TLDR: can I edit docx files on word without a subscription and if not what are some apps that can allow me to do so

Like the title says I need the ability to edit .docx for college (sadly other file formats aren’t accepted AFAIK) and my Microsoft 365 subscription is expiring and will not be renewed thanks to you lovely people getting me on the Proton family of software and obsidian for note taking.

However i created a .docx file today and and got a popup in word saying my Microsoft subscription is expiring soon (in march I believe) and that I would lose many feature.

This scary message wasn’t very helpful as to what features id lose (probably a lot of them I don’t even use) but the internet has not been helpful in telling me if I can still view and edit all my docx files that I have been collecting and creating over the years and have migrated to my proton drive

If I won’t be able to access docx files in word what are some apps that can open them from my proton drive (this is a hard requirement for me).

  • Platform27@lemmy.mlEnglish
    2·
    2 years ago

    Due to its proprietary nature, finding software that can properly read those files can be tricky.

    LibreOffice is the usual go-to for folks wanting an office suite, that respects privacy, and FOSS. It can read docx files, but it can mess up formatting. Still, for many it’s the preferred choice. It’s got the best reputation.

    Now if formatting REALLY matters, take a look at OnlyOffice. It handles those MS formats so much better. It’s not a bad suite, but it’s hard to beat the good reputation Libreoffice has gained.

    • infeeeee@lemm.ee
      2·
      2 years ago

      Docx is not a proprietary format, it’s a standard, it’s called Office Open XML: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_Open_XML

      And M$ published its specifications, so Libreoffice devs could support it. But here comes the funny part: M$ (deliberately?) doesn’t follow the specification it published. So the formatting problems of LibreOffice come from M$, because they don’t follow their specs, but M$ can just do whatever they want because of its market share.

      I read this story a long time ago, and I’m paraphrasing, but on this wiki page you can read a lot of controversies related to this format: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standardization_of_Office_Open_XML

        • infeeeee@lemm.ee
          1·
          2 years ago

          Yeah, wiki says it’s 6000 pages. But that’s not that long compared to other similar file standards, and it also contains pptx and xlsx.

          For comparison PDF standard is about 1000 pages, HTML (without CSS, just pure HTML) is 1500 pages.

  • Engywook@lemmy.ml
    2·
    2 years ago

    My Microsoft 365 subscription is expiring and will not be renewed thanks to you lovely people getting me on the Proton family of software and obsidian for note taking.

    I mean… Why would you ditch a service you evidently NEED just because some stranger on the internet told you so?

    That said, there’s plenty of offline programs that can work on .dock files, such as OnlyOffice and LIbreoffice (with varying degrees of compatibility with existing files). Good luck!

  • v12riceburner@lemmygrad.ml
    0·
    2 years ago

    You can still use Microsoft word web version after your 365 expires. The mobile app has ads if you don’t have a subscription.

    • FlihpFlorp@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      1·
      2 years ago

      Like I said I have all these files on proton drive

      Assuming I stick with word and don’t move to libreoffice like a few comments have suggested- in a desktop environment is really the only difference that it’s now going to open in a web browser, I’m just asking incase it doesn’t play nice with proton drive

  • lntl@lemmy.ml
    0·
    2 years ago

    If you only need a word processor, try Abiword. Otherwise if you need a full office suite: LibreOffice

  • WarmSoda@lemm.ee
    0·
    2 years ago

    Doesn’t OpenOffice have the ability to edit Office files?
    It’s been awhile, I could be wrong.

    • FlihpFlorp@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      0·
      2 years ago

      I wouldn’t know lol but I’m assuming it does since someone else recommended it

      As for now tho I’m gonna check out libreoffice and then have open office as a back up now that more than 1 person is recommending it

  • 0xtero@beehaw.org
    0·
    2 years ago

    LibreOffice will do just fine reading and writing the format as long as you don’t care too much about small formatting/layout differences.

    It will also struggle if you’ve embedded other office components into your documents (like excel embedded in word).

  • Kuadhual@lemm.ee
    0·
    2 years ago

    I second every suggestions about Libreoffice. It’s free, open source and works in Windows, MacOS and Linux.

    The problems lies in the different rendering engine. If you have table of contents, floating image and anything that impact text flow; it will be rendered differently between the two apps.

    I still use Libreoffice as my primary editor, but if I need to send docs to other people, I will export it to PDF. But if I really need to send docx or pptx, I will format it in WPS office before sending the docs to others.