10 Best Free Word Processing Software in 2024

February 15, 2024

free word processing software

We’ve all written emails, college essays, and articles and maybe even dreamed of becoming published authors because of our imaginations as children.

Or was that just me? 

Either way, personally or professionally, we’ve all written some content. Editing, organizing, and sharing this content can be quite intimidating if we don’t use the right tools to guide us in the right direction. Attention to detail is key to creating content such as legal documents, client publications, company reports, personal to-do lists, or internal memos. 

Document creation software helps users edit, customize, and share documents. It also stores documents for collaborative editing, which can be a solution for teams working toward a shared goal even if they don’t share a location. 

Choosing the right word processor for your needs elevates and refines your content requirements. A multitude of free and paid word processors are out there to choose from, and we’re going to walk you through a few. 

Best word processing software

Content creation can be intimidating. But with the right software, you can make sure that you write, edit, organize, and share your content seamlessly.  

This word-processing software list features real user reviews. Please note: vendors that offer a free trial are also considered free. To be included, the software solution must be able to do one or more of the following. 

  • Create editable documents 
  • Allow users to save and export documents in multiple formats
  • Make real-time collaboration and editing simple and useful
  • Offer options for the functionality of lists, such as checkboxes or entry cross-off
  • Provide note-taking or note-sharing capabilities
  • Correct grammatical and spelling errors 
  • Use artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with writing 

*This data was pulled from G2 in 2024. Some reviews may have been edited for clarity.

1. Google Workspace

Category: Office Suites Software

Google Workspace offers a start-to-finish document management ecosystem where users can edit, modify, upload, and share their documents across several word editors, open-source project management tools, or word processors. It also enables users to build their profiles, stack their favorite apps, customize menus, and maintain security permissions for their own documents.

What users like best:

"It is an excellent storage space in the cloud since it offers 15 GB of free storage space; I love the ease with which several editors can simultaneously edit any file online and be able to visualize their interaction in the documents; it is ideal for performing Teamworks."

- Google Workspace Review, Jesus P. 

What users dislike:

Sadly, compared to Microsoft Office 365 Outlook... Gmail is not as good. It is not awful though, and does have some great features. If you have never had Outlook, then Gmail will be great. However many of our team have found it a struggle to make a move into Gmail from Outlook. One of the main points is how the emails are threaded, being hard to follow in the UI.

- Google Workspace Review, Nikoloz G.

2. Foxit PDF Editor Suite

Category: PDF Editors

Foxit PDF Editor Suite is a comprehensive tool for seamless PDF management. It offers advanced editing capabilities, allowing users to modify text, images, and pages with ease. The suite ensures document security through password protection and encryption. Collaboration is simplified with annotation tools, while OCR technology enables text recognition. Its intuitive interface, combined with a range of powerful features, makes the Foxit PDF Editor Suite a versatile solution for creating, editing, and securing PDF documents. 

What users like best:

Functionality is pretty seamless...the variety of tools is great; the tools are easy to use, easy to find, and there is no learning curve once the program has been installed. Foxit has replaced the three separate PDF programs I had been using previously.

- Foxit PDF Editor Suite Review, Faith H.

What users dislike:

On-the-fly object manipulation is fine, but I'd like to see additional functions for grouping and aligning objects like floating shapes and images on the page. My only other dislike is that when creating a new PDF from scratch [File -> Create], it would be nice to be able to enter custom page size dimensions at that screen rather than having to first go to [File -> Preferences -> Create PDF -> Custom] in order to set the dimensions.

- Foxit PDF Editor Suite Review, Ben W.

3. monday.com

Category: Project Management Software

monday.com is a great project management tool for companies with cross-border offices as it helps delegate tasks, set delivery timelines, add e-documents and e-signatures, automate bookkeeping processes, and build project milestones for each and every department. With this tool, team members can build their ideal workflow or dashboards in an intuitive way and invite other stakeholders to review and revisit their projects with ease. 

What users like best:

"monday.com, from my professional experience, serves as an excellent tool for companies with geographically dispersed offices, having the chance to have important communication among colleagues across the globe. Its advantageous features, such as the creation of diverse boards and tables of contents, contribute significantly to its usage. In my daily office activities, the use of Monday has proven exceptionally convenient, facilitating efficient communication with colleagues in different countries and thereby elevating the overall effectiveness of our work.

For me, Monday stands out for its numerous integrations with various apps and websites, adding to its appeal and adaptability across different platforms. I personally incorporate Monday into my daily routine and am thoroughly satisfied with its performance."

- monday.com Review, Elene T.

What users dislike:

"It could be a little more user-friendly in that I would like to be able to make changes to the 'My Work' board so I can add in things on the go."

- monday.com ReviewPooja P.

4. ClickUp

Category: Document Creation Software

ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity platform that offers customizable features such as task lists, calendars, timeline adjustments, and time tracking. The software's rich functionality includes goal tracking, document sharing, and comprehensive reporting. Whether you're managing projects, tracking goals, or enhancing team collaboration, ClickUp provides a centralized solution for seamless task management. 

What users like best:

Click Up has a diverse set of project management and collaboration tools. One key feature that is useful to my design team and I are the custom dashboards. I can set up custom filter instances and track projects for the whole team, or filter down by individual, and look at a pie chart of request, in progress, and in-review items all in one view."

- ClickUp Review, Muhamed.

What users dislike:

The only reason I wouldn't recommend ClickUp to someone is that it could be more powerful than you need. Figuring out the ideal setup for your team/agency can be a bit of a learning curve, but honestly, people like us have fun with that. :-) Sometimes it can feel a little slow (but much improved with the recent updates!

- ClickUp Review, Julie O.

5. Conga Composer

Category: Document Creation Software 

Conga Composer is a robust document generation and automation solution. It empowers users to build dynamic and personalized content directly within Salesforce and save time. It allows users can merge data from Salesforce records into templates, automate document distribution, and streamline workflows. Conga Composer automates document creation and management, making it an essential tool for Salesforce users dealing with documents every day.

What users like best:

"The most helpful thing when using Conga Composer is the simplicity when being able to generate a quote. Since Conga is native to Salesforce, I pull my quotes on a daily basis, which is a pixel-perfect document I'm able to share with the customer in a matter of minutes."

- Conga Composer Review, Cooper S.

What users dislike:

"When something goes wrong, the service response doesn't provide any detail on the root cause, so it's difficult to troubleshoot. You will need to get help from the support team in such cases, and that might increase the resolution time."

- Conga Composer Review, Alessio D.

6. Wondershare PDFelement

Category: PDF Editors

Wondershare PDFelement are used to convert PDFs into editable formats with built-in compatibility. It facilitates easy text and image manipulation, allowing users to edit, convert, and annotate PDFs effortlessly. Form creation and data extraction allow you to simulate quick document creation. Advanced OCR technology enables text recognition, while secure collaboration is ensured through encryption and digital signatures. PDFelement stands out as a comprehensive solution for all PDF-related tasks.

What users like best:

"First, my company chose to use PDFelement because of its affordable price. There are many options available for purchase, whether it be an outright purchase or an annual renewal. You can buy them together; I think it's a very good option.

The second point is that functionality meets the needs of sales teams. Admin team that takes care of documents behind the house. In particular, the OCR function can work with the Thai language quite well."

- Wondershare PDFelement Review, Damrongsak S.

What users dislike:

"Basically, for cons, I have to mention that for a completist, I want a perfectly aligned format for my files, but when I edit, for some scenarios, it cannot recognize the font intelligently, and I have to adjust, select it manually, not time-saving, hope there can be improvement for this feature."

- Wondershare PDFelement Review, Frank W.

7. Coda

Category: Document Creation Software

Coda is a doc that joins teams and words. It comes with a set of building blocks combined to create powerful work. These building blocks create infinite depth, tables, and even actional buttons within the Coda. Its versatility can help individuals launch products, scale businesses, or even study for tests.  

What users like best:

It's easy to start working in Coda. Ease of use, in general, is very high. You can easily create or remove pages and subpages, change text formatting, add tables, and import many of the most common types of documents. The ability to set an icon and a cover image allows each page to stand out and makes it easier to know at a glance what kind of page you're on. It's also incredibly easy to collaborate within Coda, with multiple people seamlessly interacting with and changing items together.

Coda Review, Brianna T.

What users dislike:

I wish the formatting options for texts and inserting images were better. Formatting text to strikethrough, be a different font, etc., is not as intuitive as other tools, and inserting images/other media into a Coda section is not easily done.

Coda Review, Adrienne D.

8. MadCap Flare

Category: Help Authoring Tools (HAT)

MadCap Flare is a robust authoring and publishing tool tailored for technical communicators. It simplifies content creation with a single-source approach, enabling users to produce responsive documentation, online help, and knowledge bases. With features like topic-based authoring, conditional tagging, and easy multi-channel publishing, Flare empowers teams to efficiently create and maintain high-quality, consistent documentation across various platforms and devices.

What users like best:

"MadCap Flare's ever-growing feature set allows technical communicators to create a range of outputs, from online help to support sites to manuals to training courses. The application includes a library of templates for new users. It features pre- and post-build event commands, third-party plugin support, and macro recording capabilities for more experienced users who need to customize outputs for their organizations and automate frequent tasks. MadCap provides excellent customer support and implementation services. The company has created a broad user community around its software, including an annual conference, a Slack channel, a LinkedIn group, and local user groups."

- MadCap Flare Review, Ken S. 

What users dislike:

"IMadcap Flare's learning curve and high cost. It has been known to have a relatively steep learning curve, which can be a challenge for some users, especially those who are new to technical writing or the software. As for the cost, MadCap Flare is a professional tool designed for complex documentation projects, and as such, it may have a higher price tag than other authoring tools."

- MadCap Flare Review Ian Limwell A.

9. Zoho Docs

Category: Cloud Content Collaboration Software

Zoho Docs is a cloud document management and creation tool that offers real-time visibility, commenting capabilities, chat features, and version history to users to increase productivity and efficiency.  It helps build and edit documents, spreadsheets, checklists, and notes with maximum traceability and transparency. Users can collaborate in remote locations and exchange data and information in a seamless, non-restrictive way to scale task management. 

What users like best:

"For us to be able to have a platform where we can host multiple of the documents we manage as well as being easily accessible is more than important and relevant. Zoho Doc has these features and many more that make it a de facto platform for the implementation of backup/sharing information."

- Zoho Docs Review, Luis M.

What users dislike:

"Some users have reported that the user interface of Zoho Docs can feel a bit dated compared to other modern document management platforms. Additionally, while Zoho Docs offers a wide range of features, some users might find that certain advanced functionalities are not as intuitive or well-documented as they would like. Finally, occasional performance issues or limitations in the mobile app experience have been mentioned by some users as areas for improvement."

- Zoho Docs Review, Gulam G.

10. pdfFiller by airSlate

Category: Document Creation Software

pdfFiller by airSlate is a feature-rich and cloud-native platform to create, edit, and modify PDF documents over a remote platform. It can be used to add signatures, create form comments, respond with real-time feedback and track project updates to automate your document operations at a fraction of the cost. 

What users like best:

The affordability of pdf filler to begin with. It's an excellent price for all of the features u need to run a business. And the pff filler is incredibly easy and quick to use. With its many features, u can do everything from creating your own documents to keep your business running smoothly to editing documents to fit your needs to signing documents and sending them out to partners or clientele. All in all, PDf filler is an awesome addition to your business to keep things running"

- pdfFiller by airSlate Review, LeeAnn J.

What users dislike:

Although using the product is pretty intuitive, there were a couple of occasions I wanted guidance, and it was not to be had. The online click-for-help feature didn't yield anyone. I waited for up to 20 minutes without an update on my hold time or order of the queue. There was nobody live to help.

- pdfFiller by airSlate, Audra J.

Write clear, concise, and effective content

With this free word-processing software, you can easily start creating your next masterpiece. Whether you’re a beginner or a tenured professional, present each content piece confidently. 

Want to collaborate with your team on projects and work on tasks in real-time? Here’s your guide to document collaboration (because teamwork makes the dream work). 

document creation software
Click 'send email' with confidence

Stop second-guessing your content by ensuring that you use the right document creation software to help you edit!

document creation software
Click 'send email' with confidence

Stop second-guessing your content by ensuring that you use the right document creation software to help you edit!

10 Best Free Word Processing Software in 2024 Editing, organizing, and sharing content is intimidating if without the right tools. Create your next masterpiece with these free word processing software. https://learn.g2.com/hubfs/G2CM_FI558_Learn_Article_Images_%5BFree_word_processing_software%5D_V1a.png
Tanuja Bahirat Tanuja Bahirat is a Content Marketing Specialist at G2. She has previously written for the ed-tech industry and currently specializes in Data De-Identification, DDoS protection, mobile data security, cloud directory services, DNS security, runtime application self-protection, and network security policy management among other security categories to provide valuable information to readers. When she's not busy writing, she can be found attending local concerts, exploring cafes, trying her hand at baking, or binge watching series. https://learn.g2.com/hubfs/My%20project-1%20(1).png

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