# WordPerfect

36 Hacker News commenters recommended WordPerfect and 7 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 9 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Fans praise WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS as a fast, rock-solid word processor with Reveal Codes and strong formatting. The most common caveat is its hard-to-learn function-key and keybinding interface.

## Why people recommend it

- Unmatched power for writing and formatting (4 comments): "WP 5.1 has never been equalled as a general-purpose word processor." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47651316)) "No word processor has ever bettered WordPerfect 5.1." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47326903)) "WordPerfect was great for doing lots of formatting" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48700364))
- Reveal Codes shows formatting (3 comments): "I think WordPerfect was the better doc standard, with visible attribute tags in the text that could be edited." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46205679)) "I still miss the ability to "Reveal Codes" and see exactly where it had placed the non-printing codes" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48698073)) "The first feature they list is Reveal Codes." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45863690))
- Fast and responsive (3 comments): "Lightning-fast apps like WordPerfect, sold on their speed and their device support." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50271318)) "Rather clunky UI compared to MS Word for DOS, IMHO, but fast." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48465355)) "was fast and easy to work with" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47723921))
- Rock-solid and bug-fixed (3 comments): "WordPerfect fixed bugs for the next four years, and by 1988 was in good shape" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47512084)) "Wordperfect 5.1 was pretty damn rock solid as I recall" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47519923)) "invaluable for fixing weird bugs" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47723308))

## What people warn about

- Hard-to-learn function keys and keybindings (4 comments): "you had to memorize the functions of the F1-F12 keys, as well as their shifted (or Control) behavior" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45837990)) "WordPerfect, by contrast, seemed to require keyboard templates, a manual, a cheat sheet" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48697346)) "My long-running quarrel with WordPerfect was always the keybindings." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48698346))
- Weak ports to other platforms (2 comments): "when WP did arrive on the ST it was a zero effort bad offering, two years late" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47511986)) "it was panned as a horrible port" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47511864))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Google Docs](https://hackerapproved.com/p/google-docs.md): 144 recommend
- [Microsoft Word](https://hackerapproved.com/p/microsoft-word.md): 129 recommend
- [Apple Pages](https://hackerapproved.com/p/pages.md): 39 recommend
- [LibreOffice Writer](https://hackerapproved.com/p/libreoffice-writer.md): 28 recommend
- [WordStar](https://hackerapproved.com/p/wordstar.md): 28 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Corel+WordPerfect+Office&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Official site](https://www.corel.com/en/)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "WordPerfect", https://hackerapproved.com/p/wordperfect/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).