The best office software makes it easy to handle documents and spreadsheets without having to pay for a subscription. Microsoft 365, which used to be called Microsoft Office and Office 365, is still the best office suite for most people. Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint are still important office tools.
But over the years, other companies have come out with their own office suites to help people be more productive. Some of these are paid for and some are free, and sometimes the same company will give both. All of these alternatives to Microsoft Office give a similar range of software, mostly for making and editing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
But while most can work with traditional Microsoft Office documents, not all will keep the formatting when exporting to or from Microsoft Office. This can be a problem when sharing documents between different programs. Still, it can be very helpful for home users and new businesses to be able to make, edit, manage, and organize office documents without having to pay for a subscription right away. Below we have mentioned the best office software.
Best Office Software Comparison Table
| Platform | Price | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| Google Docs | Free | Visit Website |
| FreeOffice | Free | Visit Website |
| WPS Office Free | Free | Visit Website |
| LibreOffice | Free | Visit Website |
| Polaris Office | Free | Visit Website |
Google Docs
Features
- Web-based office suite
- Free to use
- Compatible with multiple file formats, including Microsoft Word
- Enables real-time collaboration and editing
- Provides cloud storage for files
- Has add-ons for additional functionality
Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides could be your first stop if you work with other people or switch between a PC and a Mac. This suite will be a reasonable choice for anyone who is already familiar with the Android/Google ecosystem. The three most important tools work well in any computer browser and have apps for Apple and Android phones.
Google’s free office suite doesn’t have as many advanced tools as desktop software like LibreOffice. For example, there are no pivot tables or database tools. However, everything is laid out in a clear, logical way, and all of your files will be saved and synced automatically, so you don’t have to worry about transfers or backups. Currently, this is one of the best office software you can consider now.
The main problem with Docs, Sheets, and Slides is that it’s hard to open files made with other office software and the style doesn’t always get transferred correctly. This is partly because Google’s office tools use web fonts instead of fonts saved on your device, and partly because Google doesn’t support some of the features built into Microsoft software.
Pros
- Free to use with a Google account.
- Cloud-based, access from any device with an internet connection.
- Collaborative features allow real-time editing and commenting.
Cons
- Limited offline access and functionality.
- Limited customization options compared to other software.
FreeOffice
Features
- Office package for Windows, Linux and Android devices.
- Free to use
- Compatible with Microsoft Office file formats
- Includes word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software
- Has a clean and intuitive user interface
- Offers seamless integration with other SoftMaker products
TextMaker, PlanMaker, and Presentations are like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in SoftMaker FreeOffice, just like they are in WPS Office Free. Like the other free office suites in this list, it works with Microsoft file types made after 1997. It also makes it easy to convert to both PDF and Epub, which is a nice bonus. Overall, this is one of the best office software you can consider now.
Some important functions are only available in the paid version of the software, which is a shame. Some of these are nice to have but not necessary, like tabbed viewing, but the lack of a thesaurus is a big problem for anyone who writes a lot. FreeOffice doesn’t look as good as WPS Office, but if you don’t like the Microsoft menu and find it hard to use, you might like the slightly less modern way to get around.
Pros
- Free for personal and commercial use.
- Offers most of the essential features of Microsoft Office.
- Available for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Cons
- Limited advanced features compared to Microsoft Office.
- No cloud-based storage.
WPS Office Free
Features
- Office suite for Windows, Linux, iOS and Android devices.
- Free to use
- Compatible with Microsoft Office file formats
- Includes word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software
- Features a modern interface with customizable themes
- Offers a large collection of templates and clipart
WPS Office Free is a cut-down form of a premium office suite, but you wouldn’t know it. Each of its three apps looks and has the same number of features as the latest versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Still, this is one of the best office software you can consider now.
The support for file formats is great, and you can save your work in native Microsoft forms so that you can easily share it with other Office users. There is no database software, but the free PDF reader that comes with WPS Office is a great option for the one that comes with Windows.
There are a few ads here and there, but they aren’t very often. They won’t get in the way of your work at all, and you won’t even notice that everything in this suite is free. There are versions of WPS Office Free for Windows, Linux, and Android, but if you have an Apple device, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Pros
- Offers most essential features found in Microsoft Office.
- Available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
- Cloud-based storage available.
Cons
- Free version contains ads.
- Some features may require upgrading to premium version.
LibreOffice
Features
- Open source office suite for Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Free to use
- Compatible with multiple file formats, including Microsoft Office
- Includes word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing and database software
- Supports multiple languages
- Offers the ability to customize the user interface and add extensions for additional functionality
LibreOffice works with all Microsoft document formats and has almost all of the same features as the current versions of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. For now, this is one of the best office software you can consider now.
The set has six programs: Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Math, and Base. These programs can be used to do most office tasks. The last three tools are ones you won’t find in many other free office apps. They are made for vector diagrams, mathematical functions, and databases, respectively. This last one is especially helpful because it’s hard to find free options to Microsoft Access.
LibreOffice is an open source project that is run by a large group of enthusiastic users who work all the time to make the program more stable and add new features. There are a lot of add-ons and themes that make it even more flexible, and both businesses and home users can use it for free.
LibreOffice is a fork of Apache OpenOffice, and the two are very similar. However, LibreOffice is the better product overall, and it allows file conversions that keep the existing formatting. This means that your Word.doc files should look the same in LibreOffice as they do in Word, and vice versa.
Pros
- Completely free and open source.
- Offers a wide range of features and tools.
- Available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Cons
- May not be as user-friendly or polished as other office suites.
- Limited cloud-based functionality.
Polaris Office
Features
- Office suite for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android devices.
- Free to use
- Compatible with Microsoft Office file formats
- Includes word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software
- Has a clean and modern interface
- Offers cloud storage for files and real-time collaboration features
If you have a Samsung phone, you may already know how to use Polaris Office on your phone. This free office software works on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, and some Samsung phones come with it already installed. It works with all Microsoft document formats and has a nice interface with a ribbon and some simple customization options.
Be careful if you choose to run the Windows version. It comes with a bunch of extra software, such as a browser extension called WebAdvisor from McAfee, a market research tool called PremierOpinion, and antivirus software. You don’t have to say yes to any of these. Just keep an eye out. Thus, this is one of the best office software you can consider now.
Then you’ll need to sign in with Facebook or Google, or make an account. This is important because Polaris Office is a service that runs in the cloud. Your free Polaris account gives you 60 MB of data transfer per month, 1 GB of cloud storage, and the ability to use it on one PC and two mobile devices. If that isn’t enough room, you can connect Polaris Office to Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, Microsoft OneDrive, and Amazon Cloud Drive, or you can save your work locally on your device.
Pros
- Offers most essential features found in Microsoft Office.
- Available on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.
- Cloud-based storage available.
Cons
- Free version contains ads.
- Some features may require upgrading to premium version.
- Limited customization options.
FAQs
Office software is a group of programs that can be used to create, edit, and manage documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and other office chores. It has word processors, spreadsheets, presentation software, email apps, project management tools, and more.
Microsoft Office, Google Workspace (which used to be called G Suite), and LibreOffice are the most popular office software packages. Each of these suites has tools like email clients and cloud storage, as well as word editing, spreadsheet, and presentation programs.
Microsoft Office is a set of programs that help you get work done. They were made by Microsoft. It comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, among other programs. These programs are made to help you make and update documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and other things.
