Browse Tools Top 100
XPS DOCX
Not possible

Convert XPS to DOCX

Can you convert XPS to DOCX?
Verified by Adam B.· reviewed by FE Editorial ·updated Jun 14, 2026
QUICK ANSWER
Is it possible to convert XPS to DOCX?
No - not a direct conversion.

Any tool claiming to produce DOCX from XPS either embeds each page as a raster image or runs OCR on rendered pages; neither result is an editable Word document. The realistic alternative is to convert the XPS to PDF and then open that PDF in Word.

No direct path
Also to DOCX: PDF · WHTML · XHTML

On this page

Tested on macOS, Windows & Linux
Last verified Oct 2026

More free converters

HEIC, PNG, WEBP, MP3 and more - every tool here is free.

Open the toolbox

Why convert XPS to DOCX?

XPS stores every character as an absolutely positioned glyph run on a fixed canvas - it has no paragraphs, no styles, no heading hierarchy, and no flowing text of any kind. .docx requires exactly those structures. The gap cannot be closed by better software because XPS represents a finished printout while DOCX represents an editable draft; any claimed converter either rasterizes the pages or guesses text via OCR with no structural fidelity.

How to convert XPS to DOCX

XPS Viewer + Microsoft Print to PDF, then Word FREE

Install XPS Viewer (Settings > Apps > Optional features), print the .xps to PDF via Microsoft Print to PDF, then open the PDF in Word - Word's built-in PDF import attempts to reconstruct editable text, though formatting errors are expected.

About these formats

.XPS XML Paper Specification Document

An XPS file is Microsoft's fixed-layout document format, created by the "Microsoft XPS Document Writer" virtual printer on Windows. On Windows 10 and 11 it no longer opens by default, so…

Open .XPS details →
.DOCX Microsoft Word Open XML Document

A DOCX file is a Microsoft Word document in the Open XML format introduced with Word 2007. You do not need to buy Microsoft Office to open one - LibreOffice Writer, Google Docs, and Word…

Open .DOCX details →

Quality & what to watch

  • No tool performs a genuine structural conversion from XPS to DOCX because XPS contains no document structure to convert.
  • Word's PDF import produces editable text via OCR but expect significant formatting errors, especially on complex layouts.
  • If the XPS was created by printing a DOCX to Microsoft XPS Document Writer, the original DOCX file is the correct source - go back to it.

Frequently asked questions

Can Word open an XPS file directly?
No - Microsoft Word does not open or import XPS files in any version.
Why did I receive an XPS file instead of a DOCX?
XPS files are created when someone prints using the Microsoft XPS Document Writer virtual printer on Windows; if the original document was a DOCX, the sender still has it.
Is there an online converter for XPS to DOCX?
Sites that advertise this conversion produce a DOCX containing page images or OCR-guessed text, not a properly structured editable document.
What is the best way to get editable text from an XPS file?
Convert the XPS to PDF, then open that PDF in Word; Word's PDF import attempts to reconstruct editable text using OCR, though formatting will not be perfect.