7 best free alternatives to Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office is quite famous and a great piece of software for handling common tasks, such as creating slideshows, creating documents, or keeping track of daily expenses in a spreadsheet. However, it comes with a heavy price tag, and if your company isn't paying for it, you might find it difficult to burn your own pockets. Even the Microsoft Office cloud subscription is quite expensive.

For this reason, let's learn about some of the best Microsoft Office alternatives that are free to use and great for business or personal purposes.

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Best alternatives to Microsoft Office that are free: Google Workspace, LibreOffice, and more

1) Google Workspace

Google Workspace offers Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Google Forms for free. These are all web-based applications, though you can install them to run inside your browser via an extension.

Pros

• You can keep all of your office productivity tools in one place.
• The admin console and products from Workspace are both simple to use and navigate.
• Files can be quickly shared between users, and multiple team members can work on the same document simultaneously.
• There is no need to download any software, as Google Workspace apps automatically save all changes and work.

Cons

• Not quite as advanced as Microsoft Office.
• An internet connection is a must because Google Workspace is cloud-based.

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2) LibreOffice

LibreOffice might be the most similar application to Microsoft Office that you can get for free. There's a large community supporting this project. So, if you run into any trouble, help is just a couple of clicks away.

Pros

• Supports all of the MS Office formats.
• It comes with various free extensions and templates.
• Features like grammar checkers and proofreading tools can be enabled by installing plugins.
• It's compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Cons

• The user interface looks outdated.
• There's no integrated cloud storage.

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3) WPS Office

WPS Office is one of the best free alternatives to MS Office, which is lightweight and has a solid interface. It provides a comprehensive suite of productivity tools with an easy-to-use interface, advanced editing capabilities, and convenient cloud syncing.

Pros

• It offers 1 GB of free cloud storage.
• Compatible with all Microsoft formats.
• Available for iOS and Android devices.

Cons

• The free version has limited functionality.
• Poor customer support.

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4) FreeOffice

SoftMaker's FreeOffice is one of the best free alternatives to Microsoft Office, and it's available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. It works flawlessly with all Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats, making it ideal for both personal and professional use.

Pros

• Reliable and quick performance.
• It can open legacy documents, unlike MS Office.
• Customizable ribbon menu or a classic toolbar.
• It is very simple to migrate.

Cons

• It has no collaborative tools or web apps.
• Large worksheets cause sluggish performance.

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5) Apache OpenOffice

Apache's OpenOffice is a free, open-source alternative to Microsoft Office and a very prominent software suite. The latest version of OpenOffice has so many useful features, and it uses Open Document Format (ODF).

Pros

• It is simple to create excellent multimedia presentations.
• Open Document Format files are a little bit smaller than Microsoft Office OpenXML
• Users can quickly create flowcharts and network diagrams using its smart connectors.
• It includes a text-editing tool for creating and editing formulas and mathematical equations.

Cons

• Standard templates are underwhelming.

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6) Polaris Office

Polaris can be considered one of the best free suites, as it's extremely secure and business-oriented. Its beautiful and simple navigation makes it one of the most user-friendly office programs available.

Pros

• It provides 1 GB of free Amazon cloud storage.
• Files can be shared via Polaris' cloud storage.
• It supports AWS, DropBox, and Google Drive cloud services.
• Available for Android devices.

Cons

• The free version contains ads.

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7) Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is cloud-based and gives you a familiar Microsoft Office experience for free. It offers a wide range of apps that increase employees' productivity whenever and wherever they are.

Pros

• If offers free 5 GB of Office storage.
• The data is safeguarded by Microsoft 365's Zero Trust security.
• Multiple users can work on a project at the same time.

Cons

• Not all features are available with the free version.
• Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based suite that requires a constant internet connection to function.

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Endnotes

Purchasing a software subscription can be expensive, especially if you pay for a monthly subscription for multiple apps. If you're considering a free version of Microsoft Office, here are the seven best alternatives you can try.