4 Open Source Text Editors That Can Replace Microsoft Word

If you're looking for an alternative to Microsoft Word and Microsoft, or just want to experiment with free, open-source projects, there are plenty of quality options. Here are four comprehensive word processing apps that run on most PCs or laptops that you can try.

 

Calligra Words

Calligra Words is a word processor from KDE, the same team that developed Plasma - the popular Linux user interface - and apps like KDE Connect, Krita and Kdenlive, all of which are excellent.

Calligra Words has a distinctly different interface than Microsoft Word. Unlike typical word processors, commonly used formatting and style settings are located in a large menu on the right side of the screen instead of displayed along the top. Many aspects remind me of the user interface layout of photo editing applications like Photoshop or GIMP.

Calligra Words certainly doesn't have as many options as Microsoft Word, but it's enough for most basic needs.

In terms of features, Calligra Words falls somewhere between WordPad (which Microsoft has discontinued) and Microsoft Word. When you look through the options, you won't have trouble finding the basics like formatting page layouts, applying numbering, managing citations, or adding headers and footers. You can even add drop caps if you want.

 

Another surprise is that Calligra handles tables much more consistently than Word - which has been a weakness of Word for many years.

The drawing tools are also highlighted - something quite different.

Like the other options here, Calligra Words has a number of included apps that let you create spreadsheets and presentations.

The only major downside is that Calligra Writer does not currently have a Windows version.

OpenOffice

Apache OpenOffice feels like a cross between Microsoft Word and Calligra Writer. There's a standard tool ribbon running along the top, and you have a large menu on the right that lets you adjust the properties of the current tool.

Aside from the obvious differences in the user interface, all the settings and configuration options are very familiar. You won't have to fumble through windows or sub-menus to find a setting or feature like you often do with Word!

There are also a number of other OpenOffice programs you can use, most of which are designed to replace standard Microsoft Office applications.

OpenOffice seems to have a slower release cycle than LibreOffice, meaning you'll be able to get the latest features quickly.

ONLYOFFICE

If you are looking for something that is most similar to Microsoft Word, ONLYOFFICE is the best choice.

The basic user interface you interact with is heavily inspired by Microsoft Word, and when you dig into the options, most of them are very similar to the modern version of Microsoft Word as well.

 

It's the familiar interface that makes ONLYOFFICE the top choice over other open source solutions, not any specific features.

ONLYOFFICE doesn't have as many fancy features as Word, especially when it comes to formatting, but it's met all my needs since I started using it.

If you want, you can even connect ONLYOFFICE to a cloud service, just like Word connects to OneDrive. It also lets you collaborate in real-time with other users, just like Google Sheets or Word.

A plus is that ONLYOFFICE allows you to use autosave without enabling cloud sync – something Microsoft has removed from Microsoft Word.

ONLYOFFICE comes packaged with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint equivalents built into the same application, so you don't have to switch when opening or starting a different type of document.

LibreOffice Writer

LibreOffice Writer is the most popular Word replacement you'll find on Linux distributions. It offers nearly full-featured parity with Microsoft Word.

Most of the features Word has that LibreOffice Writer lacks are related to Word's cloud integration, which LibreOffice Writer doesn't have unless you set it up yourself.

The biggest and most noticeable difference is the user interface (UI). LibreOffice Writer looks more like a version of Word from circa 2008. This doesn't affect usability, but it can be annoying if you're used to the more minimalist interfaces of modern Office applications.

This no-frills approach has a few advantages. For example, you'll have to hunt for options or features less in LibreOffice Writer than you would in Microsoft Word, and the menus—while busy—feel a little more intuitive to navigate. If you need something that's as close to all the features of Microsoft Word as you can get, LibreOffice Writer should be your first choice.

Libre Writer isn't built in isolation either. It's bundled as part of LibreOffice, which includes LibreOffice Calc (the Excel equivalent) and LibreOffice Impress (the PowerPoint equivalent), plus a few other programs you might find useful.