Microsoft Office is the undisputed king of office suites and the most popular. But remember that there are other Office applications besides Microsoft Office.

Online Office Applications

1. Google Docs

Google Docs is the world’s most popular office suite after Microsoft Office. It can be a bit confusing because “Google Docs” is the name of the word processing application itself, but also the combined application suite includes Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides.

The main reason to use Google Docs? You do not need to install anything on the computer.. You can access it from anywhere with internet with your Google account.. The interface is extremely simple and intuitive, well known brand and everything works simply. Also semi-compatible with Microsoft Office, can import but not export DOCX, XLSX and PPTX files. Not ideal, but better than nothing. There’s also support for advanced speech-to-text voice typing.

The good things about Google Docs:

• Free up to 15GB including Docs, Sheets, and Slides files storage space.
• Version histories for changes made to documents
• Real-time online collaboration for up to 50 concurrent users.
• Manage permissions and determine what users can or cannot do with a document .
• Offline editing that syncs automatically the moment you’re online.
• Integration with other Google services, including Gmail and Calendar.
• Hundreds of free fonts from Google Web Fonts use type.

Website: Google Docs (Free)

2. iWork for iCloud

Free Pages, Issue and Keynote on the Web using iWork for iCloud, Apple’s answer to Google Docs and Microsoft Office Online you can use. iCloud iWork is similar to the desktop version of the Mac, and as you’d expect from Apple, it has a simple but nice interface, enough flexibility to create whatever file you need, lots of workspace customization options. The only downside is that it relies on iCloud for storage, one of the least popular cloud storage solutions.. All you need is an Apple ID to use iWork for iCloud.

The good things about iWork for iCloud:

• Up to 5GB of free storage on iCloud space.
• A beautiful and simple interface that’s easy to navigate.
• Integrates with iWork for Mac, making it a powerful choice for Mac users.
• Clean Microsoft Office files

Website: iWork for iCloud (Free)

3. Zoho Office

The thing I love most about Zoho Office is its interface. The interface is pretty much the same as other online office suites, but there’s a neat professionalism to the screenshots that can’t really be captured. It’s best for small teams with interesting features.

One of the coolest business features in Zoho Writer in particular is the ability to send documents directly to WordPress, making it an effective blogging tool.

The upsides of Zoho Office:

• Up to 5GB of free storage through Zoho Docs.
• Up to 25 file version histories per document.
• Cleanly imports and exports Microsoft Office files.
• Real-time communication with collaborators.
• Two-factor authentication for extra security.
• , extensive customizations of settings and workspaces.

Website: Z oho Office (Free)

Desktop Apps

1. OnlyOffice

Not many people have heard of OnlyOffice, but it is competitive. It’ll work really well in its product slogan: “Powerful like Microsoft Office, free like LibreOffice.“

What you’ll love most about OnlyOffice is that it natively uses all Microsoft Office formats.. The interface is also clean and professional, great if you hate the bloat of Microsoft Office, the slow performance of WPS Office, or the obvious ugliness of LibreOffice.

A cloud version of OnlyOffice is also available. There is not only the option to access OnlyOffice on the web, but also the ability to host OnlyOffice on your own server and provide private access to individuals.

The good aspects of OnlyOffice:

• Open source and Completely free for personal use.
• Simple and professional interface with no distractions.
• Cleanly imports and exports Microsoft Office files.
• Private institution Self-hosting for in-house web access.
• Real-time collaborative editing and file sharing.

OnlyOffice Desktop (Free)
OnlyOffice Cloud (Yearly / $120)
 OnlyOffice Enterprise ($900/server)

2. SoftMaker Office

SoftMaker Office is a commercial office suite also available in a free version called FreeOffice. FreeOffice has all the essential features you need and is lightweight and complete you’d expect from a modern office suite.

SoftMaker Office has earned its reputation for Microsoft Office compatibility and is the first alternative office suite that can read and write Microsoft Office formats losslessly.. That means you can open and edit Microsoft Office files directly without worry.

The interface is beautiful. SoftMaker respects user choice, allowing you to choose between a classic look or a modern look.

The good things about SoftMaker Office:

• Tabbed interface for editing multiple documents .
• Version history of Office files, plus the ability to revert to previous versions.
• Export documents as EPUBs for easy conversion into ebooks.
• Classic or modern interfaces
• Portable installation on USB drives so you can use them anywhere.

SoftMaker FreeOffice (Free)
SoftMaker Office Standard ($70)
SoftMaker Office Professional ( $100)

3. LibreOffice

Ask five people for free desktop alternatives to Microsoft Office and you’re sure they’ll all say LibreOffice. Not only is it free and open source, it’s been around for years and works well on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

In January 2018, LibreOffice was released with lots of new features, bug fixes, performance improvements, easier to navigate. Launched version 6.0, introducing a new help system and more.

While LibreOffice technically supports Microsoft Office files, it’s not perfect yet. While LibreOffice is beautiful, it doesn’t quite live up to the power, flexibility, or speed of Microsoft Excel.

The good things about LibreOffice:

• Totally free, open source

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• Built-in tools for creating complex documents, books, and web pages.
• Hundreds of publicly available LibreOffice templates
• Expand functionality with hundreds of LibreOffice plugins.
• LibreOffice Draw ( diagrams), Base (databases) and Math (advanced formulas) and other office applications.

LibreOffice  (Free)

4. WPS Office

Formerly known as Kingsoft Office, WPS Office is a powerhouse. It comes with everything you need in an office suite plus some unique features like PDF conversion, PDF merge and split, document signatures, document encryption, hundreds of fonts and templates, tabbed document editing and much more.

A big downside of WPS Office is that the free version is ad-supported. The other big downside is that WPS Office runs a bit slow on weaker hardware, which means the application is on track when using it with an older laptop.

The good things about WPS Office:

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• Up to 1GB of free storage using WPS Office Cloud.
• Share your files with others easily with WPS Office Cloud.
• Document tabs for effortless organization while editing.

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• Hundreds of fonts and templates to beautify your documents.
• Built-in PDF tools, including the ability to save directly as PDF.
• Cleans and exports Microsoft Office files (Professional only).

WPS Office (Free)
WPS Office Premium (Yearly / $30)
WPS Office Professional (Annual / $45 or single payment $80)

Assessment

It is understood that all Office applications described above are Microsoft Office, which is taken as an example.. Among the above online applications, Google Docs is quite advantageous.. Mac users will love iWork for iCloud, whereas anyone needing a desktop suite is probably fine, OnlyOffice or SoftMaker Office.

If you continue to use a desktop suite, you’ll probably want to integrate it with some kind of cloud storage service.. If you don’t use cloud storage, it’s a good idea to use it now. Start comparing the best cloud storage services for yourself.