Features That Different Microsoft Word Versions Support

Each new version of Microsoft Word supports features that previous versions do not. This handy table displays the features that each version of Word supports:

Feature 97-2003 2007 2010 2013 and 2016
Apps for Office No No No Yes
Web video No No No Yes
New numbering formats No No Yes Yes
New shapes and text boxes No No Yes Yes
Text effects No No Yes Yes
Alternative text on tables No No Yes Yes
OpenType features No No Yes Yes
Blocking authors No No Yes Yes
New WordArt effects No No Yes Yes
New content controls No No Yes Yes
Word 2007 Content controls No Yes Yes Yes
Themes No Yes Yes Yes
Major/minor fonts No Yes Yes Yes
Tracked moves No Yes Yes Yes
Margin tabs No Yes Yes Yes
SmartArt graphics No Yes Yes Yes
Office 2007 charts No Yes Yes Yes
Open XML Embedded objects No Yes Yes Yes
Building blocks No Yes Yes Yes
Bibliography and citations No Yes Yes Yes
Equations No Yes Yes Yes
Relative text boxes No Yes Yes Yes
Custom XML No Yes Yes Yes
Previous-version WordArt Yes Yes No No
Previous-version diagrams Yes No No No
Previous-version charts Yes No No No

Just because Word 2016 supports different features than previous versions, it doesn’t mean that you can’t use it to open up, for example, a Word 2010 document. Find out how to convert an old Word document to Word 2016 format.