I’m always looking for writing tools that match how I work, not ones that try to dictate a workflow. Microsoft Word still gets the job done, but it tries to be everything at once, and that often makes it feel heavier than it needs to be for everyday writing. And if I can avoid another monthly subscription in the process, that’s even better.
After writing about my experience switching to LibreOffice Writer, I started thinking about what a real alternative to Word looks like. There isn’t just one replacement for Word. Different tools work better depending on how you write, whether that’s handling long documents, staying focused, or organizing ideas in a completely different way. These four free, open-source apps are all cross-platform and take a different approach, and depending on how you write, one of them may fit better than Word ever did.
LibreOffice Writer
Best if you want a full replacement without changing how you write
For me, LibreOffice Writer was the easiest place to start because it felt the most familiar. If you’re coming from Word, there’s almost no learning curve. You still get a full document editor with styles, formatting, templates, and everything you’d expect for longer pieces. It opens and saves Word files without much friction, and for most everyday writing, it covers the same ground without locking you into a subscription or ecosystem.
What stood out to me when I switched is that it does all of that without trying to constantly pull you into something else. It’s a local-first app, it’s free, and it’s focused on actually writing documents instead of pushing cloud features or upsells. It can handle everything from quick drafts to full-length documents with tables of contents, formatting, and export options like PDF or EPUB when you need them.
That’s really why it works as a Word replacement. You’re not giving anything up for typical writing tasks, you’re just removing the overhead. Collaboration isn’t really its strength, and very complex Word files can still run into formatting quirks, but for most workflows, that rarely matters. If your workflow still revolves around traditional documents, LibreOffice Writer is the closest thing to “Word without Microsoft,” and for a lot of people, that’s all they’ll ever need.
OnlyOffice Docs
Best for collaboration without Google Docs
OnlyOffice Docs is on this list because it solves one of the biggest gaps left by tools like LibreOffice: collaboration. If your writing isn’t strictly solo, this is where things start to shift. OnlyOffice is built around working with other people, with real-time editing, comments, version history, and a more seamless experience when multiple people are editing the same document at once. It also tends to handle Microsoft Office formatting better, which matters if you’re sharing complex files back and forth with Word users.
It’s also actively developed, with regular updates that improve compatibility and performance without constantly changing how the app works. You can use it in the cloud, self-host it, or run it locally depending on how much control you want. It’s free for personal use, with paid tiers aimed more at teams and businesses that need advanced collaboration features or larger self-hosted setups.
- OS
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Windows, macOS, iPhone, iPad, Android
- Brand
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Microsoft
- Price
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$100/year
- Developer(s)
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Microsoft
- Free trial
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1 month
Microsoft 365 includes access to Office apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on up to five devices, 1 TB of OneDrive storage, and more.
This is the better fit if your workflow involves collaboration, shared documents, or anything that lives beyond your own machine. LibreOffice is great when you’re working alone, but OnlyOffice makes more sense when documents are part of a team process and you still want to avoid relying on Google Docs or paying for Microsoft 365.
FocusWriter
Best for distraction-free writing
FocusWriter is on this list because it takes the opposite approach of tools like LibreOffice and OnlyOffice. Instead of trying to handle every possible document task, it strips everything back to the act of writing. When you open it, you’re dropped into a full-screen environment with no ribbons, no panels, and nothing pulling your attention away from the page. It’s a very different experience, and if you’ve ever felt bogged down by Word’s interface, it can be a surprisingly big shift.
It’s not updated as frequently as something like OnlyOffice, but it’s stable, mature, and does exactly what it’s supposed to do without constantly changing. You’re not getting collaboration features, complex formatting, or deep Word compatibility. That’s the point. FocusWriter does one thing better than either LibreOffice or OnlyOffice: it keeps you focused on actually writing instead of managing a document.
This works best for solo workflows where the goal is getting words down without friction. Drafting, long-form writing, journaling, or anything where focus matters more than formatting. It’s not a replacement for Word in every scenario, but for the writing phase, it can be the better tool.
Joplin
Best if you don’t actually need a traditional document editor
Joplin is on this list because it challenges the idea that you need a traditional word processor at all. Instead of working in long, formatted documents, Joplin is built around notes and Markdown. That might sound limiting at first, but for a lot of writers, it’s actually more flexible. You can break your ideas into smaller pieces, organize them however you want, and still export or format them later when it matters. It’s actively developed with regular updates, and it has a strong plugin ecosystem that lets you extend it in ways most document editors can’t.
What it does better than tools like LibreOffice, OnlyOffice, or even FocusWriter is organization and control. You’re not tied to a single document, you’re working with a system of notes that can grow over time. It also supports syncing across devices, including self-hosted options, which gives you more control over your data than most cloud-first tools. You won’t get real-time collaboration like OnlyOffice, and it’s not built for polished document formatting or exporting directly to Word formats like LibreOffice, but that’s not really the goal.
This works best for workflows where writing is part of a larger system. Research, drafts, idea capture, documentation, anything where you’re constantly building and refining over time instead of producing one finished document in a single pass. If your process already leans toward notes instead of documents, Joplin can end up replacing more than just Word.
Choose the tool that matches how you write
You don’t need Microsoft Word to write anymore, you just need the right tool for how you work. If you want something familiar, LibreOffice gets you there without the subscription. If collaboration matters, OnlyOffice makes more sense. If you’re trying to focus, FocusWriter strips everything back to the essentials. And if your workflow is built around notes and ideas instead of documents, Joplin may fit better than any traditional editor. The point isn’t finding a perfect replacement for Word, it’s realizing you’ve got better options depending on what you actually need.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
