1. Microsoft Word (part of Microsoft 365)
What it is: The industry‑standard word processor for PC; part of the Microsoft Office/Microsoft 365 suite. Why it’s good:
- Powerful formatting, templates, styles, track changes, comments, etc — great for professional documents, reports, letters, academic work.
- Strong compatibility (DOC, DOCX) so documents you share with others tend to appear correctly.
- Offline + online versions (if using Microsoft 365) so you can work locally or in the cloud. Trade‑offs:
- Requires subscription (for full features) or purchase of Office.
- Some advanced features have a steeper learning curve if you only want basic docs. Best for: Professionals, students, business use, anyone creating detailed documents with lots of features and needing compatibility with others.
2. WPS Office Writer
What it is: A free (or freemium) word processor included with the WPS Office suite, compatible with DOC/DOCX and other formats. Why it’s good:
- Lower cost (or free tier) than full Microsoft Office, yet supports the common file formats.
- User‐friendly interface, good for basic to moderate document creation/editing. Trade‐offs:
- To unlock full features you may need to pay. Free version may include ads or limited features.
- Less “deep” ecosystem than Microsoft in some enterprise features. Best for: Users needing a capable document editor but wanting to minimise cost; home users, students, freelancers.
3.View Companion Premium
ViewCompanion Premium
What it is: A PDF document authoring, editing, converting, commenting, and signing tool. Often used for document workflows involving PDF files. Why it’s good:
- Allows you to create, merge, split PDF documents; convert to/from Word/Excel, add comments, sign documents.
- Excellent for sharing polished documents that look identical across devices and for secure workflows. Trade‑offs:
- More expensive than basic word processors.
- If you only edit DOC/DOCX and rarely use PDFs, may be more than you need. Best for: Businesses, professionals, legal/contract work, publishing or sharing documents in PDF form.
4. Foxit PDF Reader / Editor
What it is: A freemium PDF viewer/editor and document tool for PC. Supports viewing, annotation, editing of PDF files. Why it’s good:
- Lightweight and fast compared with some large PDF suites.
- Good for reading, annotating, light editing of PDF documents. Trade‑offs:
- The full editing features may require paid version.
- If you need very advanced layout or publishing capabilities you may still need heavier tools. Best for: Users who frequently work with PDF docs, need to annotate/share, but don’t need full document production features.
5. airSlate SignNow (Document Editor + eSignature)
What it is: A PC‑document editor / management tool focused on forms, editing PDF/word documents and adding e‑signatures. “document editing software for PC … tool designed to create, modify, and manage digital documents efficiently” Why it’s good:
- Enables editing of docs, adding signatures, and managing workflows where documents need to be signed and returned.
- Ideal for contracts, forms, business workflows rather than just “word processing”. Trade‑offs:
- More specialised: if you just want to write letters or reports you may not need these features.
- Subscription or licensing may apply for full features. Best for: Businesses, teams, remote work where documents need signing, approvals, forms processing.
