Microsoft WordPad

Software Overview

Microsoft WordPad is a free, Word-like text editor included with Microsoft Windows. While WordPad is nowhere near as robust as Microsoft Word, its formatting features are a step up from Microsoft Notepad. Most notably, for those looking for a free Microsoft Word alternative, WordPad can create, open, edit, and save .DOCX files (though the documents may appear slightly different than they do in Word).

WordPad's ribbon-based UI allows you to specify your text's:

• Alignment
• Spacing
• Font
• Size
• Color
• Style (bold, italic, underline, etc.)

You can also insert images and Microsoft Paint drawings into WordPad documents.

After you finish drafting a document, you can save it as an .RTF, .ODT, or DOCX file. (You can also save the document as a .TXT file, though this will remove its images and formatting.) You can also quickly print or send the document in an email.

Summary

If you need to create a simple, formatted text document that does not include a lot of images, or you're looking for a free, easy way to open and edit a Microsoft Word document, Microsoft WordPad has you covered. WordPad is not and does not pretend to be a complete replacement for Word. For instance, Word users are very likely to miss that program's spell check capabilities. However, in a pinch, WordPad is a handy tool for taking notes, drafting essays, and writing other basic documents.

Primary File Type

.RTFRich Text Format File

Supported File Types

Additional Related File Types