Word to ODT

Convert DOCX to OpenDocument Text — free, in your browser

Convert a Word document into OpenDocument Text — the format LibreOffice, OpenOffice and many Linux and government workflows expect. Headings, lists, tables and formatting are preserved, and nothing is uploaded.

🔒 Never uploaded ⚡ Instant 🔎 Selectable text ✓ Free

Why ODT

The Filesmith converter turning an 11.6 KB Word document into a 2.8 KB ODT file, a 76 percent saving, with an amber notice explaining that headers, footers and footnotes have been left out — The notice names what was dropped rather than leaving you to find out later. ODT has no equivalent for some of what a Word file carries, so those parts do not survive the move.

ODT is the open standard that LibreOffice and OpenOffice save by default, and it’s what a lot of Linux desktops and public-sector workflows require. Converting from Word lets you hand a document to someone in that world without asking them to install Microsoft Office.

What’s preserved

Headings and paragraph styles, bold, italic, underline and strikethrough, alignment and indents, bullet and numbered lists, and tables all carry across into the ODT. The file opens natively in LibreOffice, OpenOffice, and recent versions of Word.

A note on file size

ODT files look surprisingly small — often a few kilobytes for a long document. That’s not data loss; ODT is a compressed (zipped) format, and text compresses heavily. The full content is there and reopens intact.

Old .doc files

The old binary .doc format can’t be read in a browser. Save it as .docx first, then convert it here.

What ODF actually is

ODT is one part of OpenDocument Format, an open standard published as ISO/IEC 26300. Under the hood it's built much like .docx — a zip archive containing XML — which is why conversion between them is largely a matter of translating one vocabulary into another rather than rebuilding anything.

The practical difference is ownership. ODF was developed as a vendor-neutral standard, which is why a number of governments and public bodies specify it for documents that have to remain readable decades from now, without depending on one company's software still existing.

Where the round trip gets lossy

Converting one way is clean. Converting back and forth repeatedly isn't, because each format has features the other has no equivalent for. Things that tend not to survive a full round trip:

SmartArt and Word-specific diagram objects
Content controls and structured document tags
Some field codes, particularly cross-references and computed fields
Macros, which don't transfer between the two ecosystems at all

Ordinary documents — text, headings, lists, tables, images, footnotes — move between the two without drama. It's the Word-specific extras that don't have anywhere to go.

Keep the original

Convert a copy rather than replacing your .docx, especially if the document still has editing to do. If you need to hand the file back to someone working in Word later, exporting a PDF alongside is often the safer way to share a finished version.

Frequently asked

What is an ODT file?

ODT is OpenDocument Text — the open-standard document format used by LibreOffice and OpenOffice. It’s a common requirement in Linux and government workflows.

Is my file uploaded?

No. Conversion runs entirely in your browser; your document never leaves your device.

Why is the ODT file so small?

ODT is a compressed format, so a long document can be just a few kilobytes. The content is complete — it reopens with everything intact.

Can Word open the ODT afterwards?

Yes. Recent versions of Word open and edit ODT files, as do LibreOffice and OpenOffice.

Does it keep my tables and lists?

Yes. Headings, lists, tables and text formatting are all preserved.