Best Word Processing Software in 2026
Updated
In short: ONLYOFFICE Docs is ranked #1 of 41 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Calmly Writer and Collabora Online. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Calmly Writer. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Dropbox Paper at $0.99/mo.
Word processing software supports everything from drafting text to editing shared documents. Compared on desktop apps and platforms, free plans, maximum document size, offline editing, paid-from pricing, real-time collaboration and track changes, these entries let you weigh writing and review needs alongside access and cost. If you often work without a connection, offline editing may be important; for group revisions, check collaboration and change-tracking details. ONLYOFFICE Docs, Calmly Writer and Collabora Online are among the options shown, alongside Zoho Writer, Dropbox Paper and Microsoft Word. Consider which document features and working arrangements matter most to you.
41 word processing software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
13 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ONLYOFFICE DocsWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.8 | |
| 2 | Calmly WriterWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 3 | Collabora OnlineWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | $3.40/mo | 6.7 | |
| 4 | Zoho WriterWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · API · Extension | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 5 | Dropbox PaperWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $0.99/mo | 6.6 | |
| 6 | Microsoft WordWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | $7/mo | 6.6 | |
| 7 | Tencent Meeting & VooV MeetingWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 8 | Apple PagesWeb · Mac · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $12.99/mo | 6.5 | |
| 9 | LyXWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 10 | SoftMaker FreeOfficeWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 11 | FocusWriterWindows · Linux | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 12 | LibreOffice ImpressWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 13 | WriteMonkeyWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 14 | WPS PresentationWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | $5.83/mo | 5.9 |
| 15 | EtherpadWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.8 |
| 16 | SoftMaker PresentationsWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | $4.16/mo | 5.7 |
| 17 | WPS OfficeWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 18 | Google DocsWeb · Android · iPhone · Extension | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $7/mo | 5.6 |
| 19 | Apache OpenOffice ImpressWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 20 | MobiPDFWindows · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $6.67/mo | 5.5 |
| 21 | SSuite OfficeWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 22 | Yandex 360 for BusinessWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | $3.99/mo | 5.4 |
| 23 | GNU TeXmacsWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 24 | Polaris Viewer PlusWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 25 | PolyEditWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Desktop apps | Offline editing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ONLYOFFICE Docs | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Calmly Writer | 6.7 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | Collabora Online | 6.7 | Free plan | $3.40/mo | Yes | — | No | No |
| 4 | Zoho Writer | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Dropbox Paper | 6.6 | Free plan | $0.99/mo | Yes | — | No | Yes |
| 6 | Microsoft Word | 6.6 | Free plan | $7/mo | Yes | 7 /user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | Tencent Meeting & VooV Meeting | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 8 | Apple Pages | 6.5 | Free plan | $12.99/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | LyX | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | SoftMaker FreeOffice | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | FocusWriter | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | — | — | Yes | — |
| 12 | LibreOffice Impress | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | WriteMonkey | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | WPS Presentation | 5.9 | No | $5.83/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | Etherpad | 5.8 | No | — | — | — | Yes | — |
| 16 | SoftMaker Presentations | 5.7 | No | $4.16/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 17 | WPS Office | 5.7 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 18 | Google Docs | 5.6 | No | $7/mo | Yes | 7 /user/mo | No | Yes |
| 19 | Apache OpenOffice Impress | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 20 | MobiPDF | 5.5 | No | $6.67/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 21 | SSuite Office | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 22 | Yandex 360 for Business | 5.4 | No | $3.99/mo | Yes | 3.99 /user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 23 | GNU TeXmacs | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 24 | Polaris Viewer Plus | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 25 | PolyEdit | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which word processing software is ranked first on Freedom251?
ONLYOFFICE Docs is ranked #1 of 41 with a score of 6.8. Calmly Writer is second and Collabora Online third.
How many of these have a free plan?
13 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Dropbox Paper has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.99/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.