Free · No sign-up · Runs in your browser

Open RTF files without Word.

WordPad has gone from Windows 11, so .rtf files no longer open with a double-click. Drop one here to read it straight away, then save it as a Word file, a PDF or plain text. Old Windows Write (.wri) files work too.

Not uploaded — nobody sees it Opens .rtf and .wri Save as Word, PDF or text No sign-up, no watermark

Drop an RTF or WordPad file here, or click to browse .rtf and .wri files · one at a time

Your document is never uploaded — it’s opened right here in this browser tab, on your device. It never reaches a server, so we never see it, copy it or keep it.

At a glance

RTF Viewer: quick facts

Open RTF and Windows Write files and save them as Word, PDF or text, free and in your browser.

Updated 10 October 2026

Price: Free. No sign-up, no watermark.
Opens: RTF (.rtf) from any program, and old Windows Write (.wri).
Saves as: Word (.docx), PDF or plain text.
Keeps: Fonts, bold, italic, colours, alignment, tables, text boxes, links and pictures, including old WMF/EMF drawings.
Privacy: Your document is opened in your browser and never uploaded.

How it works

How to open an RTF file

Altto reads the RTF (or Write) file in your browser, shows it as a page you can scroll through, and builds a Word file, PDF or text file from it on your device when you ask.

Add your file

Drop in an .rtf or .wri file, or tap to choose one.

Read it

The document appears below with its text, styles, tables and pictures.

Save it

Keep a Word copy to edit, a PDF to share, or plain text.

Tips

Getting on without WordPad

A few ways to keep your RTF files usable now that Windows no longer opens them by itself.

Edit it: save as WordA .docx copy opens in Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice and Pages, and keeps fonts, colours and tables.
Share it: save as PDFA PDF looks the same on every phone and computer, and nobody needs a word processor to read it.
Old archivesFolders of .rtf or .wri files from older PCs can be opened one by one here without installing anything.
Got a .doc that won’t open?Some programs save RTF with a .doc ending. If it really is RTF, rename it to .rtf and it will open here.

Like every Altto tool, this runs on your device — nothing you add is uploaded. How Altto works

24H2

is the Windows 11 update that removed WordPad, Windows’ built-in RTF reader since 1995, leaving no default app for .rtf files.

Compatibility

What opens RTF files now

If you don’t have Microsoft Word, here’s where you stand.

Opening .rtf files (October 2026)
App	Opens RTF?	Notes
Windows 11 24H2 and later	No built-in app	WordPad was removed; Notepad shows the raw code
Windows 10 / older Windows 11	Yes, with WordPad	Until the PC is upgraded
Microsoft Word	Yes	Part of Microsoft 365 or Office
Mac (TextEdit)	Yes	Built in
Google Docs	Yes, after uploading to Google Drive	Needs a Google account
Altto	Yes, in the browser	Nothing installed or uploaded; also opens .wri

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How the RTF viewer works. Have a Word file instead? Try Word to PDF, or turn text into a PDF with TXT to PDF.

What is an RTF file?

RTF (Rich Text Format) is an old Microsoft document format from 1987 that almost any word processor can read and write. It keeps fonts, bold and italic, colours, tables and pictures, which is why it’s still used for templates, legal letters, exported notes and documents saved by older programs.

Why can’t I open RTF files any more?

Microsoft removed WordPad from Windows 11 starting with version 24H2, and WordPad was Windows’ built-in RTF reader. Unless you have Microsoft Word, double-clicking an .rtf file now just asks which app to use. This page opens it in your browser instead, with nothing to install.

Can it open old Windows Write (.wri) files?

Yes. Write was the word processor in Windows 1 to 3.1, and modern Windows can’t open its .wri files at all. Altto reads the text, bold, italic, underlining, sizes and alignment. Pictures stored inside Write files are in a format browsers can’t show, so they’re left out.

Is my document uploaded anywhere?

No. The file is read by code running in this browser tab, on your device. That matters for RTF files, which are often letters, contracts and notes. There’s no server on our side to send them to.

Which is better: Word, PDF or text?

Choose Word to keep editing (it opens in Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice and Pages with fonts, colours, tables and pictures). Choose PDF to share or print something that should look the same everywhere. Choose text when you just need the words.

Do pictures come through?

Yes. PNG and JPEG pictures come through as they are, and the old Windows drawing formats many older programs used in RTF files (WMF and EMF) are redrawn and turned into ordinary pictures. Very unusual or damaged pictures are left out, and Altto tells you how many.

Does it keep the layout exactly?

It keeps text, styles, alignment, tables, links and most pictures. Page-level layout such as headers, footers, columns and exact page breaks isn’t carried over, so long documents may break onto pages a little differently.

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