If the pretty price tag on a copy of Microsoft Office 2007 is making you think twice about getting a copy or upgrading your current version, you are not alone.

At $200 a pop for the Home and Student version and $540 for the Standard Edition, the software that is essential to almost every PC user does not come cheap.

But fret not if you think that breaking the kitty is the way to go. There are plenty of other alternatives available on the web that work just as well, and best of all - are free.

AsiaOne takes a look at Microsoft Word and compares it to some notable contenders:

Microsoft Office

OpenOffice

AbiWord

Google Docs