European alternatives to Microsoft Word are word processors that open and save .docx files. The directory lists LibreOffice Writer and TextMaker from SoftMaker Office (both Germany), the ONLYOFFICE document editor (Latvia) and the browser-based editors in Collabora Online (UK), Nextcloud Office (Germany), CryptPad (France), Infomaniak kSuite (Switzerland) and MobiOffice (Bulgaria). Word is the word processor of Microsoft in the USA. This page is about writing and layout; for the whole suite see European alternatives to Microsoft Office, and for browser-based writing tools European alternatives to Google Docs.
Why people look for a Word alternative
Word is mostly sold in a Microsoft 365 subscription, and documents are saved to a US cloud by default. Schools, authorities and companies that want a free program, a one-off licence or a provider in Europe compare the tools below.
Which word processor fits which job
- Free and widespread: LibreOffice with Writer is open source and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Closest to the Word workflow: SoftMaker Office uses .docx as the native format of TextMaker and lists track changes, comments, mail merge and PDF export.
- Several authors in the browser: ONLYOFFICE, Collabora Online and Nextcloud Office run on an own server or at a provider.
- Confidential texts: CryptPad encrypts documents end to end.
- Swiss cloud with editors: Infomaniak kSuite integrates ONLYOFFICE for Word-style files.
- Phone and tablet: MobiOffice offers apps for mobile devices.
What to check with .docx files
Letters, reports and simple layouts usually survive the move. Complex layouts, fields, cross references, tracked changes and special fonts can shift, so open the most important templates in the new program before switching. Macros written in Visual Basic for Applications do not run unchanged in most alternatives.
Switching checklist
- Collect the templates and fonts that are really used.
- Test them with a real document, including comments and tracked changes.
- Save as .docx when sharing files with people who still use Word.