Q: I just got a new laptop that doesn鈥檛 include Microsoft Word 鈥� what are my options?
A:聽When you go to open a Word document on a new laptop, you鈥檙e likely to be presented with a prompt for Microsoft 365, the cloud-based subscription service. For around $70 a year for individuals (or $90.99/year for a family plan), you get access to the full suite of desktop apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and 1TB of cloud storage via OneDrive.
You can also pay monthly with a free 1-month trial if you want a long-term subscription.
Microsoft 365 is the de facto option for those that need advanced features, seamless syncing across devices and rely on Outlook for email. But if you just need to open, edit and create basic documents, you don鈥檛 have to spend anything.
Here are several free alternatives that can get the job done:
If you鈥檝e got a Gmail account, you already have access to Google Docs, Sheets and Slides 鈥� Google鈥檚 answer to Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Docs runs entirely in your web browser, so there鈥檚 no need to install anything. It saves automatically, lets you share and collaborate in real-time, and works across devices. You can also open and export Microsoft Word documents without much fuss.
If you know you鈥檒l be working offline, be sure to enable offline access in your Google Drive settings beforehand.
If you want a free desktop program that feels more like classic Word, LibreOffice is a great choice. It includes a full word processor (called Writer), spreadsheet tool, presentation software and more. It鈥檚 open-source, regularly updated and available for Windows, macOS and Linux.
LibreOffice can open and save Word documents, but some complex formatting 鈥� especially in spreadsheets or templates 鈥� may not transfer perfectly. Still, for most everyday users, it checks all the boxes.
You might be surprised to learn that Microsoft does offer a free, web-based version of Word. It鈥檚 not as full-featured as the desktop version, but it鈥檚 more than enough for writing letters, school papers or basic reports. Just go to Office website, sign in or sign up for the free version of Microsoft 365 to gain access to what they used to call the Office suite.
WPS Office offers a free version with a modern design that closely mimics Microsoft Office, including a ribbon interface and strong support for Word files. It also works on mobile devices, which makes it a nice choice if you want a consistent experience across platforms. Just be aware that the free version is ad-supported, though the ads are usually unobtrusive.
Free doesn鈥檛 mean underpowered
Today鈥檚 free options can easily handle the needs of most users 鈥� writing, formatting, printing and file compatibility. If you’re doing advanced work with macros, citations, or mail merges, you may eventually outgrow the free options, but most people won鈥檛.
The best news is that no matter which option you choose, the learning curve for each is pretty minimal, so you鈥檒l be fully functional in no time at all.
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