browser extension. Fewer features than similar desktop programs. Google Docs is a full-featured word processor that is compatible with Microsoft Word file formats and can be used free of charge with a Google account. Docs is browser-based on desktop platforms and accessible through native apps on Android and iOS devices. Integrated with Google Drive, Docs allows for seamless document collaboration with several users. Start Using Google Docs Word Viewer What We Like Compatible with older computers. Supports DOC, RFT, TXT, HTML, XML, WPD, and WPS files. What We Don't Like No editing capabilities. Outdated interface. Microsoft Word Viewer is a free application that runs only on older versions of the Windows operating system (Windows 7 and below). Use Word Viewer to view, copy, or print documents saved in one of the multiple Word formats (DOC, DOCX, DOT, DOTX, DOCM, or DOTM). If you have an old operating system and cannot locate Word Viewer on your PC, get it from the Microsoft Download Center. Download Microsoft Word Viewer Continue Reading