Microsoft Word is the reference word processor on Windows and macOS, but not on Linux, since Microsoft is still not betting on this platform when launching its applications, although it is doing so on Windows, albeit timidly with WSL . If you are thinking of switching to Linux and need a word processor that meets your needs, then we show you the best alternatives to Microsoft Word for Linux.
The first thing that we must be clear about when looking for an alternative to Microsoft Word is that we are not going to find an application as complete and with as many functions as the solution that Microsoft offers us to write text documents.
LibreOffice Writer
If we talk about alternatives to Office, we cannot fail to mention one of the most popular and used alternatives. We are talking about LibreOffice Writer. LibreOffice Writer is the most complete application available for Linux and is considered by many to be the best Word alternative for Linux. It includes a large number of templates of all kinds, it is compatible with a large number of formats, it allows us to export documents in PDF format. We can download LibreOffice through its website by clicking on the following link. Like Office, we need to install the full LibreOffice suite in order to access Writer, so it may not be an ideal option for computers that are strapped for resources and storage space.
FocusWriter
If we are looking for an application that reduces the interface to the minimum expression and thus avoid all kinds of distractions, the application we are looking for is Focuswriter. Focuswriter is a great app for writing while reducing distractions as it automatically hides the user interface and only shows it when we move the mouse to the edges of the screen. The files are saved as plain text, although we can also store them in .docx and .odt format. It is available for Linux Flatpak, DEB and RPM. We can download this application directly from its website. It is also available for Windows.
Abiword
If our needs are basic and we don’t need any of the large number of frills that Word allows us to add to text documents, Abiword is an excellent option to take into account, an application whose name comes from the Spanish word open. The application includes the basic functions of writing, allowing us to create lists, tables, align the text and format it to adapt it to our needs. It is compatible with the .docx, .odt, .html and .doc formats among others, which allows us to import or export our documents so that they can be opened in Word, LibreOffice and others. The last update of this application is from 2021 and we can download it through the following link.
OpenOffice Writer
Along with LibreOffice, OpenOffice is another of the best-known alternatives to Microsoft’s almighty Word. OpenOffice Writer includes all the options we need to write any text document and format it according to our needs. It is compatible with .docx and .odt formats, it allows us to save the text in rich and plain format, save the files automatically to avoid losing the changes and its code is available through GitHub. We can download OpenOffice Writer directly from its website .
etherpad
The solution that etherpad offers us as an alternative to Microsoft Word is focused on covering a feature that none of the applications that I mentioned above offer us is real-time collaboration when writing documents. Although its use is focused on writing press releases, task lists, we can also use it to write any type of document since it covers the basic needs that we may need. This application runs through the browser and does not need a server to work. It is available for Linux, Windows and macOS and is fully translated into Spanish. We can download etherpad from its website through the following link .
