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Since the 1980s, Microsoft Word has been dominating all the writing software worldwide. If you get a résumé, document, report, or memo today, chances are it would be in either .doc or .docx format. It’s the de facto internationally accepted way of corporate communication.
Not surprisingly, Microsoft Word is not free. As part of the Office 365 suite, Microsoft Word would cost households $6.99 a month ($9.99 for a whole family) or $12.50 a month per business user. You can also just buy a standalone version of Microsoft Word outright for $139.99. But if you just need to edit an occasional document or use the basic formatting features, you’d rather not spend anything.
Word for Mac doesn't support Family Sharing I personally had a lot of trouble understanding how to download the software for Word for Mac on my wife's MacBook Pro which has a different Apple ID than the iMac which I used to buy the Family version of this app. Bean is a small, easy-to-use word processor that is designed to make writing convenient, efficient and comfortable. Bean is lean, fast and uncluttered.It starts up quickly, has a live word count, and is easy on the eyes. Also, Bean is available free of charge. Bean has some limitations: it doesn't do footnotes or use stylesheets and is only partially compatible with Word's file formats.
Is there a free version of Microsoft Word for Mac? Is there a free version of Office for Mac? Let’s answer these and more questions relating to how you can get Microsoft Word for Mac free and also suggest some better alternatives altogether.
Alternative to MS Word on Mac
Collabio Spaces is the best app to replace Microsoft Word with. Write and co-edit your documents offline.
Bean is a small, easy-to-use word processor that is designed to make writing convenient, efficient and comfortable. Bean is lean, fast and uncluttered. It starts up quickly, has a live word count, and is easy on the eyes. Also, Bean is available free of charge. For the rest of us, below are some free word processors for Mac that will get the job done for writers: WPS Writer by Kingsoft. WPS Office by Kingsoft is a free suite of software available for multiple platforms including Windows, iOS, Linux, and Android. Part of the WPS Office 2016 suite is WPS Writer, the word processing component of the. Pages is a completely included, current word processor for Mac tool, what really makes it good it is actually for free. Best Paid Word Processors for Mac MS Word 2019. This is the most popular word processor for Mac so far; Microsoft has already proven its competency for a long time.
Can I Download Microsoft Word For Free On Mac?
When someone sends you a .docx file and you don’t have Microsoft Word for Mac installed, what do you do? You can, of course, open the file with Quick Look or Preview, but the styling might be off and you wouldn’t be able to edit it.
If you decide to look up something like “Microsoft Word free download” online, you’ll stumble upon dozens of YouTube tutorials and written guides on how you can get free Microsoft Word by downloading a trial version and using a code-cracking app on it to get the license key for it. Not only this is illegal, you also risk downloading all kinds of malware to your Mac.
Luckily, there are a few other ways you can get Microsoft Word free.
Use MS Word online
Is Microsoft Word for Mac free? No. Is Microsoft Word online, free? Yes! It’s not well-known, but you can use Word on the web at no cost. All you need is a free Microsoft account. The catch is that the MS Word online version is not as advanced as its desktop counterpart, but it’s still good enough for all the basic work with documents and for writing something on your own.
Here’s how to get Microsoft Word online for free:
Visit the MS Word online page
Click “Sign up for free”
Create your account
Choose to start a new document or drag and drop an existing one right onto the web app
Get a free Microsoft Office 365 trial
In case you have a complex project coming up that requires more of the features not available in MS Word online, you can access everything that the regular Microsoft Word has to offer by subscribing for a free Microsoft Word trial via Microsoft Office 365. You get one month to finish your project and you can use all the apps in MS Office 365, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, etc.
Here’s how to sign up for the Microsoft Word free trial:
Visit the Microsoft 365 page
Click “Try 1 month free”
Sign in with your free Microsoft account or register a new one
Get your Microsoft Word free download
Try free alternatives to Microsoft Word
If you need to use Microsoft Word for an extended period of time, and a one-month trial won’t cut it, you can try to actually substitute for another similar free app that’s fully compatible with Microsoft Word.
10+ writing tools in one app
Enhance your writing skills with Setapp, a productivity service that gives you access to many writing and editing apps.
Google Docs, as part of G Suite, has improved greatly over the years and now supports custom styles, tables, in-line images, and more. Although it’s an online app, it feels native and can both edit and export .docx while keeping all the formatting intact.
LibreOffice (also known as OpenOffice) is another suite of text-editing apps available for free to anyone. Its Microsoft Word alternative is called LibreOffice Writer, which has many desktop publishing compatibilities of its paid competitor and is also completely compatible with it.
Use Microsoft Word with iPad
A surprisingly lesser known trick to get a full working version of Microsoft Word free is to load it on your iPad. Yes, the iPad version of Microsoft Word doesn’t cost anything and, with the release of iPads that feature Bluetooth keyboard support, it’s just as capable as its macOS counterpart.
Embrace third-party Mac apps
While Microsoft Word dominance is still apparent, it’s hardly the best app for all the word-processing jobs we need to do today. With the release of Mac App Store, we’ve seen a great proliferation of niche text editors, journals, desktop publishers, and more — every one of which is best at solving a specific problem.
What Is The Best Word Processing Software For Mac
Let’s look at a few of the best apps for working with words out there today.
Collabio Spaces is a text editor with unique ad-hoc collaboration features. This app goes beyond creating and formatting text (although you can do it too, obviously). Collabio turns your device into a server and transmits your document to other people. All you have to do is share a password with them and start co-editing in real time, without uploading your document to a cloud.
Ulysses is one of the most popular writing apps of recent years. From small notes to manuscripts, its distraction-free environment just lets you get things done. The app has a built-in support for Markdown as well as grammar and style checkers. When you’re done, simply export your results as a PDF or publish to WordPress or Medium directly.
Focused is another app for writing purists that does everything to get you concentrated on the words that flow from your keyboard. The app supports beautiful typography, various themes suitable for different times of day as well as ambient soundtracks to make it so you fully immerse in your environment.
MarsEdit allows you to transport your complete blogging setup offline. You can edit HTML, rich text, or plain text to write and design blog posts with images, infographics, and videos with zero internet connection. Then upload your new blog post on schedule to the blog when you’re back online. As MarsEdit saves everything as you go on your Mac, you’ll never lose any data because of WiFi troubles.
Manuscripts empowers you to take on even the most complex writing projects possible: research papers, textbooks, novels, screenplays, etc. The app supports a variety of formats, multi-level outlines, templates, tables, graphs, LaTex, document versioning, and citation editing. Instead of trying to adjust Microsoft Word to your needs, let Manuscripts adjust to you.
Diarly enables you to think freely. The app encourages your daily journaling practice and makes the writing habit easy and beautiful. You can organize your notes, add lists, calendar events, sync across devices, and more. Diarly also takes your security seriously, encrypting all the entries on the fly.
So is Microsoft Word for Mac free? Not exactly. But you can get a lot of the same features from MS Word online, sign up for the Microsoft Word free trial, take a look at Google Docs or LibreOffice Writer, and use Microsoft Word free on iPad. Even better, give a wealth of more specialized apps a try. Sketch notes in Ulysses, concentrate on your writing in Focused, finish your blog post in MarsEdit, create your life’s work in Manuscripts, and keep a journal with Diarly.
Best of all, Collabio Spaces, Ulysses, Focused, MarsEdit, Manuscripts, and Diarly are available to you absolutely free with a seven-day trial of Setapp, a platform with 200+ outstanding apps for your Mac. Try every single one today and discover the latest and greatest feats of Mac engineering at no cost.
Well, many of us believe that apart from using Microsoft Word for all our document creation needs, we don’t have any other option to go for. And it’s not wrong to an extent as we have only heard about this doc creation tool from our childhood till now.
But due to rising user demand and competitive market, many Microsoft Office alternatives (called word processing software/word processor) have recently emerged and gained user trust. The best thing about these alternatives is that some of them are absolutely free to use to its full capacity, which in our books is a winner.
Today we will explore the topmost used and trusted word processors other than Microsoft Word and choose the best one as per your needs. Out of these word processing software, it will be a combination of online and offline word processors that you can install on your system. Before starting with the list of alternatives, let’s take a look at what actually a “Word Processing Software” is?
What is Word Processing Software/Word Processor?
In order to know the options, first I must know what is the thing I’m looking options of? Correct?
So Word Processing Software or Word Processor is something that allows you to create, edit, and print the documents. It gives you the control to manage all these options including storing it on electronic devices, display on a screen, or modify the amendments you want to make.
In short, a word processor is the same you use MS word for doc creation, make content changes and takeout print in case you need it. Microsoft Word is also an example of the word processor.
Now I hope everyone has a basic idea of what a word processing software means. So, let’s take a good look at the best free alternatives of MS Word:
The free word processors can be categorized into two segments as below:
1. Online word processing software
2. Offline word processing software
1. Online word processing software
Instead of saving the files on your local hard drive and sharing it via email to the other person, it’s always better to work on an online doc. It has all the features of auto-saving and sharing the file with the link given. As simple as that. It has its drawbacks too that can make you switch from online to the offline use of word processors.
Also Read: Best File Sharing Software For Windows PC 2020
Below enlisted are some popular online word processing software:
A. Dropbox Paper
Offered by the online cloud storage provider, Dropbox is a free online word processor. In order to use it, all you need is a Dropbox account. Once you are logged in, you get full access to the online suite. Apart from creating the text document, you can do a lot of things using the tool.
Designed specifically from a professional point of view, Dropbox Paper stores every created document onto the cloud. From this platform, you can perform many tasks including document link-sharing, assigning tasks to team members, remove or download the document for offline purposes.
In order to go ahead and access this amazing online word processing software, Dropbox Paper, click here.
B. Google Docs
One of the most popular and widely used word processors, Google Docs is literally the backbone of some of the organizations. Exactly like MS Office, it lets you create documents, presentations, or work on excel flawlessly (unless there is internet interruption). With many features to count, it’s a treat for professionals who work with the same files and keep each member of the team updated on any changes.
The best part which I experienced is that it automatically saves the file in real-time while you are working on it and store it there only. From that platform only, you have the option to share the file online, download it, or email as an attachment in many formats and those are many, I tell you.
Now in case you no longer have an internet connection, enable offline access and resume your work. Isn’t it great?
Go ahead and enjoy the Google Docs here.
C. Etherpad
A highly customizable Open Source online editor, Etherpad provides collaborative editing in real-time. Like Google Docs, this word processor lets you edit documents, save them, and collaboratively work on the same document. For example, you can write articles, create to-do lists and collaborate on the same task with your friends or colleagues at the same time.
Sometimes users are a bit hesitant of signing up and providing their email addresses, however, with Etherpad, there is no need to sign up. You can directly go to the link, create a new pad, start writing, and share it with your group to work on the same doc at the same time.
Use Etherpad, the real-time online word processor.
D. Zoho
Another online, free word processing software, Zoho is also a combination of the features, the above mentioned are embedded with. Considered as a powerful word processor, Zoho is available across all of your devices and collaborates with teammates/friends in real-time. All you need to do is sign up on the page and you are good to go for using its extraordinary services.
Some of the quite effective factors Zoho follows are “write together” “a crisp, clean space” that says a lot about the perks it has to offer. Some of the other features Zoho has including Zia, the writing assistant, WordPress integration, and many powerful tools for work.
Get started with Zoho here and explore the powerful online word processor.
2. Offline Word Processing Software
While many believe and prefer working on an online document that provides real-time saving and multi-users working on the same file at the same time, others go with offline document creation tools that don’t involve internet connection for file-sharing. Maybe they don’t want anyone to review their work unless it’s done and ready to be forwarded. Whatever the reason, we have several free word processing software that can be downloaded and installed on your local computer. Without further ado, let’s check out the offline word processing software below:
A. WPS Office Free Writer
Previously called Kingsoft Office, WPS Office Free Writer is an offline word processor that majorly comes with three products i.e. Writer, Presentations, and Spreadsheets. Available from Android to iPhone and Windows to Linux, WPS Office is a complete office suite with PDF editor.
A Few of the perks the WPS Office word processor comes with are it opens multiple document tabs and has the feature of eye protection and night mode. Some of the downside points can be that there are paid versions in order to suppress ads and use advanced features. But if you aren’t concerned with ads and want to use Office suite for a basic level, this word processor is the best for you.
Go ahead and download WPS Office free writer here.
B. Apache OpenOffice
Compatible with other major office suites, Apache OpenOffice is free to download. A bundle of 6 different products (Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, and Math), OpenOffice is a bit similar to other offline word processing software and easy to learn and use.
This leading free doc creation alternative to MS Word, OpenOffice is compatible with Windows XP to Windows 10, macOS, and Linux. Since it is an open-source word processing software, the updates are freely available to download and use.
Explore Apache OpenOffice products here and start creating documents offline for free.
C. Jarte
Another leading and widely used word processor, Jarte is also free to download and offline doc creation software. Jarte is based on the Microsoft WordPad word processing engine built into Windows and works flawlessly only on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, or 10.
Undoubtedly, Jarte is a small, portable, and touch-enabled word processor whose documents are fully compatible with Word and WordPad.
“It’s one of life’s little ironies that in a country with free speech, a program called Word costs over a hundred dollars. Fortunately, we also have Carolina Road Software and their free-of-charge word processor, Jarte.” – PC World magazine
Free Word Processor Mac
“I found Jarte to be a kick!” – Kim Komando (Kim Komando Radio Show)
Tap, download, and enjoy Jarte (one of the fast and easy to use a word processor).
D. FocusWriter
As the name suggests, FoucsWriter is a tried and proven word processor that provides multiple ways to create a distraction-free interface and I think that’s what any writer will need. No distraction!! In order to stay on the deadline, you can also create short term goals to make sure that you won’t miss out on any teeny-tiny details.
Compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS, FocusWriter has been translated into many different languages. The feature of auto-hiding the menu and any other additional buttons so that you can enjoy the full-screen view while writing on your document really stand out. You also can customize the colors and layouts of the document creation tool.
Go ahead, download this amazing word processing software and start writing without any distraction.
Wrapping Up
As there is cutthroat competition in the market, you will encounter many MS Office suite alternatives which claim to be the best at what they do, however, to save your time from that part, we have mentioned here the best ones you can go for.
In case you aren’t happy with the word processor you’re looking for, take advantage of the free trial of Microsoft Office so at least you get to explore the full capabilities of Microsoft Word for a whole month.
Mac Word Processing Program
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