This depends on the complexity of your files. The second reason is that you need it to read old files, which is one of your problems. The best is that you like using it, because of its power, rich feature list, ease of use or whatever. So, if you want to use Word, you have three choices: the online version freethe desktop program one-off paymentand Office annual subscription.
I expect this list will continue to grow in the future. In fact, you can already use some Microsoft Office programs online, including Word, without paying Microsoft a penny.
As a writer, I have a very large number of Word files, but with Microsoft moving to an annual subscription model, the cost of remaining with Word is looking prohibitive.
