Most of us need a working word processor, a spreadsheet editor, or software that can make presentations. Sure, there’s the Microsoft Office suite, but once the trial runs out, the only choice is to pay for it and well, not all of us are capable of doing that. Thankfully, there are now a ton of free Microsoft Office alternatives out there that can help all of us with word and data processing needs. Some programs have a couple of restrictions or drawbacks, but they’re all powerful and work well despite that. Here’s a couple of free alternatives to Microsoft Office!
Author’s note: You can visit their respective websites via the links provided in their names.
LibreOffice
LibreOffice offers six free and open source alternatives to Microsoft Office, namely Write (word processing), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw (vector graphics and flowcharts), Base (databases), and Math (formula editing). It’s compatible with a vast range of file formats such as .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, and .pptx. Apart from that, LibreOffice also has support for Open Document Format (ODF) files. LibreOffice supports Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems.
OpenOffice
Word, Calc, Base, and Impress are four of the Microsoft Office alternatives that OpenOffice offers. File compatibility won’t be an issue as well as the OpenOffice suite can support most popular file formats. However, OpenOffice saves files in a default ODF format and would need tweaking in the settings to change it to a .doc file. Upon installation, users may select which programs they only want to add to their computers. OpenOffice can run on Windows, Linux, and Mac systems.
SoftMaker FreeOffice
An alternative that runs on Windows or Linux systems, SoftMaker FreeOffice has TextMaker (Word), Presentations (PowerPoint), and PlanMaker (Excel). It has support for the file types of the latest version of Microsoft Office, as well as the 2010 and 2007 editions. SoftMaker saves files in the default Microsoft file formats.
WPS Office Free
Formerly known as Kingsoft Office Suite Free, WPS Office Free has three alternatives for Microsoft Office: Writer, Presentation, and Spreadsheets. All three programs are compatible with Microsoft Office file formats and feature Eye Protection Mode and Night Mode when used. It also comes with a free PDF reader. WPS Office runs on Windows, Linux, and Android devices.
ONLYOFFICE
ONLYOFFICE offers three free alternatives to the Microsoft Office suite: word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. It’s compatible with a vast number of Microsoft Office file formats and is collaborating with users in one file is possible as well. It runs on Windows, Linux, Mac, and can also run using a browser.
Google Docs/Google Drive
For this one, there’s no need to download or install programs since Google Docs is fully accessible online through Google Drive and works on any browser. For those on the go, the suit is also available on mobile for Android and iOS devices. It offers Docs, Sheets, Slides, with your files getting saved automatically to your account. Users may export and import files, and co-collaborate with other users in one file.
Which free office suite caught your eye? Share it with us in the comments!
no word on the relationship or history between open office and libreoffice?
It doesn’t really matter. The article says “Free Alternatives to Microsoft Office”