How to convert RTF to DOCX
- Add your .RTF file - drop it in the box above or click to browse.
- Convert it to .DOCX in a few seconds.
- Download your new .DOCX file.
What to expect
- Conversion is effectively lossless for what RTF can store - text formatting, fonts, colours, simple tables, and embedded images all carry over.
- DOCX files are typically smaller than the source RTF because RTF stores images as uncompressed hex text while DOCX uses ZIP compression.
- WordPad was removed in Windows 11 24H2 (2024) and can no longer open
.rtffiles; use Word, LibreOffice, or the converter above instead.
Frequently asked questions
Will the DOCX look identical to the original RTF?
For plain text, headings, fonts, and simple tables, yes. RTF cannot store tracked changes, comments, or advanced layouts, so those will not appear in the output - not because of a conversion error, but because RTF never supported them.
Can I convert RTF to DOCX without installing software?
Yes - use the free converter on this page, or upload the
.rtf to Google Docs and download as .docx.Is the resulting DOCX fully editable in Word?
Yes. Once converted, the file behaves as a normal
.docx - you can use styles, tracked changes, comments, and all other Word features.Why is the converted DOCX smaller than the RTF?
RTF encodes embedded images as raw hexadecimal text with no compression, while DOCX is a ZIP archive that compresses both markup and images, often cutting the size noticeably.
Programs that convert RTF: Microsoft Word · AbiWord · Atlantis Word Processor · IBM Lotus Symphony · TextMaker · Microsoft WordPad · Ability Write · iWork Pages
