Comparison of word processors
This is a comparison of word processing software.
General information
This table provides general information about selected word processors.
Word processor | Screenshot | Creator | Latest stable version | First release | License |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AbiWord | ![]() |
SourceGear Corporation | 3.0.1 (23 December 2014 ) [±][1] | 1999 (May 19) | Open source (GPL) |
AppleWorks | ![]() |
Apple Inc. | 6.2.9 January 4, 2004 | 1984 | Commercial, Proprietary |
Applix Word | Vistasource Inc. | 6.0 | 1992 | Commercial, Proprietary | |
Atlantis Nova | Rising Sun Solutions, Inc | 1.0.0.70 | 2000 (Earliest copyright date in the About Window) | Freeware | |
Atlantis Word Processor | Rising Sun Solutions, Inc | 1.6.5.13 May 29, 2013 | 2000 (Earliest copyright date in the About Window) | Commercial, Proprietary | |
Bean | ![]() |
James Hoover | 3.2.5 (March 15, 2013 ) [±] | 2007 (May 1) | Freeware since 3.0 |
Calligra Words (formerly KWord) | ![]() |
KDE | 2.9.2 (2 April 2015[2]) [±] | 1998 | Open source (LGPL) |
Cassiopeia | ![]() |
Smartsoft GmbH | Version 1.4.1 | 2015 | Freeware / Commercial |
CopyDesk | Quark, Inc. | 7 (2007) | 1991 | Commercial, Proprietary | |
EZ Word | Andrew Project | 7.5 (1996) | 1985 | Open source (BSD license) | |
FrameMaker | Adobe Systems Incorporated | 12.0 (January 14, 2014 ) | 1986 | Commercial, Proprietary | |
Gobe Productive | Gobe Software | 3 | Aug 1998 | Commercial, Proprietary | |
Han/Gul (HWP) | Haansoft | 9.0.0.1397(May 27, 2014) | 1989 | Commercial, Proprietary | |
Ichitaro | JustSystems | 20 / Ichitaro 2010 | 1983 | Commercial, Proprietary | |
InCopy | Adobe Systems Incorporated | CC
June 17, 2013 |
1999 | Commercial, Proprietary | |
Jarte (Free and Pro) | ![]() |
Carolina Road Software, LLC | 5.1 (October 19, 2013 ) [±] | 2001 (July) | Freeware or Commercial, Proprietary |
Kingsoft Writer (Free and Pro) | Kingsoft | 2012 8.1.0.3016(November 9, 2011 ) | 1989 | Freeware or Commercial, Proprietary | |
LibreOffice Writer | ![]() |
The Document Foundation |
|
2011 (January 25) | Open source (LGPL) |
Lotus Symphony | Lotus Software | 3.0 | 2008 | Freeware (Registerware) | |
Lotus Word Pro | Lotus Software | 9.8.5 (2007) | 1989 (Originally Samna Ami Pro) | Commercial, Proprietary | |
LyX | ![]() |
The LyX Project | 2.1.3 (February 10, 2015 ) | 1995 | Open source (GPL) |
Mariner Write | Mariner software | 3.7.2 | 1996 | Commercial, Proprietary | |
Mellel | RedleX | 3.27 (Build 1) as of November 14, 2013 | 2002 | Commercial, Proprietary | |
Microsoft Word | Microsoft Corporation | December 11, 2012 | 1983 (May 2) | Commercial, Proprietary | |
Microsoft Works | Microsoft Corporation | 9.0 | 1987 (October) (MS Works for DOS) | Commercial, Proprietary | |
NeoOffice Writer | ![]() |
Planamesa Software | 2014.10[4] (April 16, 2015 ) [±] | 2003 (June 22) | Open source (GPL) |
Nisus Writer | Nisus Software | 7.0 (Express) | 1989 | Commercial, Proprietary | |
OpenOffice Writer | ![]() |
Apache Software Foundation (2011 – present) | 4.1.1 (August 21, 2014 ) [±] | 2002 (April 30) | Open source (Apache License) |
Pages | ![]() |
Apple Inc. | 5.5.3 (April 21, 2015 ) [±] | 2005 (January 11) | Commercial, Proprietary |
PolyEdit | PolySoft Solutions | 5.2 | 1998 | Commercial, Proprietary | |
StarOffice | Sun Microsystems | 9 | 1994 | Commercial, Proprietary - LGPL Version is released as Open Office | |
StarOffice Writer from Google Pack |
Sun Microsystems | 8 | 1994 | Commercial, Proprietary - LGPL Version is released as Open Office | |
TeXmacs | ![]() |
Joris van der Hoeven | 1.0.7.17 (October 2012) | 1996 ? | GPL |
Ted | ![]() |
Mark de Does | 2.23 (February 2013) | 1999 | Open source (GPL) |
TextEdit | ![]() |
Apple Inc. | 1.10 (October 16, 2014 ) [±] | 1993? (approximate date) as part of NeXT's OPENSTEP OS which later became part of Mac OS X | Open source (BSD license) |
TextMaker | SoftMaker | 2012 | 1987[5][6] | Freeware or Commercial, Proprietary Freeware - SoftMaker FreeOffice (freeoffice.com), Commercial - SoftMaker Office 2010 and later versions | |
WordFile4ME | Byron Software | 4.55.21 | 1999 (Earliest copyright date in the Readme File) | Commercial, Proprietary | |
WordPad | Microsoft Corporation | 6.1.7600.16385 | 1995 | Commercial, Proprietary | |
WordPerfect | Corel Corporation | X7 (April 8, 2014 ) [±] | 1980 | Commercial, Proprietary | |
Word processor | Screenshot | Creator | Latest stable version | First release | License |
Characteristics
This table gives characteristics of each word processor.
Word processor | Grammar checker | Cross referencing | Bibliography | Graphic editing | Mail merging | Spell checker | Smartfont typography[7] | Math support | Conditional text | LTR/RTL | Reveal Codes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AbiWord | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | |
AppleWorks | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | ? | ||||||
Applix Word | ? | ? | ? | ||||||||
Atlantis Word Processor | ? | ? | Yes | ||||||||
Bean | No | ? | ? | No | No | Yes | ? | ||||
Cassiopeia | No | Yes | Yes | ? | No | No | ? | Yes | ? | ? | |
CopyDesk | No | ? | ? | No | Yes | ? | |||||
EZ Word | ? | ? | ? | ||||||||
FrameMaker | No | Yes[8] | ? | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes[9] | Yes[10] | ? | |
Gobe Productive | ? | ? | ? | ||||||||
GNU TeXmacs | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (only own graphics) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | |
Groff | ? | ? | ? | ||||||||
Han/Gul | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | ? | |||
Ichitaro | Yes (for Japanese) | ? | ? | Yes (for Japanese) | No | ? | |||||
InCopy | No | ? | ? | No | Yes | Yes[11] | ? | ||||
Jarte | No | ? | ? | No | No | Yes | No | ? | |||
KWord | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | ? | |||
LibreOffice Writer | Yes (with extensions) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[12] | Yes | Yes[13] |
IBM Lotus Symphony | No | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | ? | |||
Lotus Word Pro | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | ? | |||
LyX | Yes[14] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
Mariner Write | No | ? | ? | No | Yes | Yes | No | ? | ? | ||
Mathematica | No | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ||
Mellel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
Microsoft Word | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No[15] | Yes[16] | No | Yes | |
Microsoft Works | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | ? | ? | |
NeoOffice Writer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
Nisus Writer | ? | ? | ? | ||||||||
OpenOffice Writer | No | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[17] | Yes[18] | Yes[19] | Yes | |
Pages | Yes | No | Yes[20] | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes[21] | ? | ||
PolyEdit | ? | ? | Yes | ? | |||||||
StarOffice Writer | No | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[17] | ? | |||
Ted | No | ? | ? | No | No | Yes | ? | ||||
TextEdit | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ? | |||
TextMaker | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
WordFile4ME | ? | ? | ? | ||||||||
WordPerfect | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | ? | Yes |
Word processor | Grammar checker | Cross referencing | Bibliography | Graphic editing | Mail merging | Spell checker | Smartfont typography[7] | Math support | Conditional text | LTR/RTL | Reveal Codes |
Operating system compatibility
This table gives a comparison of what operating systems are compatible with each word processor in their last version.
Word processor | Windows | Mac OS X | GNU/Linux | BSD | BeOS/Zeta | AmigaOS/MorphOS | UNIX | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AbiWord | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (AOS: through X11 engine) | Yes | SkyOS |
AppleWorks | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Applix Word | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Atlantis Word Processor | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Bean | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Cassiopeia | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
CopyDesk | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
EZ Word | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
FrameMaker | Yes | Version 7.1 and earlier | No | No | No | No | Version 8 and earlier | No |
Gobe Productive | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
GNU TeXmacs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
Groff | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Han/Gul | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Ichitaro | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
InCopy | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Jarte | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
KWord | Yes (Alpha) | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
LibreOffice Writer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
IBM Lotus Symphony | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Lotus Word Pro | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
LyX | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | OS/2 |
Mariner Write | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Mathematica | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
Mellel | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Microsoft Word | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Microsoft Works | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
NeoOffice Writer | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Nisus Writer | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
OpenOffice Writer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | OpenVMS |
Pages | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
PolyEdit | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
StarOffice Writer | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Ted | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Atari ST |
TextEdit | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
TextMaker | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Android |
WordFile4ME | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
WordPerfect | Yes | No | No (since 2000) | No | No | No (last : AOS up to WP4.1 in 1987) | No (since 1994) | OpenVMS1 |
Word processor | Windows | Mac OS X | GNU/Linux | BSD | BeOS/Zeta | AmigaOS/MorphOS | UNIX | Other |
1. can run unsupported Version 5.1
Import or open capabilities
This table gives a comparison of the file formats each word processor can import or open.
Word processor | HTML | LaTeX | ODF .odt | RTF | Word .doc | WordPerfect | OOXML .docx | SXW | UOF |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AbiWord | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Atlantis Word Processor | No | No | Yes[22] | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | ||
Bean | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
CopyDesk | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
FrameMaker | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | |||
GNU TeXmacs | yes, with MathML support | yes, with BibTeX support | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Ichitaro | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
InCopy | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | |||
Jarte | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes[23] | ||
KWord | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[24] | Yes | No |
LibreOffice Writer | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
IBM Lotus Symphony | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Lotus Word Pro | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
LyX | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | with external program | No | No | No | No |
Mariner Write | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | |||
Mathematica | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | |||
Microsoft Word | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Microsoft Works | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
NeoOffice Writer | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
OpenOffice Writer | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Pages | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | |
PolyEdit | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
RedOffice | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
StarOffice Writer | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Ted | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
TextEdit | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | ||
TextMaker | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
WordPerfect | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Word processor | HTML | LaTeX | ODF .odt | RTF | Word .doc | WordPerfect | OOXML .docx | SXW | UOF |
Export or save capabilities
This table gives a comparison of the file formats each word processor can export or save. It should be noted that in some cases, omitting an Export format (Microsoft Word's omission of WordPerfect export is the best known example) was a sales rather than a technical measure.
Word processor | HTML | LaTeX | ODF .odt | RTF | Word .doc | WordPerfect | OOXML .docx | UOF | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AbiWord | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial (Linux ver.)[25] | Yes | Yes | disabled[26] | Yes[27] | No |
Atlantis Word Processor | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | |
Bean | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Cassiopeia | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
CopyDesk | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
FrameMaker | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
GNU TeXmacs | yes, with MathML equations | yes, with BibTeX bibliography | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Ichitaro | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
InCopy | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | ||
Jarte | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
KWord | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
LibreOffice Writer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
IBM Lotus Symphony | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Lotus Word Pro | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
LyX | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Mariner Write | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | ||
Mathematica | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | ||
Microsoft Word | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Microsoft Works | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
NeoOffice Writer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | |
OpenOffice Writer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Pages | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | |
PolyEdit | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
RedOffice | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
StarOffice Writer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Ted | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
TextEdit | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
TextMaker | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
WordPerfect | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Word processor | HTML | LaTeX | ODF .odt | RTF | Word .doc | WordPerfect | OOXML .docx | UOF |
See also
- List of word processors
- Comparison of spreadsheet software
- Comparison of text editors
- Comparison of TeX editors
- Comparison of office suites
- Office suite
- Online office suite
References
- ↑ "AbiWord 3.0.1". AbiSource. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
- ↑ "Calligra 2.9.2 Released: Calligra Suite".
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Release Notes". The Document Foundation. April 25, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- ↑ pluby (16 April 2015). "NeoOffice updates with more OS X Yosemite fixes available". trinity.neooffice.org. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ↑ Andy Updegrove (2006-07-05). "The Emerging ODF Environment, Part IV: Spotlight on SoftMaker Office 2006". Retrieved 2010-03-28.
- ↑ "SoftMaker". 1997-06-03. Archived from the original on 1997-06-03. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Advanced typography refers to either support for Apple Advanced Typography or advanced OpenType typography features and all OpenType layout tables or Graphite font technology
- ↑ "Adobe FrameMaker 9 * About cross-references". Help.adobe.com. Retrieved 2012-12-13.
- ↑ Adobe Systems, "Edit equations," <http://help.adobe.com/en_US/FrameMaker/9.0/Using/WSF12494BC-2ECA-4d4d-8BA8-2CC2CB9B9E1A.html>, [retrieved January 21, 2012]
- ↑ Adobe Systems, "About conditional text," <http://help.adobe.com/en_US/FrameMaker/9.0/Using/WSF778A159-48A7-4f26-B04E-79509DDB38E8.html>, [retrieved January 21, 2012]
- ↑ Adobe Systems, "Use conditional text," <http://help.adobe.com/en_US/InCopy/6.0/WS745C7188-1C17-4eae-8680-2F7C80DE6849.html>, [Retrieved January 21, 2012]
- ↑ LibreOffice, "Defining Conditions" <https://help.libreoffice.org/Writer/Defining_Conditions>, [Retrieved March 8, 2013]
- ↑ "LibreOffice 4.2 Writer Guide Word Processing with Style" (PDF). LibreOffice Documentation Team. pp. 59, 330, 334, 467. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
- ↑ LyX wiki | Tools / LyX Grammar Checker
- ↑ Partial support for some OpenType features in MS Word 2010, ie. ligatures, old-style figures, but not true small caps.
- ↑ MS Equation and MathType
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Support for Graphite Font Technology from version 3.2
- ↑ "Math Objects" (PDF). Retrieved 26 July 2013.
- ↑ "Developing conditional content". Retrieved 26 July 2013.
- ↑ End notes/bibliography supported with EndNote X2 (third party)
- ↑ With third party add-ons: LaTeX or MathType.
- ↑ Atlantis Word Processor supported file formats
- ↑ Requires Microsoft's free Office Compatibility Pack
- ↑
- ↑ "FaqCreatingPDFs - AbiWiki". Abisource.com. 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2012-12-13.
- ↑ http://www.abisource.com/wiki/PluginMatrix
- ↑ "AbiWord v2.6.5 ChangeLog". Abisource.com. Retrieved 2012-12-13.
External links
- Chronology of Events in the History of Microcomputers
- Comparison of Word and LaTeX in scientific writing
- Top 8 Free Online Word Processors
- Online word processors: A hands-on comparison
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