Convert ODT to DOCX
Turn a LibreOffice or OpenOffice Writer document into an editable Word .docx with comments, tracked changes, footnotes and heading styles intact. Fonts travel by name only, so a Word user without the same font will see a substitute.
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Why Convert ODT to DOCX?
ODT and DOCX are both ZIP packages of XML, but they describe a document in different vocabularies: OpenDocument on one side, Office Open XML on the other. Word can import ODT, yet editors, publishers, employers and many review workflows still ask for .docx, and some Word setups and online editors refuse ODT altogether. Converting gives the other side a native Word file to edit.
We do the conversion with LibreOffice on our servers, using its Word 2007-365 export filter. Because ODT is LibreOffice's own format, reading the source is the reliable half of the job; the differences come from writing DOCX. The output is marked as a Word 2013-or-later document, so current Word opens it normally instead of in Compatibility Mode.
Review work survives the trip. Comments keep their text and author; tracked insertions and deletions become Word revisions with the original author and date; and if change tracking was switched on in the ODT, it stays switched on in Word. Footnotes, hyperlinks, tables and lists come across, and paragraph styles map to Word's built-in styles, so a Heading 1 in Writer is a Heading 1 in Word and the navigation pane still works.
Expect to check the layout-heavy parts. Fonts are referenced by name rather than embedded, so a Word user who lacks a font sees Word's substitute and lines may wrap differently. Text frames, drawing shapes, multi-column sections and generated fields such as a table of contents are where the two formats differ most; give those pages a quick look after opening, and update the table of contents in Word if page numbers moved.
How to Convert ODT to DOCX
- Remove any document password first: in Writer, save a copy with the "Save with password" box cleared.
- Add your .odt files. A batch holds 10 documents, or 25 and 50 on the Plus and Pro plans.
- Click Convert. LibreOffice reads the ODT and writes a .docx with the same styles, comments and revisions.
- Download the DOCX and open it in Word. Check pages with frames, shapes or columns, and right-click the table of contents and choose Update Field if it has one.
- Send the DOCX to your reviewer. If they edit with tracking on, you can open their copy in Writer again and continue.
Key Features of MiConvert ODT to DOCX
- LibreOffice's Word export filter, reading ODT natively
- Comments and tracked changes kept, with authors and dates
- Writer paragraph styles mapped to Word's built-in heading and text styles
- Footnotes, hyperlinks, tables and lists carried over as editable content
- Output in Word 2013-and-later mode, with no Compatibility Mode banner
Video Tutorial
Watch this step-by-step tutorial to learn how to convert ODT files to DOCX format online for free using MiConvert.com. No software installation required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the DOCX stay fully editable in Word?
Yes. The result is a normal Word document with real paragraphs, styles and tables, not a picture of the pages. It is written in Word 2013-and-later mode, so Word does not show a Compatibility Mode banner.
Do comments and tracked changes transfer?
Yes. Comments arrive in Word's comment pane with their author, and tracked insertions and deletions arrive as Word revisions with author and date, ready to accept or reject. The track-changes switch itself carries over too.
Why does a font look different when I open the DOCX in Word?
DOCX stores the font's name, not the font itself. If the machine running Word lacks that font, Word substitutes another, which can change line and page breaks. Install the font on that machine or pick a widely available one before converting.
Which parts of my document should I check after converting?
Look at anything positioned rather than flowing: text frames, drawing shapes and images anchored to a page, multi-column sections, and generated fields like a table of contents or cross-references. Ordinary paragraphs, headings, lists, tables and footnotes are the safest content.
Can I get the older .doc format instead?
Yes. Use our ODT to DOC converter for Word 97-2003 files. Choose DOCX unless the recipient runs a very old version of Word, since .doc drops some modern formatting.
What if my ODT is password-protected?
The conversion stops with a message saying the document is password-protected, because an encrypted ODT cannot be opened without the password. Save an unprotected copy in Writer and upload that.
Do I need LibreOffice or Microsoft Word installed?
No. LibreOffice runs on our servers, so you only need the file. You will want Word, or another DOCX editor, to work with the result.
Is my document stored after conversion?
No longer than needed. The uploaded ODT is deleted when the conversion completes, and the DOCX is deleted automatically about four hours later.