.wps

What is a .wps file?

WPS is the word processor format from Microsoft Works — a budget office suite discontinued in 2010.

Safe format
Type Document
By Microsoft
MIME application/vnd.ms-works

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What is it

Microsoft Works was the affordable alternative to Microsoft Office — it shipped with consumer PCs throughout the 1990s and 2000s, providing basic word processing, spreadsheet, and database functionality to millions of users who couldn't justify Office's price. The .wps word processor format was its most commonly created file.

Microsoft discontinued Works in 2010, and the format has been orphaned ever since. Modern versions of Microsoft Word don't open WPS files natively. The files are out there, though — decades of personal letters, school assignments, and small business documents in a format that progressively fewer tools support.

LibreOffice opens many WPS files with reasonable fidelity. Microsoft's free Word Online sometimes handles them. For guaranteed access, convert to DOCX as soon as possible. The longer WPS files sit unconverted, the harder they'll be to open as software support continues to fade.

Technical details
Full Name
Microsoft Works Document
MIME Type
application/vnd.ms-works
Developer
Microsoft
Magic Bytes
N/A
Safety
.wps is a known, safe format. Legacy document format. Generally safe but support is limited.
What opens it
LibreOffice
FREE Windows / Mac / Linux
Microsoft Word (older versions)
PAID Windows
FAQ
How do I open an old WPS file?
LibreOffice opens most WPS files. If formatting is critical, try multiple applications — conversion quality varies. Convert to DOCX immediately to preserve the content in a supported format.
Can Microsoft Word open WPS files?
Older versions of Word with the Works converter could. Modern Word and Word Online may not. LibreOffice is the most reliable free option for opening WPS files today.
Related formats