Free alternatives to Microsoft Word

Last updated 19 Oct 2026 · 6 options

Quick answer: Pandoc has the most stars on its repository of the 6 options here (★ 46.6k), followed by Zettlr (★ 13.8k). Stars show popularity, not fit, so check formats, platforms and licence for your own work.

The default word processor many writers still draft and submit in. Here are 6 free options, most-starred first.

Pandoc

Formatting & publishing

Universal document converter for manuscripts and ebooks

Stars: ★ 46.6k
Licence: GPL-2.0
Updated: today

Alternative to Vellum, Atticus

Zettlr

Distraction-free editors

Markdown IDE for writers and researchers with citations

Stars: ★ 13.8k
Licence: GPL-3.0
Updated: yesterday

Alternative to Ulysses, Scrivener

ONLYOFFICE Docs

Grammar & editing

Open-source office editors with strong DOCX compatibility

Stars: ★ 7k
Licence: AGPL-3.0
Updated: 5 days ago

Alternative to Microsoft Word

LibreOffice Writer

Grammar & editing

Full free office word processor with styles and export

Stars: ★ 4.5k
Licence: MPL-2.0
Updated: today

Alternative to Microsoft Word

FocusWriter

Distraction-free editors

Full-screen distraction-free writer with goals and themes

Stars: ★ 721
Licence: GPL-3.0
Updated: 11 days ago

Alternative to Ulysses, Scrivener

Reedsy Book Editor

Novel & long-form writing

Free browser manuscript editor from Reedsy with clean export

Licence: Proprietary
Status: Freemium

Alternative to Scrivener, Microsoft Word

FAQ

Is there a free alternative to Microsoft Word?

Yes. WriterAlts lists 6 options: Pandoc, Zettlr, ONLYOFFICE Docs, LibreOffice Writer, FocusWriter and Reedsy Book Editor.

Which Microsoft Word alternatives are open source?

Pandoc (GPL-2.0), Zettlr (GPL-3.0), ONLYOFFICE Docs (AGPL-3.0), LibreOffice Writer (MPL-2.0) and FocusWriter (GPL-3.0). The others are free or freemium but not open source.

Which Microsoft Word alternatives run on a Mac?

Pandoc, Zettlr, ONLYOFFICE Docs, LibreOffice Writer and FocusWriter. The other listed here isn't listed for macOS.

Free tools are not always drop-in replacements. Check that a tool exports a format your editor, agent or printer accepts, and back up your manuscript before you switch mid-draft.