Skip to content

ABW to DOCX Converter

Convert ABW to DOCX online for free. Fast, secure, and high-quality conversion with no sign-up or software required.

  • Free to use
  • No file stored beyond 1 hour
  • Encrypted over TLS 1.2/1.3
  • No watermarks

Drag and drop your files here or click to upload.

Maximum file size is 1GB

Like RunConvert? Set us as a preferred source on Google.

Add to Preferred Sources

How it works

Three steps to your converted file

Everything happens in your browser tab - upload, pick a format, download. The heavy lifting runs on our servers.

  1. 01

    Upload your file

    Drag and drop, click to browse, or paste a URL. Batches take up to 20 files at once - 230+ input formats across video, audio, image, document, and archive types.

  2. 02

    Choose an output format

    Pick from over a hundred output formats. Filter by category or search by name - every option is open to everyone, no account needed.

  3. 03

    Convert & download

    Hit Convert and grab your download link moments later. Originals are erased when the job completes; results are cleared within about an hour.

What is an ABW file?

AbiWord Document

Developed By
AbiSource
Initial Release
1998
MIME Type
application/x-abiword

The ABW format is the native document file type for AbiWord, an open-source word processor originally developed by SourceGear Corporation and later maintained by AbiSource. Unlike binary formats, ABW utilizes a plaintext XML (Extensible Markup Language) architecture to define document structure, formatting, and layout settings, making it human-readable and parsesable by standard text editors. The file schema maps formatting tags to document content without binary obfuscation, though it lacks the support for complex macros and embedded objects found in Microsoft's OLE-based formats.

How to open an ABW file

As an XML-based format, ABW files are natively supported by the AbiWord word processor across Windows, Linux, and macOS platforms. For broader compatibility, the LibreOffice suite and Apache OpenOffice can import and render ABW documents with high fidelity. Because the underlying structure is plaintext XML, users can also view the raw code using advanced text editors such as Notepad++ or Sublime Text, though this will not render the visual formatting.

What is a DOCX file?

Word Open XML Document

Developed By
Microsoft
Initial Release
2006
MIME Type
application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document

The DOCX format is the default document standard for Microsoft Word 2007 and newer, based on the Office Open XML (OOXML) specification standardized under ISO/IEC 29500 and ECMA-376. It functions as a compressed ZIP container that packages separate XML files (such as document.xml, styles.xml, and settings.xml) alongside media assets. This modular XML architecture allows for improved data recovery and smaller file sizes compared to legacy binary DOC files, while explicitly prohibiting the storage of VBA macros.

How to open a DOCX file

DOCX is natively supported by Microsoft Word 2007+ on Windows and macOS. Due to its status as an ISO standard, it has broad compatibility with non-Microsoft ecosystem tools; it can be opened and edited by Apple Pages, Google Docs, LibreOffice Writer, and Apache OpenOffice. Furthermore, because it is a ZIP archive, users can rename the extension to .zip to extract and inspect the internal XML structure and embedded media assets manually.

More tools

More free document tools

All document conversions

Why RunConvert

The fastest way to convert any file

Purpose-built for speed, privacy, and breadth of format support.

  • Convert ABW to DOCX in seconds

    Every ABW to DOCX conversion runs on our servers, so your device stays fast and the output quality stays intact.

  • Fast, cloud-powered

    No queue, no waiting. Files are processed on high-performance servers and returned in seconds, even for large files.

  • Secure & private

    Encrypted in transit and never shared with anyone. Uploads are erased the moment your job completes, and results shortly after.

  • Free - no account needed

    Convert without creating an account - no credit card, no trial clock. Sign in only if you want history and higher daily limits.

Developer API

Convert ABW to DOCX via API

Automate ABW to DOCX conversions in three steps: create a job, upload your file, then poll for the result.

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your RunConvert API key. Get your free API key at runconvert.com/api.

# 1. Create job
curl -X POST https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "tag": "abw-to-docx",
    "tasks": {
      "upload-file": {
        "operation": "import/upload"
      },
      "convert": {
        "operation": "convert",
        "input": "upload-file",
        "output_format": "docx"
      },
      "export-result": {
        "operation": "export/url",
        "input": "convert"
      }
    }
  }'

# 2. Upload your file (use upload_url from the response)
curl -X PUT "$UPLOAD_URL" --upload-file input.abw

# 3. Poll for result
curl https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs/$JOB_ID?include=tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Like RunConvert? Set us as a preferred source on Google.

Add to Preferred Sources