Documents conversion
Convert RTF to DOCX
Updated Jul 2026
RTF is a plain, cross-app text format that almost any word processor can open, while DOCX is Microsoft Word's own format, the one most offices, schools, and publishers ask for by name. To convert, open the RTF file in a converter and export it as DOCX. Doing this on your own computer means the document doesn't have to be uploaded anywhere just to change its format.
- Extension
- .rtf
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Cross-app rich text
- Extension
- .docx
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Word documents
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Convert RTF to DOCX on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert RTF to DOCX
- Open Morphjet and drag in the RTF file, or a whole folder of them, to convert several at once.
- Choose DOCX as the output format.
- Convert. The DOCX file is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
RTF vs DOCX: what actually changes
| RTF | DOCX | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Can get large, especially with embedded images | Smaller, since DOCX compresses its contents |
| Compatibility | Opens in almost any word processor, old or new | The standard for Word; well supported elsewhere too, but less universal |
| Formatting fidelity | Lossless, but limited to simpler text formatting | Lossless, and supports more, like styles, comments, and tracked changes |
| Editing features | Basic, no built in review tools | Full Word feature set, including revision history |
| Metadata | Very little stored beyond the text itself | Stores document properties like title, author, and edit dates |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert RTF to DOCX when you need to submit, share, or edit a document somewhere that specifically expects a Word file, like a school, employer, or publisher.
Keep the RTF if all you need is a plain, universally readable document, since RTF already opens in nearly anything without any conversion at all.
Why not just use an online converter?
Résumés, contracts, and manuscripts often carry personal details, and an online converter means that document sits on a stranger's server while it gets converted. Doing the RTF to DOCX conversion on your own computer means the file, and whatever is written inside it, never leaves your machine.
Questions
Does converting RTF to DOCX lose any formatting?
No. Both RTF and DOCX are lossless text formats, so the conversion just repackages the same text and formatting into Word's file structure.
Will the DOCX open correctly in Word?
Yes. DOCX is Word's native format, so the converted file opens exactly as it would if it had been created in Word from the start.
Does the DOCX carry over any metadata?
It picks up standard document properties like title and author fields, but RTF doesn't store much metadata to begin with, so there isn't a lot to carry over.
Can I convert RTF to DOCX without uploading it anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file locally, so it never has to travel over the internet or sit on someone else's server.
Why do people still use RTF if DOCX is more common?
RTF's advantage is that almost any word processor, on any operating system, can open it without conversion. DOCX is the more capable format, but it's tied more closely to Word and Word-compatible apps.
Morphjet converts RTF, DOCX, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.