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Convert rtf to docx

Free online RTF to DOCX converter

Convert legacy RTF files to editable DOCX documents with Word, LibreOffice, or 101convert.com.

Convert RTF to DOCX online - free

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How to convert rtf to docx file

A legacy email attachment, archive export, or older editor may produce an .rtf file when a recipient or office workflow requires an editable Word document. Saving it as .docx makes the file easier to edit in current Microsoft Word and share with systems that accept Office Open XML.

What the RTF format is

Rich Text Format (RTF) is a text-based format for storing formatted text, fonts, colors, paragraph styles, tables, images, and basic page layout. Microsoft introduced it to exchange formatted documents between different word processors. RTF files use the .rtf extension and can usually be opened by Microsoft Word, WordPad on older Windows versions, LibreOffice Writer, Apple TextEdit, and other editors.

RTF is still found in email attachments, exported records, legacy templates, document archives, and files created by older applications. Its broad reader support makes it useful for basic interchange, but it does not represent all features available in modern Word documents.

What the DOCX format is

DOCX is Microsoft Word’s Office Open XML document format, used by Microsoft Word, Microsoft 365, LibreOffice Writer, and other current office suites. A DOCX file is a ZIP-based package containing XML document data, styles, settings, relationships, and media.

DOCX supports Word features that RTF handles poorly or does not support, including structured styles, headers and footers, comments, tracked changes, automatic tables of contents, accessibility information, embedded objects, and more precise document relationships. DOCX files are often smaller than equivalent RTF files because the package uses XML compression, although the result depends on the document’s images and other content.

Convert with Microsoft Word

  1. Open document.rtf in Microsoft Word.
  2. Check the text, page breaks, tables, images, lists, headers, footers, and special characters.
  3. Select File → Save As.
  4. Choose Word Document (*.docx) as the file type, specify a new filename, and select Save.
  5. Close and reopen the resulting .docx file, then verify its layout and content.

Convert with LibreOffice Writer

  1. Open the RTF file in LibreOffice Writer.
  2. Select File → Save As.
  3. Choose Word 2007–365 (*.docx) from the file-type list.
  4. Keep the Word format when LibreOffice asks whether to use its native format, then save and inspect the DOCX file.

For a one-off conversion without installing desktop software, upload the RTF file to the free converter on 101convert.com and download the generated DOCX file. Do not upload confidential or regulated documents unless the service’s privacy and retention terms are acceptable.

Convert multiple files from the command line

LibreOffice can convert RTF files without opening its graphical interface:

mkdir -p converted
libreoffice --headless --convert-to docx --outdir converted document.rtf

The command writes the converted file to converted. Use a separate output directory to avoid overwriting the original; for multiple files, supply multiple input filenames or run the command in a script.

Check the converted file

Paragraphs, ordinary character formatting, simple tables, and standard images usually transfer successfully. Layout accuracy depends on the software used for conversion and on the fonts installed on that computer.

  • Missing fonts can alter line wrapping, pagination, table widths, and page breaks.
  • Floating objects, text boxes, drawing layers, footnotes, fields, embedded files, and unusual table structures may move, change, or disappear.
  • RTF cannot supply DOCX-only features that were not present in the source, such as Word comments, tracked revisions, macros, or advanced document metadata.
  • Review page breaks, headers and footers, list numbering, hyperlinks, image placement, fields, and document properties before sharing the DOCX.

Keep the original .rtf file as a backup, especially when the DOCX will serve as an official or archival copy.

RTF vs DOCX: format comparison

How the RTF and DOCX formats compare on the properties that matter most for this conversion.

Comparison of the RTF and DOCX file formats
Property .RTF Rich Text Format .DOCX Microsoft Word Open XML Document
Editable text Yes Yes
Fixed page layout No No
Text formatting Extensive Extensive
Images Limited Yes
Interactive elements No Limited
Password protection Basic Basic
Opens in a web browser No No
Typical file size Small Small
Open standard Partly open Yes
Best used for Editing and post-production Editing and post-production
Introduced 1987 2007
Developer Microsoft Microsoft Corporation
MIME type application/rtf application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Open RTF file Open DOCX file

Suggested software and links: rtf to docx converters

Ability Write icon

Ability Write

A fully featured word processor from Ability Office software suite
AbiWord icon

AbiWord

A free word processing program available for Windows, Mac & Linux
Apache OpenOffice Writer icon

Apache OpenOffice Writer

Word processor and text editor from OpenOffice.org suite
Apple Pages icon

Apple Pages

A word processor and layout tool
Atlantis Word Processor icon

Atlantis Word Processor

A shareware word processor program
Corel WordPerfect icon

Corel WordPerfect

Corel WordPerfect is word processor for Microsoft Windows
LibreOffice Writer icon

LibreOffice Writer

Full-featured word processing and desktop publishing tool from LibreOffice suite
Microsoft Word icon

Microsoft Word

One of the most popular word processor programs from Microsoft.
Microsoft WordPad icon

Microsoft WordPad

Basic text editor distributed with Microsoft Windows
OfficeSuite icon

OfficeSuite

An Office document editing app running on S60 based smarthones
OfficeSuite Professional icon

OfficeSuite Professional

A complete mobile office app for Android
No icon available

RightNote

Note organiser software
TextMaker icon

TextMaker

A reliable word processor from SoftMaker Office suite
Word Mobile icon

Word Mobile

Mobile version of Microsoft Word previously known as Pocket Word
Xara Page & Layout Designer icon

Xara Page & Layout Designer

Desktop publishing software

Frequently asked questions

Is the RTF to DOCX converter free?

Yes, converting RTF to DOCX on 101convert.com is completely free. No registration, email address or installation is required.

How large can my RTF file be?

You can upload RTF files up to 1000 MB and convert up to 100 files at once in a single batch.

What happens to my uploaded files?

Files are processed automatically and deleted from our servers within a few minutes after conversion. We never view or share your files.

Do I need to install any software to convert RTF to DOCX?

No. The RTF to DOCX conversion runs entirely online in your browser and works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone.

Did the conversion fail?

In most cases, the cause is an incorrect file format. Please upload a valid RTF file for this RTF to DOCX conversion. Occasionally, the issue may be on our side. We analyze recurring conversion failures and disable or fix the converter if we detect a defect.

rtf to docm rtf to dot

Additional formats for
rtf file conversion

Reverse conversion

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