Scissor Office

Edit a DOCX file in your browser

Documents in Scissor Office opens DOCX files, the format Microsoft Word saves by default, and lets you edit them on real pages. The file is read and written by an engine that runs inside your browser tab, so it does not go to our servers.

Open a DOCX fileHow it works

How to edit a DOCX file

  1. Open the app and press Open file, then choose your .docx file. You can also drop the file onto the window.
  2. Edit on the page: type, use the toolbar for headings, lists and fonts, the ruler for indents, and the inspector for paragraphs, pictures, tables and page setup.
  3. Press Save. In Chrome and Edge it writes into the same file on your device; in other browsers it downloads the file under the same name.
  4. To keep the original as it is, use Save as… and pick a name, a format (DOCX, ODT, Markdown, HTML, text or .scissor) and where it goes.

What a DOCX keeps, by format you save to

Save asWhat is keptWhat is lost
DOCX or ODTText, headings and named styles, lists, links, pictures with their crop and wrapping, tables, footnotes and endnotes, headers, footers and page numbers, sections with their own page size, right-to-left paragraphs, comments and tracked changesNothing from this list
HTMLThe same, as one web pageHeaders, footers and page numbers
MarkdownText, headings, lists, links, pictures, tables and footnotesFonts, sizes and colours, alignment, page size and margins, headers and footers, picture size and wrapping, table borders and merged cells, named styles, the page background
Plain textThe words, with tables as textEverything else, including pictures, links and list numbers

Before you save in another format

When the format you save to cannot keep something your document uses, Scissor Office says so first. The dialog is called Some things will be lost and lists what would go. You can choose Save as .scissor, Scissor Office's own file that keeps everything, or save in the format anyway.

Private by design

The DOCX file is opened from your device into the browser tab and read there by a document engine written in Rust and compiled to WebAssembly. Your drafts are kept in this browser's storage on this device. The file goes to Google only if you choose Open from Google Drive or Save to Google Drive.

Limits to know

  • Charts, text boxes and drawn shapes in a DOCX are not read yet. Saving writes the file again from what you see, so keep the original if it has them.
  • Macros in .docm files are not kept: Save writes a copy as .docx.
  • Files protected with a password cannot be opened yet.
  • There is no live co-editing. You exchange the file, as with any DOCX.
  • Drafts live in this browser only. Clearing the site's data deletes them, so save the file you want to keep.

Want to see for yourself that nothing is uploaded? How it works shows how to check in your browser's Network tab.

Questions and answers

Is my DOCX file uploaded?

No. It is read and written inside your browser tab, and drafts stay in this browser on your device. It reaches Google only if you choose to open it from or save it to your own Google Drive.

Does Save overwrite my file?

In Chrome and Edge, Save writes into the same file on your device. In other browsers it downloads a file with the same name. Use Save as… to keep the original as it is.

Will the file look the same in Word?

DOCX files written by Scissor Office open in common word processors with their text, styles, tables, pictures and page setup. Lines and page breaks can fall a little differently, because each app lays out text in its own way and the same fonts may not be installed.

Can I open .doc, .docm and .dotx files?

Yes. Word 97–2003 .doc files open and are saved as DOCX or ODT. A .docm file opens without its macros, and a .dotx template is saved as a normal document.

Does it work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. It runs in any current browser, on desktop, tablet and phone.

Is it free?

Yes. No sign-up, no ads and no paid tier.

Related guides

Open a DOCX file

Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Pages, Numbers and Keynote are trademarks of Apple Inc. LibreOffice is a trademark of The Document Foundation. Google Docs is a trademark of Google LLC. Scissor Office is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to any of them. File formats are named only to say what Scissor Office can open and save.