What is a WPS file?
WPS stands for WPS Writer or Microsoft Works document. It was created by Kingsoft (WPS Office) and Microsoft (Microsoft Works) and first released in the late 1980s. Two programs use the .wps extension: WPS Writer from Kingsoft's WPS Office, and Microsoft Works, the budget office suite Microsoft sold until 2007. WPS Office saves its documents in a format built like Word 97 files by default, which is why they convert like Word documents.
| Type | word-processing document |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless |
| In a browser | opens in WPS Office; files from WPS Office also open in LibreOffice Writer, and Word opens most of them |
| Common uses | documents from WPS Office, popular in China, and from Microsoft Works on older PCs |
| MIME type | application/vnd.ms-works |
How to open a WPS file
A WPS file does not open in a web browser, and only some devices have a program for it. Here is what works on each. If none of these is to hand, converting the file to PNG here is the quickest way to see what is inside it.
| Windows | WPS Office (free) opens it, and LibreOffice Writer opens files saved by WPS Office. |
|---|---|
| Mac | WPS Office and LibreOffice Writer open it. |
| iPhone and iPad | The WPS Office app opens it. |
| Android | The WPS Office app opens it. |
Want the technical details? See what a .wps file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
WPS compared with other document formats
How WPS stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Usually contains | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPS | Lossless | formatted text, images and tables | the late 1980s | documents from WPS Office, popular in China, and from Microsoft Works on older PCs |
| DOCX | Lossless | formatted text, images, tables and styles in a ZIP of XML files | 2007 | letters, reports, CVs and most documents shared at work |
| DOC | Lossless | formatted text, images and tables in a binary file | 1997 | older Word files, templates and documents from legacy systems |
| ODT | Lossless | formatted text, images, tables and styles in a ZIP of XML files | 2005 | LibreOffice users and public-sector documents |
| RTF | Lossless | text with fonts, bold, italic and simple tables, written as readable control words | 1987 | documents exchanged between different word processors |
How to use the WPS converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your WPS files on the box, or press Choose WPS files. Several files can go in at once.
- Adjust the settings if you need to; the defaults suit most people.
- Press Convert and save each file with its Download button. The file is converted on our server and deleted as soon as the result is sent back.
Tips for converting WPS files
Converting a WPS file never loses the words: what can change is layout and styling, where formats do not match feature for feature. A few habits make the result as close to the original as possible.
- Keep the original document; converting to PDF is for sharing and printing, not further editing.
- Embed fonts when you save in Word or Pages, so the exact typeface survives any conversion.
- Accept or reject tracked changes and delete comments before converting, so they do not end up in the PDF.
- Remove any password first; encrypted documents cannot be opened for conversion.
- Very large documents are usually large because of photos. Compress the pictures inside them to stay under the size limit.
Convert WPS files from the command line
LibreOffice does the same on your own computer, without opening a window:
soffice --headless --convert-to doc input.wpsConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
WPS converter FAQ
What is a WPS file?
WPS stands for WPS Writer or Microsoft Works document, a word-processing document format created by Kingsoft (WPS Office) and Microsoft (Microsoft Works) in the late 1980s. Two programs use the .wps extension: WPS Writer from Kingsoft's WPS Office, and Microsoft Works, the budget office suite Microsoft sold until 2007. WPS Office saves its documents in a format built like Word 97 files by default, which is why they convert like Word documents.
How do I open a WPS file?
WPS opens in WPS Office; files from WPS Office also open in LibreOffice Writer, and Word opens most of them. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common WPS conversion?
WPS to DOC is the conversion people search for most. The WPS is opened by LibreOffice, the open-source office suite, on our conversion server and saved as a DOC file.
Does converting WPS files here upload them?
Yes. WPS conversions need LibreOffice, MuPDF and pandoc, open-source programs that cannot run in a browser, so they run on our conversion server. The file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept.
Is the WPS converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Conversions that use our server accept files up to 25 MB, with a fair-use limit per hour. The site is supported by advertising.
Can I convert WPS files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your WPS files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several WPS files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.