How to Share an MS Word Document With Someone Who Doesn’t Have Word

Have you ever found yourself puzzled and wondering how to share a Word document with clients who don't have Microsoft Word installed? Or want to know what program opens up DOCX files that you can get them to use?

MS Word is valuable for creative professionals who create content or task-planning documents. This helps in team collaboration efforts. However, only some people prefer or have access to Word. Others may prefer Google Docs or other software. Asking them to download MS Word can be a hassle.

In this tutorial, I'll outline four solutions to the problem of how to open DOCX files and how to email a Word document to anyone, regardless of whether they have Word or not. I'll demonstrate the techniques using a pre-built template from Envato Elements as our example to simplify the steps. The best part? Your recipients won't need to download Microsoft Word or any additional software.

Ready to dive in and learn how to share a Word document with others who may or may not have MS Word? We'll use an example project proposal document created from a pre-built template. A premium template from Envato Elements helps you save time and ensures top-notch quality in your work.

Plus, I'll provide visual clarity with step-by-step screenshots for each part of the process. There's no need to decipher the steps on your own.

Premium Project Proposal Template from Envato Elements

Let's start exploring how to open a DOCX file without MS Word.

1. View as PDF

When sharing an MS Word document, the first question to ask is, "Does the recipient need to edit the MS Word doc?" If the answer is no, then all you need is a DOCX viewer. The simplest route is to send it as a PDF.

Converting your Word document to a PDF is straightforward. First, ensure your MS Word document is saved. If you're currently editing it, hit Savebefore proceeding. If you're not in the document at the moment, open it up and follow these steps:

Step 1

Click on File at the top. Then, select Save As... to begin the process.

Step 2

Next, you can rename the file or leave it as is. Leave the file extension after your file name as it is, .docx. Then, choose the folder where you'd like to save it. By default, Word directs you to the folder where your original MS Word document resides. You can opt to save the new PDF here or select a different location.

Step 3

After selecting the folder and naming your file, proceed to the bottom of the popup box and click File Format. From the list that appears, choose PDF.

Step 2: Click on File Format and select PDF — Step 2 & 3: Click **File Format** and select **PDF**

After choosing PDF, you'll notice the file name extension switch from .docx to .pdf.

Step 4

Choose between Best for electronic distribution and accessibility (uses Microsoft online service) and Best for printing.

If you opt for Best for electronic distribution and accessibility (uses Microsoft online service), MS Word will optimize your document for minimal file size by compressing images and elements. On the other hand, Best for printing retains the original image quality, which is ideal for print-ready documents.

I prefer Best for printing as most of my documents don't have images. Even if my documents include images, I like to optimize them before including them in my document.

Step 5

Once you've made your selection (or just stuck with the default option), click on Export.

Your new PDF file will be saved in the location you specified earlier. Quickly email your PDF file as an attachment to your clients or collaborators. They will be able to view PDFs without any issues.

Step 3: Choose how you'd want it saved and click Export — Step 4 & 5: Choose how you'd want it saved and click **Export**

2. View in a Free Online DOCX Viewer/Reader

What online program opens up DOCX files for free? There are loads of free online DOCX viewer tools for anyone to use. They are straightforward to use, and directing your recipients to them is effortless. I'll take you through two such DOCX viewer tools here.

The first free tool is Aspose's online DOCX reader. Wondering how to email a Word document and get your collaborator to use Aspose? It's simple: when you email Word documents over, just include these instructions:

Save the file onto your device.
Click on this link: https://products.aspose.app/words/viewer/docx.
Drag and drop the file from the new saved location into Aspose.
Once the upload is complete, the file opens up and can be viewed within Aspose.

Once upload completes, the file opens up on the screen — Once the upload completes, the file opens up in Aspose

The second free tool is Groupdocs' online DOCX viewer. The answer to how to email a Word document and get your collaborator to use Groupdocs is the same as seen for the Aspose DOCX viewer above. I'll include it here anyway, so all you have to do is copy and paste this information on how to open a DOCX file with Groupdocs into your email. The instructions are:

Save the file onto your device.
Click on this link: https://products.groupdocs.app/viewer/docx.
Drag and drop the file from the new saved location into Groupdocs.
Once the upload is complete, the file opens up and can be viewed within Groupdocs.

Once upload completes, the file opens on the screen — Once the upload completes, the file opens on Groupdocs

3. View and Edit on Google Drive or Google Docs

Let's revisit the first question, "Does the recipient need to edit the MS Word doc?" If yes, your best option is to use Google Drive or Google Docs.

The idea is to move your MS Word document to Google Drive and share it with your collaborators. Let's look at how to open a Word doc in Google Docs:

Step 1

Click on Newin the top left corner of Google Drive.

Step 2

Select File Upload.

Step 3

Select your file and click Open.

You'll see the status of your upload at the bottom right corner of the page. Once the status changes from uploading to upload complete, your file will be on Google Drive and ready for use.

Your MS Word document is now on Google Drive

A faster option is to drag and drop your file onto Google Drive!

Drag & drop your MS Word document to Google Drive

There is a small risk that your document formatting may be off when you open it in Google Docs. Double-check your formatting before sharing your document. This process also answers the question of how to open a Word doc in Google Docs. All you have to do is right-click and select Google Docs.

tip

A professionally designed template helps you avoid formatting issues.

Right click and open in Google Docs — Instruction to recipient: Right-click and select Google Docs.

You're all ready to share your document with your collaborators now. The only instruction you'll need to include is how to open a Word doc in Google Docs: right-click on the file and select Google Docs.

Are you not sure how to share a Word document from Google Drive? Check out this tutorial for a step-by-step guide:

How to Share Documents in Google Docs: Everything You Need to Know
Melissa Murphy
09 Nov 2016

4. Use Pages (for Apple Users only)

Wondering how to open DOCX files on an Apple? Pages is a word-processing tool that comes with all Apple laptops and iPads. If you know that your collaborators are Apple users, all you have to do is email Word documents to them, and they can access them using Pages.

Pages allow your collaborators to view and even edit MS Word documents easily. All they have to do is:

Save the document to their device.
Right-click and go to Open With, andselect Pages.

Right click & open in Pages — Want to know how to open DOCX files on Apple? Right-click, go to **Open With**& select **Pages**

Learn More About Creating Great Microsoft Word Documents in 2024

Do you want to create better MS Word documents? We've got loads of bite-sized tutorials and articles. From learning to use sections and page breaks to creating awesome page layout designs, we have you covered. Up your MS Word skills in no time and create excellent documents in 2024.

Here are a few examples from our Microsoft Word beginner tutorial guide:

And if you're interested in exploring MS Word templates that will help you save time at work, we have loads of curated lists of MS Word templates for different uses. Download any of these premium templates and use them today.

Here are some modern 2024 MS Word templates for you to check out:

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MS Word Templates

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Confidently Email Word Documents Out Today

I've taken you through how to share a Word document as a PDF, what program opens up DOCX files for free, and how to open a Word doc in Google Docs and Pages. These methods are easy to use and won't cause trouble for your recipients.

Microsoft Word is incredibly useful, and now that you know what programs open up DOCX files, you can confidently continue using it. Explore premium MS Word templates from Envato Elements for your next project. It saves time!

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Use a premium Microsoft Word template from Envato Elements. Browse, download, edit, and email Word documents out today.