While Microsoft WordPad is no longer available for download, we’ll show you the best word processing alternatives.
Microsoft WordPad is a rich text editor with some basic word processing features. The best part is that it comes preinstalled on every computer with Windows 10, so if you can’t find it on your computer, type WordPad in the Windows search bar.
If you’re using an older version of Windows or a Linux or Mac operating system, downloading WordPad may not be an option for you. However, there are several free alternatives available for word processing purposes that you can consider. The best option is Microsoft Word, and you can press the Download button on the sidebar and I’ll show you how you can get it free for 30 days.
Why Isn’t WordPad available to Download?
WordPad, a Microsoft product, has been a standard feature on Windows computers since the launch of Windows 95. Due to this affiliation with Microsoft, the rich text editor is exclusively designed for Windows and is not compatible with alternative operating systems like Linux or Mac.
Free Alternatives to WordPad
- Microsoft Word: The premier word processing program, you can use the browser-based version of Word for free. This version of Word has nearly all the same features as the desktop version and includes free One Drive storage. Word has hundreds of fonts, grammar and spell check, and excellent formatting features. The other option is to download Word, and all the Office 365 apps and get a free 30 day trial.
- Apache OpenOffice: A free open-source program, OpenOffice has a word processing program called Writer. It has all the features you would need from a rich text word processing program, including multiple font choices, layout options, spell check, and it can open .docx files.
- LibreOffice: LibreOffice, a fork of OpenOffice, has created its own iteration of the Writer software under an open-source model. Boasting a polished interface and a comprehensive set of tools for word processing, this no-cost application is fully compatible with both Word and OpenOffice documents.