Here, we’ll list the best open source office software alternatives to Microsoft Office for both home and business users. So it’s important to check what you need and evaluate this against what providers will actually supply. Most packages offer documents and spreadsheets as standard, but some providers may not provide database or presentation software in a bundle. On top of that, you also need to ask which types of office software you actually need. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that the formatting is retained accurately.

This can cause problems when sharing files with those using different software. One also needs to bear in mind that the formatting of one file type can be saved in different ways for different programs. However, all office suites are not the same and each has some limitation or the other. Some of the open source or free alternatives are even better than Microsoft Office when it comes to minimising costs and their capability to work with office files. But for the Linux operating system, there are many choices available. Windows has the Microsoft Office suite, which now dominates even the Mac market with Office for Mac. It is difficult to imagine a desktop operating system without office software. An office suite is a mandatory part of any operating system’s ecosystem.

Here is a selection of the top five that users can explore and use.įor the past several years, Microsoft Office has remained the leader in office productivity software offering integrated applications for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, database management, email handling and above all, desktop publishing. Numerous open source office suites have hit the market. While Microsoft Office is the most popular suite today, there is a growing demand for more affordable alternatives. Office suites have become common organisational and productivity tools.

Open office versus neooffice