In this article, we provide you Microsoft Office Alternatives for PC That You Can Use. Microsoft Office has remained in the market for as long as most of us remember PC itself. Though the MS Office suite was developed in 2000, individual applications like MS Word have been around since the 1980s. Since then, Microsoft Office has remained the most popular productivity suite.
Nevertheless, in the meantime, a lot of Microsoft Office Alternatives have made it to the market. Many of these alternatives are pretty appealing, looking at their price competitiveness and the traits they offer. We have a list of these five Best Alternatives to Microsoft.
NOTE: Changing suites can be a little of a hassle as files created on one suite may pose problems. Because quite often, the files created on one suite do not look as good and refined on another suite; the editing you did on one suite may not work on another, etc. Everything is fine if you’re using an Office Suite just for yourself, and you do not have to export the files to anyone. Nevertheless, if you work in collaboration, you’ve to consider what your colleagues use. Though this problem is not pervasive, it is an important thing to consider.
Best Microsoft Office Alternatives 2021
Let’s not waste any more time and get right to the list of Best Microsoft Office Alternatives as your daily go to productivity tools:
1. FreeOffice
FreeOffice is a great Microsoft Office Alternatives. It is pretty famous and has been in the market for quite some time. Similar to Google Office Suite, FreeOffice further contains just 3 applications TextMaker for documents, PlanMaker for spreadsheets, and Presentations for PowerPoint. FreeOffice is obtainable for Windows and Linux platforms and also gives a basic version for Android devices.
Pros:
- Free Variant
- Supports a lot of File Formats
- Easy Toggling between Ribbon mode & classic mode
- Touch Screen Compatibility
- Easy-to-use Interface
Cons:
- No Cloud Storage
- Not possible for Mac
FreeOffice vs Microsoft Office
FreeOffice is an awesome tool that enables you to create amazing text files, spreadsheets, and presentations. Hence, it is a wondrous alternative to Microsoft Office for anyone looking to create docs for free.
Nevertheless, more people would ignore it than not. The absence of Cloud storage renders it futile for anyone looking to work in collaboration. Also, add-ons and plug-ins are not easily available for any feature it misses.
2. WPS Office
If there is 1 software that can closely compete with Microsoft Office and is worthy of being the best Alternative to Microsoft Office, it is WPS Office. WPS Office has a lot to give, a lot more than any of its competitors. WPS is obtainable for Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, and Web. Anything you may ask for is possible on WPS Office.
Pros:
- Available for all operating Systems
- High Compatibility with MS Office
- Supports various file formats
- Has a dedicated PDF Reader
- Cloud Storage
Cons:
- I can not help but say it is nearly perfect
WPS Office vs Microsoft Office
WPS Office is free of cost software and lacks just a couple of features that you may never notice. It gives great functionality and interface. The app is pretty lightweight on all operating systems.
On the other hand, Microsoft Office is a tad bit better in functionality than WPS Office. Also, OneDrive allows 5GBs free space instead of just 1GB in WPS Office.
3. Apache OpenOffice
Apache OpenOffice is a great tool and a worthy Microsoft Office Alternatives. Apache OpenOffice is a free to use open source software that consists of a word processor, presentation, spreadsheet, formula, database, and drawing tool.
Pros:
- Free-to-use
- Dedicated Extension store
- Supports over 40 Languages
- A lot of built-in templates
Cons:
- No application for Mobile Devices
- Interface is a bit outdated
- No Cloud Storage
Apache OpenOffice vs Microsoft Office
Apache OpenOffice allows all the functionality a user would require for free. It possesses its dedicated extension to add more functionality to the app. Nevertheless, it doesn’t feel as crisp as Microsoft Office. If a polished looking UI is what you need, OpenOffice isn’t the right alternative. But, if you are looking for functionality and want to work on some project which you do not have to collaborate on, OpenOffice can be a great tool.
4. LibreOffice
LibreOffice is a popular office suite and a good Microsoft Office Alternatives claimed to even be better than Microsoft Office. LibreOffice is a free to use open source productivity suite possible for Mac, Windows, and Linux platforms. Though there is an Android application named LibreOffice viewer, it only enables you to read the document.
LibreOffice has a bunch of different applications such as Writer for word processing, Calc for spreadsheets, Impress for presentations, Math for formula editing, Base for Database, and Vector graphics for drawing. Although it does not offer any application for email, you can download an add-on for the functionality.
Pros:
- Compatible with most file formats
- Much more toolbar choices than Microsoft Office
- Tons of available Add-ons
- Free-to-use
Cons:
- Misses a few traits
- MS Office customized files may not see the same when imported
- No Cloud Storage options
Microsoft Office vs LibreOffice
LibreOffice is a free to use the tool, unlike Microsoft Office, which you have to pay for. Though Microsoft Office looks elegant, LibreOffice does not leave behind any feature that you may require. Additionally, you can save files on OneDrive and Google Drive to make for missing cloud storage features.
In short, the single reason to ignore LibreOffice would be your comfort with Microsoft or your need to collaborate with other people who use MS Office.
5. Google Office Suite
There are hardly a few tech markets where Google hasn’t made its presence felt. Productivity tools are not one of those. Google launched its 1st word processor Google Docs in 2006. But it has not been long since Google Office apps like Google Spreadsheet, Google Docs, and Google Slides have gained popularity.
Pros:
- Elegant Interface
- Free of Cost
- All you require is an effective Internet Connection
- Tons of Features
- Great for Students and people who do not require much customization
- Files can be exported in multiple formats
- It uses the generally used file extensions that can be used with all variety of Office suites
Cons:
- Lacks the traits of an Installed Suite
- Offline Editing requires a Browser Plug-in
- Just the files saved in the drive can be edited offline
MS Office Suite vs Google Suite
If you need productivity tools for basic purposes and do not require heavy customization, there is hardly any office suite better than Google. Nevertheless, for creatives, MS Office would be the Right choice.
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So, this is our listing of the Best Microsoft Office Alternatives available in the market. Do let us know your experience if you’ve tried any of these.