Word analogues: top free programs. Five free analogues of Microsoft Word text editor
The first thing that comes to the mind of a young system engineer is to download Word and Excel to download and install on a computer. Some users have different priorities: first download Word, and only then download Excel. Everything else is not important, if not for one BUT!
How to download Word for free on a computer?
Microsoft Word is sold for money separately from the Windows operating system. And yet, you can download Microsoft Word for free from the official website as part of a free trial 30-day Office 365 at this link. There is another legally free option. This is an advanced text editor, an analogue of Word from the LibreOffice (Writer) package, which is fully compatible with the Microsoft Word program. Read below about Libre Office and download its fully functional version legally and for free.
How to download Excel for free on a computer?
Like Word, Microsoft Excel is sold for money separately from the Windows operating system. Just like Word, you can download Microsoft Excel for free from the official website as part of a free trial 30-day Office 365 at this link. There is also another free version of the legal Excel. These are spreadsheets, an analogue of Excel from the Libre Office (Calc) package. This is a real version of the free Excel download for free, while maintaining full compatibility with Microsoft Excel. Read below about Libre Office and download its fully functional version absolutely free and legally.
Office suite LibreOffice
LibreOffice is a freely distributed office program similar to the Microsoft Office package, which is being developed by The Document Foundation as a separate direction from Open Office. Liber Office shows excellent compatibility with older brothers from Microsoft and OpenOffice.org in terms of document formats and interface.
Microsoft Excel, Word, Powerpoint documents are opened, edited and saved both in MS-Office formats (Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Powerpoint) and in LibreOffice formats of the corresponding programs.
LibreOffice scores high in the following areas:
- functionality,
- format compatibility,
- flexibility of settings,
- and, of course, safety.
1. Google Docs is an online word processor. It cannot compete with MS Word in terms of the number of features and features, but it is available from any computer connected to the Internet. Google Docs is used by General Electric. By the way, I have been using Google Docs as my main word processor for three weeks now, despite the fact that there is no need to type texts from different computers (the working tool is a laptop). It's just that Google Docs is free, and its functionality suits me personally. :)
2. Zoho Writer is another online word processor. It has a pretty good interface and some extra features (compared to Google Docs). WWD think it's worth a try.
3. ajaxWrite - its distinguishing feature is that you do not need to register on the site to get started.
4. is an open source cross-platform word processor. Its advantage is a quick start (when compared with MS Office and OpenOffice).
5. DarkRoom is a ported version of WriteRoom (a text editor for Mac). DarkRoom requires .NET installed on the system.
6. JDarkRoom is another WriteRoom alternative, cross platform application. Works on JAVA, distributed free of charge.
7. Writer - again we mention WriteRoom, only this is an online option.
8. Writer.app is a word processor for Mac. Flexibly customizable, many possibilities.
9. TextEdit - a text almost-processor that comes with Mac OS X. Can read and create documents of various formats, incl. DOC, RTF, HTML.
10. RoughDraft is a free word processor (Windows) that is said to be specially made for writers. So if you are writing a new novel, check out this program, maybe you will like it.
On my own, I want to add that under Windows I worked in OpenOffice.org, and under Mac I really like TextEdit. In rare cases where complex formatting is required, I use NeoOffice (it's the same OpenOffice.org, but with a Cocoa interface). And what do you use?
1. Google Docs is an online word processor. It cannot compete with MS Word in terms of the number of features and features, but it is available from any computer connected to the Internet. Google Docs is used by General Electric. By the way, I have been using Google Docs as my main word processor for three weeks now, despite the fact that there is no need to type texts from different computers (the working tool is a laptop). It's just that Google Docs is free, and its functionality suits me personally. :)
2. Zoho Writer is another online word processor. It has a pretty good interface and some extra features (compared to Google Docs). WWD think it's worth a try.
3. ajaxWrite - its distinguishing feature is that you do not need to register on the site to get started.
4. is an open source cross-platform word processor. Its advantage is a quick start (when compared with MS Office and OpenOffice).
5. DarkRoom is a ported version of WriteRoom (a text editor for Mac). DarkRoom requires .NET installed on the system.
6. JDarkRoom is another WriteRoom alternative, cross platform application. Works on JAVA, distributed free of charge.
7. Writer - again we mention WriteRoom, only this is an online option.
8. Writer.app is a word processor for Mac. Flexibly customizable, many possibilities.
9. TextEdit - a text almost-processor that comes with Mac OS X. Can read and create documents of various formats, incl. DOC, RTF, HTML.
10. RoughDraft is a free word processor (Windows) that is said to be specially made for writers. So if you are writing a new novel, check out this program, maybe you will like it.
On my own, I want to add that under Windows I worked in OpenOffice.org, and under Mac I really like TextEdit. In rare cases where complex formatting is required, I use NeoOffice (it's the same OpenOffice.org, but with a Cocoa interface). And what do you use?
MS Word is deservedly the most popular text editor in the world. This program finds its application in many areas and will be equally good for home, professional and educational use. Word is just one of the programs included in the Microsoft Office package, which, as you know, is distributed by subscription with annual or monthly payments.
Actually, it is the cost of a subscription to Word that makes many users look for analogues of this text editor. And there are quite a few of them today, and some of them are not inferior in their capabilities to a full-featured editor from Microsoft. Below we will consider the most worthy alternatives to Word.
Note: The order in which the programs are described in the text should not be regarded as a rating from worst to best, nor from best to worst, it is simply a list of worthy products with a consideration of their main characteristics.
This is a cross-platform office suite, one of the most popular in the free segment. The product includes approximately the same programs as in the Microsoft Office package, even a little more. This is a text editor, spreadsheet processor, presentation tool, database management system, graphics editor, editor of mathematical formulas.
The functionality of OpenOffice is more than enough for comfortable work. As for the word processor itself, called Writer, it allows you to create and edit documents, change their design and formatting. As in Word, it supports the insertion of graphic files and other objects, the creation of tables, graphs, and much more is available. All this, as expected, is packaged in a simple and understandable, conveniently implemented interface. It is important to note the fact that the program is compatible with Word documents.
Another free and cross-platform office editor with a wide range of features for work. Like OpenOffice Writer, this office suite is well compatible with Microsoft Word formats, even to a slightly greater extent, according to some users. If you believe them, this program also works noticeably faster. The analogues of all the components included in the Microsoft Office package are also of interest here, but we are only interested in one of them.
LibreOffice Writer is a word processor, which, as it should be for such a program, supports all the functions and features necessary for comfortable working with text. Here you can set text styles, perform its formatting. It is possible to add images to the document, create and insert tables, columns. There is an automatic spell check and much more.
Here is another office suite, which, like the above analogues, is a free and quite worthy alternative to Microsoft Office. By the way, the interface of the program is in many ways similar to that in the brainchild of Microsoft, however, if you do not take into account the latest versions of the program. If the appearance does not suit you, you can always change it for yourself.
The Office Writer word processor supports Word document formats, provides the ability to export documents to PDF, and can download file templates from the Internet. As expected, the capabilities of this editor are not limited to writing and formatting text. Writer supports the insertion of pictures, the creation of tables, mathematical formulas and much more is available, without which today it is impossible to imagine comfortable work with text documents.
And again the office suite, and again quite a worthy analogue of the brainchild of Microsoft. The product includes an application for creating presentations and a word processor, which we will consider. It is noteworthy that the program for working with text is well adapted to touch screens, has a rather attractive graphical interface and a number of other advantages.
In Galligra Gemini, as in all of the above programs, you can insert images and mathematical formulas. There are tools for marking pages, standard Word DOC and DOCX formats are supported. The office suite works quite quickly and stably, without loading the system. True, on Windows, slight slowdowns are sometimes observed.
Office suite from the world famous search giant, which, unlike all of the above programs, does not have a desktop version. Documents from Google are designed exclusively for working online, in a browser window. This approach is both an advantage and a disadvantage. In addition to the word processor, the package includes tools for creating spreadsheets and presentations. All you need to get started is a Google account.
All software services from the Google Docs package are part of the Google Drive cloud storage, in which the work takes place. Created documents are saved in real time, constantly synchronizing. All of them are in the cloud, and projects can be accessed from any device - through an application or a web browser.
This product is focused on collaborative work with documents, for which there are all the necessary features. Users can share files, leave comments and notes, edit. If we talk directly about the means for working with text, there are more than enough of them for most users.
So we have reviewed the five most relevant and functionally equal analogues of Microsoft Word. Which one to choose is up to you. Recall that all the products discussed in this article are free.
It is important for every user to have a good text editor on their device.
If you are a student or often face the need to edit text documents, presentations or spreadsheets, you simply need such a program.
Soft Maker Office
SoftMaker Office is also capable of replacing Microsoft Office. This office suite is available for Windows, Linux, Windows Mobile and Windows CE.
With SoftMaker Office you can process text, scripts, spreadsheets and presentations. The program also offers the possibility of automating routine tasks.
The extended version of SoftMaker Office has the ability to work with e-mail, contacts. There is also a set of Berlitz dictionaries.
Unlike LibreOffice, this office suite is paid. There is also a free version with some limitations, namely the lack of support for docx, xlsx, pptx formats.
Calligra Suite
Calligra Suite is another office suite. The program consists of six modules: word processor Words, focused on styles and frames, spreadsheet processor Sheets, editor of diagrams and flowcharts, editor for e-books, as well as programs for creating presentations and managing databases.
In addition, you get two graphic editors: Krita - focused on drawing with a tablet device and Karbon - for creating vector graphics.
Calligra Suite is designed for the Linux operating system, there is also a version for Windows. By default, Calligra Suite uses the OpenDocument format.
Lotus Symphony
Lotus Symphony is a free suite of office applications. The program includes a text editor, applications for working with spreadsheets and creating presentations.
The package supports Lotus Symphony all popular office document formats: doc, OOXML (MS Office format) and ODF (Open Document Format). One of the interesting features of Lotus Symphony is an integrated browser that can open web pages in the main window. Lotus Symphony is an easy to use free program.
Ashampoo Office 2012
The package consists of the TextMaker word processor, the PlanMaker spreadsheet application, and the Presentations presentation tool. Supports all major MS Office formats.
By the way, the graphical interface of the application is very similar to the Microsoft Office shell. The application package includes a special program that allows you to install Ashampoo Office 2012 not only on your hard drive, but also on a flash drive. This office suite is not free and costs 1,959.49 rubles.
Google Docs
Online version of the office suite for the lazy and greedy. Google Docs allows you to import and create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, and then edit them in a web browser.
The service includes the Writely word processor, spreadsheet and presentation tools Spreadsheets and Presentations, respectively. Google Docs supports most popular formats such as DOC, RTF, ODT, ODS, CSV, PPT, XLS and more.
You can create bulleted lists, classify by columns, work with tables, images, and formulas. It is also possible to change fonts, styles, cell background colors and much more.
openoffice
Great free alternative to Microsoft Office. OpenOffice supports work with tables and images, text documents of varying complexity, presentations and databases. You can work with many Microsoft Office documents and save them in any format you like.
The package set includes six "office" applications - a text editor Writer and Calc - an application for working with tables. The Impress utility is designed to work with presentations.
To work with vector graphics, there is an application Draw. In addition, the set includes applications Base and Math, designed to work with databases and mathematical formulas. You can also note the presence of a good set of templates.
Outcome
So, what would you prefer Microsoft Office? Indeed, the task is not an easy one. The choice is quite large, but there are not so many functional and easy-to-use editors. Personally, I prefer OpenOffice for its simplicity, free, stability and high speed.
