Microsoft Office Suite plays an important role in professional settings. The office suite consists of a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation program.
Every tool will allow you to input, edit, and present information differently. Microsoft Office dominates when it comes to the free Microsoft Office productivity suite software. Despite its deep roots and popularity, it may not be the best option for everyone. Parsing an ever-expanding list of features can feel overwhelming. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are what most customers want. This brings us to the final problem: the hefty price tag of Microsoft Office.
There are many free Microsoft Office suite software to select from. Fortunately, free Microsoft office suite software abounds, compatible with Microsoft Office docs. We compare the seven popular choices to see how they reproduce the most commonly used features of free Microsoft Office. Comparing them based on their user-friendly features is important.
What You Have To Look for in a Free Microsoft Office Suite?
When considering Free Microsoft Office Suite options, do not try to reproduce all features, just the ones you need and use the most. Depending on your case, this could be strong spreadsheet analyses and functional presentation design or the ability to access files anywhere and share them with team members. At least keep these things in your mind:
- The Big Three: Although Microsoft Office has developed over the years to have software programs such as Outlook, Access, and Publisher, its bread and butter is still the original trio of software programs: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This is because almost everyone uses these 3 apps regardless of the nature of their work. Those are the only 3 apps we need in a Microsoft Office suite for many of us.
- Microsoft Office Compatibility: Most working people continue to use Microsoft Office even after jumping ship. You will still have to work with official Microsoft Office files. Always look for an office suite software that can cleanly write and read Microsoft Office formats ranging from current XLSX, DOCX, and PPTX file types to legacy formats.
- Interface: The way you access the features of a Microsoft office suite will matter as much as the features themselves. Polarized opinion about Microsoft Office's ribbon toolbar underscores this. Always ensure you are comfortable with the way a suit lays out its tool and that you do not have to dig too intensely for the ones you will be using a lot.
- Collaboration Capability: Ironically, we still depend on "office" suites software when many do not work in physical offices, which means collaborating with others is now an important feature.
When you do not want to email back and forth for editing, which can wreak havoc with version control, you need an option that will include clouding support for easy sharing of files and, ideally, co-authoring the ability to have in real-time.
List of Top Free Microsoft Office Suite Software
We have gathered the list of the best free Microsoft Office Suites to make the selection process easy.
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Smartsheet - Most Suitable for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses Looking Powerful Spreadsheet Tools
Smartsheet is an online app that will resemble a spreadsheet software program. It delivers powerful collaborative features and can be customized to act as a project management platform. This software program is available on a subscription plan for $14/month. But customers can try this software program for free for 30 days. Also, it may not be suitable for a straight Microsoft office suite.
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Google Docs - Best for Small to Large Businesses Looking Online and Free Microsoft Office Tool
Google Docs is the most popular free Microsoft office suite. There is no need to download it, as we can access each software program through a web browser. It has Docs for word processing, Slides for presentations, Sheets for spreadsheets, and Forms for surveys. It delivers a broad variety of capabilities, including collaborative tools.
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Apache OpenOffice - Best for Small to Large-Sized Businesses Looking to Make High-Quality Documents
Apache's OpenOffice provides an amazing set of tools for any business size. Customers can make mathematical equations, multimedia presentations, high-quality documents, and even 3D images. This includes most standard features with Microsoft Office but is available for free download. Apache OpenOffice is the best desktop-based free Microsoft Word option. Its open-source design delivers extra options for customers, but its little-dated design may put off some.
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Microsoft 365 Free - Best for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses Looking for a Versatile Suite of Office Tool
Recently, Microsoft made some apps available for free in its Microsoft Office 365 suite. This software suite has MS Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, and Teams. The software comes in the form of a desktop app and a cloud-based app.
The suite has collaboration features associated with web-based Microsoft office software but with a functional set of desktop apps. Microsoft 365 free online offers more features than Office, and with the familiar, intuitive interface most of us love.
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Microsoft Office Online - Best for Small-Sized Businesses Looking Browser-Accessible Online and Free Microsoft Office Tool
MS Office Online functions as a great free option for the paid version of MS Office. It is accessible through a web browser, so customers do not need to download anything. Customers can edit and share files made in their word processor, spreadsheet tool, and presentation software program. Also, it has MS Outlook for email and OneNote for digital notes.
Microsoft Office Online packs have many features found on their desktop counterparts. But it lacks some features, like the drawing support associated with the non-web version.
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Apple iWork - Best for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses that Want to Make Impressive Documents and Presentations
iWork is Apple's free Microsoft office suite for its iOS devices. It has a minimalist interface but packs a great set of features. Customers can use the included software programs to make impressive text documents, detailed spreadsheets, and great presentations. Its software suite is available as a downloadable app and can also be accessed as a web browser app.
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Mobisystems OfficeSuite Professional - Best for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses that Want to Use Office Tool on Mobile Devices
Mobisystems' OfficeSuite Professional delivers a good set of tools for people pursuing Microsoft Office-like functionality. It's available for mobile devices, which will make it great for customers who want to use Office tools on the go.
Every app is responsive and provides a great customer experience. Also, OfficeSuite has a PDF editor that will let customers edit and sign documents through their touch-screen devices.
Conclusion
There's no shortage of great free Microsoft office suite options out there. Apache's Open Office is the best free Microsoft Office option for customers who want desktop functionality similar to Microsoft Office. Still, Google Docs reigns top due to its in-browser functionality and ease of collaboration capability. Also, Mobisystem's OfficeSuite is a great option for customers who want to use Office tools on their mobile devices.
