The Best Word Processing Software in 2026
These rankings cover general-purpose word processors for drafting, editing, formatting, collaborating on, and printing text documents. We researched products through official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation, then ranked them on core document work, value for money, and verified features.
Our top picks
-
Top ranked
Microsoft Word#1 of 459.4/10A complete word processor with strong collaboration, review, accessibility, and Microsoft ecosystem support.
Free plan
-
Runner-up
Google Docs#2 of 459.2/10A strong browser-first word processor for teams that edit documents together.
Free plan · 14-day trial
-
Top-ranked free plan
Zoho Writer#3 of 459.0/10A broad free word processor for teams needing cross-platform editing and workflow features.
Free plan
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 45 tools, best first
-
Best forProfessional users needing a complete word processor
A complete word processor with strong collaboration, review, accessibility, and Microsoft ecosystem support.
- Real-time collaboration
- Track changes
- Offline editing
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Microsoft Word -
Best forTeams prioritizing browser collaboration
A strong browser-first word processor for teams that edit documents together.
- Real-time collaboration
- Track changes
- Offline editing
Free plan · 14-day trial Our Google Docs verdict → Visit Google DocsFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #2 · $99/mo →9.2/10★★★★★Visit Google Docs -
Best forFeature-rich free and cross-platform editing
A broad free word processor for teams needing cross-platform editing and workflow features.
- Real-time collaboration
- Track changes
- Offline editing
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Zoho Writer -
Best forAffordable Microsoft-compatible editing
Affordable Word-compatible editing with offline work, collaboration, AI, and PDF tools.
- Real-time collaboration
- Track changes
- Offline editing
Free plan · 3-day trial Our WPS Writer verdict → Visit WPS WriterFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #4 · $69/mo →8.9/10★★★★☆Visit WPS Writer -
Best forOrganizations needing self-hosted office software
A broad, self-hosted office suite with free Community access and a costly Enterprise tier.
- Real-time collaboration
- Track changes
- Offline editing
Free plan · 30-day trial Our ONLYOFFICE Docs verdict → Visit ONLYOFFICEFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #5 · $59/mo →8.8/10★★★★☆Visit ONLYOFFICE -
Best forApple users wanting polished document creation
A capable free document editor for Apple users who value layout and collaboration.
- Real-time collaboration
- Track changes
- Offline editing
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Apple Pages -
Best forFree offline desktop word processing
A capable offline Writer with broad document features, but no real-time collaboration.
- Track changes
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit LibreOffice -
Best forPrivacy-focused collaborative deployments
A privacy-focused office suite for teams that need on-premise collaboration.
- Real-time collaboration
- Track changes
8.4/10★★★★☆Try Collabora Online -
Best forBroad office editing with AI assistance
A broad office suite with collaboration, offline editing, document review, and AI tools.
- Real-time collaboration
- Track changes
- Offline editing
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Polaris Office -
Best forWeb-first teams using Yandex services
A practical web-first editor for teams already working in Yandex services.
- Real-time collaboration
- Track changes
- Offline editing
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Yandex -
Best forEnterprise cloud collaboration in Tencent ecosystems
A Tencent-centered workspace for collaborative documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
- Real-time collaboration
- Desktop apps
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Tencent Docs -
Best forFree desktop office compatibility
A capable free desktop suite for DOCX work, offline editing, and language support.
- Track changes
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit SoftMaker -
Best forLightweight collaborative notes and documents
A focused web editor for shared documents, tasks, comments, and embedded media.
- Real-time collaboration
- Track changes
- Offline editing
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Dropbox Paper -
Best forCross-platform office editing on a budget
A budget-friendly office suite with broad device support, offline apps, and core collaboration tools.
- Real-time collaboration
- Track changes
- Offline editing
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit MobiOffice -
Best forSelf-hosted academic collaborative writing
A focused open-source editor for scholarly teams that need self-hosted collaboration.
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Fidus Writer -
Best forPrivate-cloud office platform builders
A flexible private-cloud office suite, priced for organizations rather than ordinary writers.
- Real-time collaboration
- Track changes
7.6/10★★★★☆Try Thinkfree Office -
Best forDevelopers building collaborative editing services
A strong open-source foundation for real-time collaborative editing services.
- Real-time collaboration
- Track changes
- Desktop apps
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Etherpad -
Best forPrivacy-focused collaborative writing
A privacy-focused web editor for teams that need encrypted collaboration and DOCX export.
- Real-time collaboration
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit CryptPad -
Best forAdvanced document formatting across desktops
A capable Word-compatible editor for formatted, scholarly and publishing-focused documents.
- Track changes
- Desktop apps
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit SoftMaker -
Best forWindows users wanting low-cost office software
A low-cost Windows suite with offline editing but no collaboration or integrations.
- Track changes
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit Ashampoo -
Best forFree traditional desktop word processing
A capable open-source desktop writer for traditional document work without real-time collaboration.
- Track changes
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit OpenOffice -
Best forAcademic and technical authors
A strong free choice for academic and technical documents, with limited collaboration fit.
- Track changes
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit LyX -
Best forWindows users needing advanced PDF workflows
A capable Windows suite for controlled document production and PDF-heavy workflows.
- Track changes
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit WordPerfect -
Best forMac users writing long structured documents
A focused Mac and iPad word processor for long, structured academic documents.
- Track changes
- Desktop apps
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Mellel -
Best forMac professionals needing advanced RTF editing
A deep Mac word processor for complex documents, without a free plan or real-time collaboration.
- Track changes
- Desktop apps
6.7/10★★★☆☆Try Nisus Writer Pro -
Best forDistraction-free writers across desktop platforms
A focused word processor with strong offline tools and limited collaboration features.
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Calmly Writer -
Best forFeature-rich Word-compatible desktop editing
Feature-rich DOCX editing with review, reference, export, language and AI tools.
- Track changes
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit SoftMaker -
Best forOffline users wanting a one-time license
A focused offline editor with one-time licenses and strong document conversion tools.
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit Atlantis -
Best forWindows users seeking a one-time office suite
A practical one-time Windows suite for traditional office documents.
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit Ability Office -
Best forDistraction-free plain-text writing
A focused offline writing tool for authors who prefer plain text over rich documents.
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit WriteMonkey -
Best forFree cross-device basic document editing
A free, format-friendly office suite for basic document work across devices.
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit SSuite Office -
Best forLinux users needing basic desktop documents
Free Linux word processing with frame-based layouts, ODT, DOCX, images, charts, and PDF export.
- Desktop apps
6.1/10★★★☆☆Visit Calligra Words -
Best forNovelists and project-based writers
A free desktop workspace for organizing and drafting books, stories, and other long-form work.
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Quoll Writer -
Best forScientific and technical document authoring
A specialized open-source editor for technical documents, formulas, and scientific workflows.
- Track changes
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
5.9/10★★★☆☆Visit GNU TeXmacs -
Best forScholars editing critical editions and manuscripts
A specialist Windows editor for scholars working with textual witnesses and scholarly editions.
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
5.8/10★★★☆☆Visit site -
Best forChinese-language specialist writing
A focused desktop word processor for Chinese writing, conversion, input and review.
- Track changes
- Desktop apps
5.7/10★★★☆☆Visit NJStar -
Best forUsers centered on HWP documents
A focused word processor for HWP creation, editing, layout, and review.
- Track changes
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
5.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Hancom HWP -
Best forJapanese document production on Windows
A Windows desktop word processor for detailed Japanese layouts, proofreading, OCR, and export.
- Desktop apps
5.5/10★★★☆☆Visit Ichitaro -
Best forFree Windows document creation with cloud access
A capable free option for Windows documents, with focused cloud access and export tools.
- Desktop apps
5.4/10★★★☆☆Try SSuite WordGraph -
Best forMinimal free Mac rich-text editing
A focused offline Mac editor with broad format support, but no collaboration tools.
- Offline editing
- Desktop apps
5.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Bean -
Best forBasic free Windows document editing
A practical free Windows editor for everyday documents, without collaboration or ongoing development.
- Desktop apps
5.2/10★★★☆☆Visit Jarte -
Best forBasic Windows text and document editing
A capable free Windows editor for basic documents, text work, and format flexibility.
5.2/10★★★☆☆Visit PolyEdit -
Best forSolo writers seeking distraction-free drafting
A focused, free desktop editor for solo writers who value offline drafting.
- Desktop apps
5.2/10★★★☆☆Visit FocusWriter -
Best forUsers primarily editing presentations
A broad office suite whose strongest fit is PowerPoint-compatible presentation work.
3.5/10★★☆☆☆Visit WPS Office -
Best forSoftware teams analyzing source code
A capable code-analysis engine, but not a word processor.
0.0/10☆☆☆☆☆Visit GitHub CodeQL
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Desktop apps | Offline editing | Track changes | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft Word | Yes | $7/user/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.4 |
| 2 | Google Docs | Yes | $7/user/mo | No | Yes | Yes | 9.2 |
| 3 | Zoho Writer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.0 | |
| 4 | WPS Writer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.9 | |
| 5 | ONLYOFFICE Docs | Yes | $1,500/yr | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.8 |
| 6 | Apple Pages | Yes | $29.99/yr | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.6 |
| 7 | LibreOffice Writer | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.5 |
| 8 | Collabora Online | Yes | No | No | Yes | 8.4 | |
| 9 | Polaris Office | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.3 | |
| 10 | Yandex Documents | Yes | $3.99/user/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.2 |
| 11 | Tencent Docs | Yes | 250 CNY/user/yr | Yes | 8.1 | ||
| 12 | SoftMaker FreeOffice | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.0 |
| 13 | Dropbox Paper | Yes | $0.99/mo | No | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
| 14 | MobiOffice | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.8 | |
| 15 | Fidus Writer | Yes | Free | 7.7 | |||
| 16 | Thinkfree Office | No | $900/yr | No | No | Yes | 7.6 |
| 17 | Etherpad | Free | Yes | Yes | 7.5 | ||
| 18 | CryptPad Rich Text | Yes | No | 7.4 | |||
| 19 | SoftMaker TextMaker | $49.90/yr | Yes | Yes | 7.3 | ||
| 20 | Ashampoo Office 27 | Yes | $25/yr | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.2 |
| 21 | Apache OpenOffice Writer | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.1 |
| 22 | LyX | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.0 |
| 23 | WordPerfect | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6.9 | |
| 24 | Mellel | Yes | $69 one-time | Yes | Yes | 6.8 | |
| 25 | Nisus Writer Pro | No | Yes | Yes | 6.7 | ||
| 26 | Calmly Writer | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6.6 | ||
| 27 | SoftMaker Presentations | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6.5 | |
| 28 | Atlantis Word Processor | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6.5 | ||
| 29 | Ability Office | No | $39.99 one-time | Yes | Yes | 6.4 | |
| 30 | WriteMonkey | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6.3 | ||
| 31 | SSuite Office | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 6.2 | |
| 32 | Calligra Words | Yes | Free | Yes | 6.1 | ||
| 33 | Quoll Writer | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 6.0 | |
| 34 | GNU TeXmacs | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 5.9 |
| 35 | Classical Text Editor | No | Yes | Yes | 5.8 | ||
| 36 | NJStar Chinese WP | No | $99 one-time | Yes | Yes | 5.7 | |
| 37 | Hancom HWP | No | 99,000 KRW/device one-time | Yes | Yes | Yes | 5.6 |
| 38 | Ichitaro | No | Yes | 5.5 | |||
| 39 | SSuite WordGraph | Yes | Free | Yes | 5.4 | ||
| 40 | Bean | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 5.3 | |
| 41 | Jarte | Yes | Free | Yes | 5.2 | ||
| 42 | PolyEdit | Yes | Free | 5.2 | |||
| 43 | FocusWriter | Free | Yes | 5.2 | |||
| 44 | WPS Office | Yes | 3.5 | ||||
| 45 | GitHub CodeQL | Yes | $30/user/mo | 0.0 |
Head-to-head All 28 comparisons →
- Microsoft Word vs Google Docs
- Microsoft Word vs Zoho Writer
- Microsoft Word vs WPS Writer
- Microsoft Word vs ONLYOFFICE Docs
- Microsoft Word vs Apple Pages
- Microsoft Word vs LibreOffice Writer
- Microsoft Word vs Collabora Online
- Google Docs vs Zoho Writer
- Google Docs vs WPS Writer
Explore other topics All topics →
- AI Tools 303 directories · 8,267 tools ranked AI Writing Tools · AI Video Generators · Text-to-Speech Software
- Web Hosting & Domains 275 directories · 6,107 tools ranked Shared Web Hosting · Managed Cloud Hosting · Dedicated Server Hosting
- Productivity 157 directories · 4,948 tools ranked Note-Taking Apps · Calendar Apps · Project Management Software
- Marketing 135 directories · 3,978 tools ranked SEO Tools · Influencer Marketing Platforms · Email Marketing Software
- Sales & CRM 152 directories · 4,161 tools ranked Real Estate CRM Software · CRM Software · Proposal Software
- Customer Service 55 directories · 1,547 tools ranked Chatbot Builders · Knowledge Base Software · Call Center Software
How we rank word processing software
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update