- Alternatives To Microsoft Office 2010
- Best Free Alternative To Microsoft Office For Windows 10
- The Best Free Alternative To Microsoft Office
- Free Office Download For Windows 10
- Best Free Office Software 2020
- Best Office Suite
- Google offers a set of website applications that can be used as an alternative to Microsoft Office. This cloud-based application is free of charge and it does not require offline installation on a PC like MS Office.
- A few years back, I dubbed Kingsoft Office the best free Microsoft Office alternative. Then the developers renamed it WPS Office, built in a bunch of clunky online features and added a watermark to.
- The best Microsoft Office alternative for businesses is Google Workspace (formerly G suite). The combination of Gmail, Google Docs, Google Meet, Google Chat, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Google Forms come together around online storage solution Google Drive as a top-notch productivity offering.
Microsoft Office is perhaps the best-known option, but there are also lots of free alternatives that replicate almost all the features of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and company.
Free Microsoft Office alternatives in the open source plus free category to manage different documents (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) free of cost on Windows, Linux, or macOS computer systems.
The office software package is one of the most important software packages of all for any computer users. If you are an office employee or a student or a businessman there are endless needs for which you are going to use the office software. Even there are many people around who do use the computer very minimally, but the only does it to use the office software to fulfill his/her needs. Office software is necessary disrespect of what type of pc you are using or what OS you are using.
- Normally Microsoft Windows 10 comes with a free trial of Microsoft Office package installed. After the expiry date, you can continue with a paid subscription or you can opt for some equivalent free option.
- Macs PCs comes with Apple-developed office suite, but not everyone is a Mac PC user, so for compatibility along with your colleges and friends you should have a cross-platform office suite installed in your system so that files produced by your pc can also be accessed by some other pc using some other OS.
- We are about to provide details about some of the best free Office suite solutions which can be used as a fully-fledged MS Office suite alternative. We will be listing some installable software packages and also some web-based or internet browser-based online Office solutions.
- While looking for an Office suite keep in mind what are your needs. As per my experience, most of the users do need the Word Processing app, Spreadsheet app, and Presentation application for their office needs. There are very few people who do need a database application or email organizer application for their purposes. So, if you do not need these extra options then choosing for a simple Office suite solution is better for you.
- Remember most of the MS Office users around the world do not even use 50% of its applications, as they do not need to use those. So do not waste your money.
- If you are worried about functionality, more option flexibility or productivity then let me assure you that countless organizations to provide their employees with these below listed Office solutions for their daily jobs. So. there is almost no lack in your productivity.
Contents
- 1 Best Microsoft Office alternatives for Windows, Linux or macOS
Best Microsoft Office alternatives for Windows, Linux or macOS
LibreOffice opensource Ms-office alternative
Best free and open-source alternative to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
If you have never used or seen LibreOffice before and have paid for MS Office subscription you are about to morn after the first time using it. It is not only good but it is one of the best Microsoft Office alternatives in the open source category when it comes to ranking as an Office suite solution. After the first time using it, like me you will also wonder why you are not using it from long ago, or why you ever paid for MS office solution. You will have full MS Office compatibility for file formats, and you will find all the packages of MS office like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. with all the latest menu functions and options.
- This office suite comes with a bunch of six applications, Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Math, and Base.
- The Writer is for word processing, like MS Word
- The Calc is for Spreadsheet calculation, like MS Excel
- Impress is the substitute for MS PowerPoint
- While Draw is for Vector diagram and other drawing purposes
- Math is for all kind of mathematical functions and formulas
- The Base is for Database oriented application like MS Access
- In most of the free alternatives of MS Office, you will find the first three options or similar applications to be the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint substitutes. But, the latter three are special and unique with LibreOffice for sure. Especially the Base which is the MS Access substitute is really uncommon in other open source or free Office application bundles.
- LibreOffice is not just a free option but also it is an Open source project like Linux, which has been developed and is being maintained by a huge no of enthusiast IT pros. In the near future, there is the time coming for Open Source software where all kind of software will have their open-source free counterpart. So, having a taste of this kind of good quality Open source software is a pretty good idea.
- Any organization or any person can use LibreOffice without any subscription for free.
- The community behind LibreOffice is maintaining the package for stability as well as working hard to add new functions to the applications which makes it quite hard opponent for commercial applications like MS Office.
- The LibreOffice is designed on the same platform as of Apache OpenOffice, so most of the functions are similar in these applications. We will be discussing the Apache open Office later in this article but we are putting LibreOffice before the Apache OpenOffice as it has a modern interface and much more frequent updates. In LibreOffice, you will also find many customization options regarding the basic user interface also, which kind of options are very limited with MS Office.
- There is also a separate document viewer such as Acrobat Reader is also available from LibreOffice, which also has an Android edition. The editing option on the Android edition is still in experimental mode.
- LibreOffice is available for MS Windows, Apple Mac, and many Linux distros. It does not have a complete office solution package Android edition. It is also available for Solaris, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, etc.
Pros:
- Full MS Office compatibility with all kinds of document formats.
- Open Source and Free to use
- Comes with Geometrical Drawing application, Database application, etc.
- No Hidden cost or advertisements included
- Frequent updates
- Ease of use
- Supports most of the OS
- Almost all the functions and options of MS Office are included so existing MS Office users will find it easy to master in no time.
Cons:
- Extra templates for customization have to downloaded separately and also have to configure manually.
Apache OpenOffice (Also Open365)
![Free office suite windows 10 Free office suite windows 10](https://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/office_alternative_wps.jpg)
An opensource alternative to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
This one is a free and open-source Microsoft Office alternative is a complete Office suite that satisfies all your office utility needs for free. It is a successor project of OpenOffice.org and also a successor of the IBM Lotus Symphony. By looks and UI design, it is very close to LibreOffice. Just like LibreOffice OpenOffice also contains a word processor called Writer, a spreadsheet utility called Calc, a presentation app called Impress, a drawing tool called Draw, a mathematical formula editor called Math, and a database management utility app called Base.
- It saves the file in the .ODF format which is an ISO.IEC format, recognized by almost all the Office applications out there. It can read and edit most of the document formats out there.
- It comes with different versions for Linux, MS Windows, and macOS.
- This application is free of cost, easy to use, and configure.
- This application does not have any Cloud server backup support.
- OpenOffice cannot save any Microsoft’s post-2007 XML formats but can import and convert them.
- Though it is a free project you will not face any problem related to bugs or lags.
- Very minimal hardware support is required to run this application suite which makes it a good choice for low end pcs or older systems.
- You will also receive occasional updates from the developers.
- Though a survey declares that the no of downloads is decreasing day by day for this application, that may due to the lack of Mobile or Android support, if you are looking for an alternative Office suite for pc this is something which you must try.
- Many of the Fonts, templates, and all needed to be downloaded separately after installing the application.
Pros:
- A complete freeware
- A stable release
- Good for old and low-end pcs
- Easy to use, user-friendly
- Supports most of the format available around the world.
- No advertisements.
- Supports Linux, MS Windows, macOS
Cons:
- Cannot read post-2000 Microsoft’s XML formats
- No cloud server support
- No Mobile version or Android or iOS support
Extras:
- If you like this application then you must know that this application also has a co-lab version called Open365 which is actually more than an Office suite. Open365 is developed using the same platform of OpenOffice.org to create a virtual, cloud-based, open-source desktop environment.
- This application (Open365) is completely web-based and cloud-based.
- It also comes with a PDF Viewer, Photoshop equivalent application called GIMP, Linux based email organizer Kontact, and a cloud storage facility called Seafile.
- As it is an OpenOffice.org co-lab program it also offers the same utilities of Apache OpenOffice, but as it is completely a web-based solution, it puts much heavy pressure on the system. So, old hardware or low-end pcs may face lags while running this system.
WPS Office- Free MS-office alternative
Perfect free alternative to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
This application suite is quite old in the market. Though it has the latest release in December 2018, which is considered to be a stable release. This application is really a beast when it comes to compactness as well as utilities. It only does offer application alternatives for MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint but WPS Office consists of almost all the options and functions which MS Office offers you.
- It has an excellent file format support. The formats available are supported by other OS too, which enables you seamless sharing of files. You can also access files from any other OS too very easily.
- It has a built-in PDF application, which comes with the WPS Office suite. The performance is also good for this application.
- Though WPS does not come with a Database application like MS Access. That brings certain limitations.
- This application got some advertisements within it. However, it will not disturb the user by pooping in the middle of the screen, so no need to worried about ads.
- It has separate versions for MS Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android.
- This application is completely free to use and there are no hidden costs or microtransaction after the installation. Though in the latest release they also have released a version which is a commercial and paid version. But I ensure you that the freeware is enough if you are looking for an MS Office alternative for free
Pros:
- Completely free of cost
- Compact and filled with all the latest functions of latest MS Office package
- Built-in PDF Viewer
- Multiple OS support
- Support almost all the document formats
Cons:
- Contains occasional advertisements
- Does not come with a Database utility
Google Docs, Slides, Sheets
Best online, free Microsoft office word, excel, forms and PowerPoint alternative
If you use multiple types of platform or your job requires you to work on different pcs running different OS every day, then Google Docs, Slides and Sheets may be the best choice for your, for the sake of compatibility.
- If you are an avid user of Android devices then you must have used these applications. These applications come in the form of a mobile app for Android and Apple devices. Also, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides run with any Internet browser firmly. While using an Internet browser, no installation is required.
- Though because these apps are very much portable and compact, so you will not find all the functions in these as you would find in MS Office and LibreOffice. All the options and menu functions are organized logically, so you will have a clean and easy to use UI. There is a unique feature of auto-saving and auto-syncing which makes sure you never lose any data, and no need to create an extra backup copy for an emergency. All the data is saved automatically in the cloud server.
- The applications are partially free for all the users up to a certain amount of access limit. If you wish to use it Beyond the free access then you have to pay as per their plans. Remember the utility of the apps remains almost the same for the paid and non-paid versions. Along with the paid versions, you get some extra features like Document-format Converter Tool, and you will get more access to the cloud server storage according to your plan.
- The plans are £3.30/month for a Basic package which comes with Professional Office Suite version and 30GB Cloud storage. In the Business package, you have to pay £6.60/month and you will get the Enhanced Office Suite and Unlimited Cloud storage and also Cloud archiving facility.
- In the paid packages you will also get Business Email facility of Gmail, Video, and Voice conferencing, Secure team messaging, Shared calendar, etc.
- Cross-platform support
- By default, Google Drive integration
- The flexibility of using Mobile application
- Easy to use, Clean and stylish UI
- Auto-Save, Auto-Sync facility
- Cloud Server integration
- Shared calendar integration
- The free version is also advertisement free
Cons:
- Partially free, the paid package is free for 14days of trial
- Opening older files may be tricky sometimes
- The file conversion tool is not up to the mark
- Lack of some conventional functions in the applications (like Pivot table)
Microsoft Office alternatives for Linux, Windows, or macOS Conclusion:
If you are looking for a free alternative for Microsoft Office utility then these are the best in class. If you are not willing to buy any commercial Office package like MS Office or you are not able to buy it then you can go for these above-listed applications. Do not think of these applications as a downgraded application as the matter of fact is these applications are the cut above in the industry. So, do not choose to do piracy of the commercial application, instead, choose the official freeware applications for the better result without breaking the law.
While these applications are free, you can try more than one to find out which you like the most, and then choose one to settle with. No matter what type of needs you do have, you may have a need for personal computing, or office related works, educational or research-related works or maybe you are about to open a new business, these above-said applications got you covered for free of cost.
Other Useful Alternatives:
As the name suggests, Microsoft Office is a software package that is suitable for various office tasks. It combines different applications for text processing, for creating tables, presentations , databases, as well as its own e-mail program. An advantage is that many companies use Microsoft Office, which makes it easy to exchange files. This comfort comes at a price: even the simplest installation package costs around $10 per employee per month). For private customers, it currently costs around $70 for a single user, with licenses for several users creeping into the three-digit range. Many users find these prices too high, so what are the free Microsoft Office alternatives?
Microsoft Office Online: work from anywhere
Alternatives To Microsoft Office 2010
Advantages | Disadvantages |
---|---|
Possible to work from anywhere | Slighty slower than desktop program |
Simple collaboration possible on individual documents | Less data security |
Always up-to-date | Fewer functions |
If you don’t mind only being able to work when there’s an internet connection, you can switch to the online version of Microsoft Office. The advantage is that you can access your files from any computer, so there’s no need to worry if you leave your laptop at home. It’s also possible for several users to work on a single document at once using the online version with trackable changes. You also don’t have to install Office updates ever again: the online version is always up-to-date.
The online version of Microsoft Office comes, of course, with some disadvantages. It runs somewhat slower than the desktop version and its speed is also dependent on the quality of the internet connection. Many users don’t feel comfortable storing their work on a server, since they can’t control how secure the data is. There’s also a security risk associated with the internet connection: if you use public WiFi to access Microsoft Office Online, your uploaded data could be intercepted and read. Ultimately, Microsoft Office Online also has fewer features than the classic Microsoft Office package: the applications are limited to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. If you require more features, you should look at other Microsoft Office alternatives.
OpenOffice: the most popular Microsoft Office alternative
Best Free Alternative To Microsoft Office For Windows 10
Advantages | Disadvantages |
---|---|
Similar classification to Microsoft Office; no ribbons | Doesn’t save any .docx-, .xlsx- or .pptx files |
Similar range of functions to Microsoft Office | Fewer updates |
![Free office download for windows 10 Free office download for windows 10](https://cnet3.cbsistatic.com/img/hHhlWguNEzUgGWpd7RuGeVmpmE8=/670x503/2015/09/24/90fba185-24c3-4580-be3d-c2ba4e51c6a5/word-online-sample-doc.jpg)
OpenOffice is probably the most well-known alternative to Microsoft Office. The software package is similar to that of Microsoft Office, and also offers programs for word processing and creating tables, presentations, and databases. It additionally boasts a program for processing mathematical formulas. Overall, the layout and operation of OpenOffice can be compared to the Microsoft package. The features are practically identical. For some users, it might be crucial that OpenOffice doesn’t use the ribbon layout that has characterized Microsoft Office since 2007. An important difference is that OpenOffice can open all file formats from Microsoft, but cannot save.docxfor Word, .xslx for Excel, nor .pptx for PowerPoint. When you save your work, you therefore have to switch to .doc, .xsl, and .ppt. This can lead to small shifts in the formatting of text documents. Before printing anything out from OpenOffice, it is therefore recommended to always export files as .pdf. OpenOffice works on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.
LibreOffice: alternative for OpenOffice
Advantages | Disadvantages |
---|---|
Also saves .docx, .xlsx, .pptx | Sometimes shifts in layout occur |
Regular updates | Occasionally implements features that aren’t fully developed |
Viewer for Android devices |
LibreOffice split off from OpenOffice in 2010 after Oracle took over. The Office package is similar to OpenOffice in many ways. However, unlike OpenOffice, LibreOffice can also save docx, .xslx, and .pptx files. In practice, however, there are occasional small shifts in the layout. Since the development of OpenOffice has been neglected for a while, LibreOffice now has a competitive edge. This is why this program is seen by many as the current best Microsoft Office alternative.
There are many more updates for LibreOffice then OpenOffice, which makes the package especially interesting for users who like to be up-to-date and try out the newest versions. In the past, however, LibreOffice developers have sometimes integrated undeveloped features into their software – or errors have arisen during the development of new features. These are then rectified in the next version. Lie to me season 2 episode 5 torrent download. Just like OpenOffice, LibreOffice works on Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. It also offers a viewer for Android.
WPS Office Free: paid through ads
Advantages | Disadvantages |
---|---|
Can also save .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx | Ad displays with some features |
Paragraph layout tool | Advanced options only in paid version |
Flexible and customizable interface | Not available for Mac OS X |
Eye protection mode and night mode | |
Mobile versions for iOS and Android |
WPS Office Free is the free version of the WPS Office Business Package. This Microsoft Office alternative consists of a word processor, a program for creating presentations, and one for creating tables. WPS Office Free is compatible with Microsoft Office file formats, and the package also uses the ribbon interface instead of a traditional menu. The Office package is available for Windows and Linux, and for mobile operating systems iOS and Android.
WPS is similar to newer versions of Microsoft Office, more so than OpenOffice and LibreOffice, but is more flexible that its role model. Users that don’t like the ribbon interface can easily switch to the static menu. Another benefit of WPS are the tabs, which make it easier to switch between documents. The paragraph layout tool also simplifies the design of paragraphs. Eye protection mode is quite unique, giving the sceen background a gentle green touch. Night mode causes the background to change to a medium gray.
What some users might see as a disadvantage is that an advertisement will be displayed when printing or exporting a document as a .pdf. To avoid advertisements completely, a license can be bought. Showing ads is definitely an improvement to what WPS used to do, which was to always incorporate a watermark into printed documents and exported .pdf files.
Calligra Office: for creative users and Linux users
Advantages | Disadvantages |
---|---|
Very good drawing program | Only works well with Linux |
Developed by an active community | Limited functions in Word |
Cannot save Microsoft Office files |
Calligra is probably the most specific of the Office packages mentioned here. Although it is theoretically available for Windows, Mac OS X, FreeBSD, and Linux, it works best with Linux. Calligra is particularly useful for those wanting to use it for creative purposes. Like the other alternatives to Microsoft Office, Calligra has programs suitable for word processing (Words), creating tables (Sheets), and presentations (Stage). Its three programs are similar to those of OpenOffice and LibreOffice, but the number of functions is similar to Google Docs. The file formats of Microsoft Office can only open Calligra, but not save it. Microsoft Office files also can’t be saved.
The distinctive features of Calligra Office are its creative applications, above all. One of them is a drawing program, known as Krita, which is seen as a competitor to GIMP – having won the 'Artist’s Choice Award' from ImagineFX in 2015. Krita has not been released by its own foundation, but is still included in the Calligra Office package and all Krita developers are members of the KDE community, which also develops Calligra Office. Krita is mostly known for its brush options, and for its interface, which enables the editing window to quickly be adapted to a current project.
The Best Free Alternative To Microsoft Office
Softmaker FreeOffice: Microsoft Office Alternative from Germany
Free Office Download For Windows 10
Advantages | Disadvantages |
---|---|
Streamlined software: run from a USB stick | Doesn’t save .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx files |
Intuitive menu, clear layout | Simple packet with 3 programs |
Good manufacturer support | Not available for iOS and Mac OS X |
Android versions for smartphone and tablet |
FreeOffice was developed by software creator Softmaker in Germany, and is a good alternative to Microsoft Office. The 3 applications offered are called TextMaker, PlanMaker, and Presentations. Softmaker uses FreeOffice’s 2016 version, which makes it easy to use, and means it has good functionality. The packet requires little memory and even runs from a USB stick, which makes it easy to use on different computers. The layout is similar to that of Microsoft Office XP, which provides intuitive operation without the ribbon layout. FreeOffice is available for Linux and Windows – for Android, there is both a smartphone and a tablet version.
Best Free Office Software 2020
FreeOffice can easily open data files .doc and .docx, .xls and.xlsx, and .ppt and .pptx, as well as older Microsoft formats. However, if you plan to save .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx files, you must use the paid version of SoftMaker Office. The program bundle also contains a thesaurus, a formula editor, and advanced image editing functions. A nice extra in the free package is that .epub files can be exported, which was added as a feature in the 2016 version. A huge advantage is that SoftMaker offers great manufacturer support.
Overview of all office packages
Best Office Suite
Available for | Mobile version | Includes following programs | Can open/save Microsoft Office file formats | Special features | Language | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Microsoft Office Online | All operating systems since it’s online | Yes | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Sway, Mail, People, Calendar, OneDrive, Docs | Open and save | Enables multiple people to edit a document | Many languages available |
OpenOffice | Windows, Linux, Mac OS X | No | Writer, Base, Calc, Draw, Impress, Math | Opens and saves .doc, .xls, and .ppt; only opens .docx, .xlsx, and.pptx | Many languages are available through language packages | |
LibreOffice | Windows, Linux, Mac OS X | Viewer for Android | Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, Math, Charts | Opens and saves | Many updates available | Many languages are available through language packages |
WPS Office Free | Windows and Linux | Yes, for iOS and Android | Writer, Spreadsheet, Presentation | Opens and saves | Eye protection mode, night mode | English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Russian |
Calligra Office | Windows, Mac OS X, FreeBSD, and Linux | Yes, but little information available | Words, Sheets, Stage, Plan, Kexi, Krita, Karbon, Flow, Braindump | Only opens | Good drawing program | 26 languages available |
Softmaker FreeOffice | Linux and Windows | Yes, Smartphone and Tablet version for Android | Textmaker, Planmaker, Presentations | Opens and saves .doc, .xls and .ppt; only opens .docx, .xlsx and.pptx | Very streamlined program; export as .epub | 26 languages available |