Microsoft Office is the undisputed king of office suites, but that doesn't mean it's the right ane for you lot. Indeed, nosotros've covered several reasons to use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Online instead of buying Microsoft Office, with the most important reason beingness toll.
Other function suites exist, and you'd be surprised how well they compare to Microsoft Office, not to mention that many of them are completely gratis for personal use.
Earlier we explore these alternatives, y'all may desire to check out our post on ways to apply Microsoft Office without paying for it. But if it's the software itself that you dislike, or if those gratis methods aren't available to you lot, then read on!
The iii Best Online Office Suites
1. Google Docs
Google Docs is easily the virtually popular role suite in the earth after Microsoft Office. It can be slightly confusing because "Google Docs" is the proper noun of the give-and-take processing app itself, merely can also refer to the combined suite of apps: Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides.
The main reason to use Google Docs? Information technology's just so piece of cake. You don't need to install anything, you tin can share files without the recipient installing anything, the interface is dead uncomplicated and intuitive, it's a well-known brand, and everything only plain works.
It'southward also semi-compatible with Microsoft Office, able to import DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX files but unable to consign. Not ideal, simply meliorate than zero. It also has support for advanced speech-to-text voice typing.
The best aspects of Google Docs:
- Up to 15GB of free storage including Docs, Sheets, and Slides files.
- Rail changes and version histories for documents.
- Real-time online collaboration with up to 50 simultaneous users.
- Manage permissions and limit what users tin can or can't do in a document.
- Offline editing that auto-syncs equally presently as you come online.
- Integration with other Google services, including Gmail and Calendar.
- Utilise hundreds of free fonts from Google Web Fonts.
Website: Google Docs (Complimentary)
two. iWork for iCloud
Here'southward something y'all may not know: while Apple'due south iWork suite normally costs $x per app, y'all can use Pages, Number, and Keynote for free on the web using iWork for iCloud, which is Apple's answer to Google Docs and Microsoft Role Online.
iWork for iCloud resembles the desktop version for Mac, and is exactly what you'd look from Apple: simplistic just pleasing interface, plenty flexibility to create whatever kind of files yous need, but not many workspace customization options.
It's the obvious option if you already use iWork on Mac, as information technology integrates well and allows you lot to piece of work on your documents anywhere y'all go. The simply downside is that it relies on iCloud for storage, which is one of the least pop cloud storage solutions.
All yous need is an Apple ID to utilize iWork for iCloud.
The all-time aspects of iWork for iCloud:
- Upwardly to 5GB of free storage on iCloud.
- Cute and simplistic interface that's easy to navigate.
- Integrates with iWork for Mac, making information technology a strong option for Mac users.
- Cleanly imports and exports Microsoft Role files.
Website: iWork for iCloud (Free)
3. Zoho Role
My favorite thing about Zoho Part is its interface. On the surface information technology'southward pretty much the same every bit any other online part suite, but there's a shine professionalism to it that can't really be captured in screenshots lone. It simply feels good.
Zoho Office is best for small teams, with interesting features like existent-fourth dimension chatting on documents, collaborative editing, digital signatures, quick document sharing, and more than.
Ane of the cooler niche features in Zoho Writer in particular is the ability to post documents directly to WordPress, making it an constructive blog writing tool.
The best aspects of Zoho Office:
- Upward to 5GB of gratuitous storage through Zoho Docs.
- Up to 25 file version histories for each document.
- Cleanly imports and exports Microsoft Function files.
- Real-time communication with collaborators.
- Two-cistron authentication for extra security.
- Extensive customizations of documents, settings, and workspaces.
Website: Zoho Office (Gratuitous)
The iv Best Desktop Office Suites
ane. OnlyOffice
OnlyOffice (officially stylized as ONLYOFFICE) is a sleeper hitting: not many people have heard of it, but it blows the competition out of the water. It really delivers on its product slogan: "Powerful like Microsoft Office, free like LibreOffice."
What y'all'll honey best about OnlyOffice is that it natively uses Microsoft Office formats, which isn't something that all desktop office suites can avowal. The interface is also clean and professional person, which is smashing if you lot detest the bloat of Microsoft Office, the slow performance of WPS Function, or the frank ugliness of LibreOffice.
Note that OnlyOffice comes in a deject version---not just the option to access OnlyOffice on the spider web, but the power to host OnlyOffice on your ain server and provide private admission to those on premises.
The all-time aspects of OnlyOffice:
- Open up source and completely free for personal use.
- Unproblematic and professional interface with no distracting elements.
- Cleanly imports and exports Microsoft Office files.
- Power to self-host for private enterprise internal web access.
- Real-time collaborative editing and sharing of files.
Download: OnlyOffice Desktop (Free)
Download: OnlyOffice Cloud ($120/twelvemonth)
Download: OnlyOffice Enterprise ($900/server)
For more than on the offerings from OnlyOffice, check out our expect at their collaboration and cloud storage options.
2. SoftMaker Office
SoftMaker Office is a commercial role suite that also comes in a gratuitous version called SoftMaker FreeOffice. FreeOffice is lightweight but complete, with all the essential features you'd demand and look from a modern office suite.
SoftMaker Office earned its reputation for Microsoft Office compatibility, beingness the kickoff culling office suite that could losslessly read and write Microsoft Part formats. For y'all, this means you can straight open and edit Microsoft Role files without worry.
The interface is squeamish too. SoftMaker respects user selection, assuasive yous to option between a classic await (with toolbars and menus) or a mod wait (with a Microsoft-like ribbon). And either way, SoftMaker Office is a joy to use: fast, responsive, and constructive.
The all-time aspects of SoftMaker Role:
- Tabbed interface for editing multiple documents.
- Version history for part files, plus ability to revert to earlier versions.
- Export as EPUB to easily plow documents into ebooks.
- Choose betwixt classic or modernistic interfaces.
- Portable installation to USB drives and then you can use it anywhere.
Download: SoftMaker FreeOffice (Free)
Download: SoftMaker Office Standard ($lxx)
Download: SoftMaker Office Professional ($100)
If you want to learn more, see our overview of SoftMaker FreeOffice.
3. LibreOffice
Ask five people for a free desktop alternative to Microsoft Office and I'd exist willing to bet that all of them say LibreOffice. Not simply is it free and open source, but it's been around for years and works well on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
In January 2018, LibreOffice launched the much-awaited version half dozen.0, which introduced lots of new features, issues fixes, functioning improvements, a new help organisation that'south easier to navigate, and more.
While LibreOffice technically supports Microsoft Office files, information technology isn't perfect yet and you volition discover that some certificate aspects break when you save in one app and open in its corresponding counterpart app. And while LibreOffice Calc is nice, information technology simply doesn't live upward to the power, flexibility, or speed of Microsoft Excel.
The best aspects of LibreOffice:
- Completely gratis, open source, and cross-platform.
- Built-in tools for creating complex documents, books, and webpages.
- Download hundreds of publicly bachelor LibreOffice templates.
- Aggrandize functionality with hundreds of LibreOffice extensions.
- On top of Writer, Calc, and Impress, LibreOffice includes other office apps similar Depict (diagrams), Base (databases), and Math (avant-garde formulas).
Download: LibreOffice (Free)
If you lot make up one's mind to use LibreOffice and want to become the virtually out of information technology, I highly recommend checking out our article on essential LibreOffice productivity tips.
4. WPS Office
Formerly known as Kingsoft Role, WPS Office is a powerhouse. Information technology comes with everything yous demand in an role suite, plus some unique features similar PDF conversion, PDF merging and splitting, document signatures, document encryption, hundreds of fonts and templates, tabbed document editing, and so much more.
The one huge downside to WPS Office is that the free version is advert-supported: a scattering of useful features are gated behind sponsored ads, and you lot can unlock them for 30 minutes past watching a quick advertisement. In my experience, this actually feels much better than having imprint ads, especially because no features are completely unavailable.
The other large downside is that WPS Role runs a bit laggy on weaker hardware, which is a shame when you're traveling with an older laptop and the application hangs or merely isn't as smoothen as y'all'd want it to be.
The best aspects of WPS Function:
- Upward to 1GB of costless storage using WPS Office Deject.
- Easy sharing of files with others through WPS Office Cloud.
- Document tabs for effortless organization while editing.
- Hundreds of fonts and templates for beautifying your documents.
- Built-in PDF tools, including the power to relieve directly as PDF.
- Cleanly imports and exports Microsoft Office files (Professional person only).
Download: WPS Office (Gratis)
Download: WPS Office Premium ($30/year)
Download: WPS Office Professional ($45/twelvemonth or $fourscore one-time)
Which Office Suite Is Right for You?
At the end of the day, all of these office suites exist for a reason: unlike people like different things, and what works well for me may not piece of work well for you.
I use Google Docs considering it's simple, fast, and accessible from anywhere regardless of which device or operating arrangement I'm on. Mac users who demand an online suite will love iWork for iCloud, whereas anyone who needs a desktop suite will probable do best with OnlyOffice or SoftMaker Role.
If yous end upwardly going with a desktop suite, you'll probably want to integrate it with some kind of cloud storage service. I personally employ Google Bulldoze, but other options be. Get started with our comparing of the all-time deject storage services.
If you lot want to utilise Access, check out these complimentary Microsoft Access alternatives. Mac users, you can effort these height Microsoft Part alternatives for macOS. And if you're a Linux user who prefers to use Part after trying other options, hither's a guide to installing and using Microsoft Part on Linux.
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