Office suites include software to create text documents, spreadsheets, or presentations, and are a constant on practically any computer in the world. In this software, the trend to take everything to the cloud has made this type of tool evolve considerably. Office suites in the cloud have been born.
Microsoft Office 365
Teachers and students can access, free of charge, Office 365, the productivity and collaboration suite in the Microsoft cloud. They thus have applications such as an email manager (with Exchange Online), videoconferencing and chat services (Lync Online), spaces for collaborative work (SharePoint Online), as well as essential programs for word processing, spreadsheets… (Office Web Apps, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint…).
Google Drive
If there is a rival for Microsoft, it is Google, in part due to its potential as a leading company in the new technologies sector. Also with a long history of several years, they have Google Drive, with online office software to edit texts, spreadsheets, presentations, or even others to create forms and surveys. All for free, with a large space to store files, the possibility of collaboration when editing a job, and much more. It is possible that in terms of advanced editing options, they are a step behind Microsoft’s Office, but they certainly offer what is necessary for basic and simple use.
ONLYOFFICE
An unknown but one that is setting a standard, especially for the possibilities of customization and configuration for small—and not-so-small—companies. ONLYOFFICE offers an online office suite in which security (data encryption) and the possibility of configuring many general parameters, for example, those related to a company, having your server, etc. Its use may not make much sense in a specific class, but it should be an option to take into account for its implementation on a large scale, for example by an entire school or school.
Zoho Docs
The great feature of Zoho Docs is collaboration. For practical purposes, it works like any other office suite in the cloud (access through a browser and applications available to edit texts, spreadsheets, presentations, etc.) but they put great effort into collaborative work, in which several users will be able to simultaneously edit the same file. This is not a complete novelty—Google Drive and Office Online also allow it—but Zoho Docs highlights it as its great value. It has a free version with some limits and then another option through monthly payments.
Apple iCloud
Apple did not want to be left behind and a few years ago they launched iCloud, their office automation in the cloud. For practical purposes, it mixes virtual storage along with applications to edit office files through Apple tools, that is, the iWork suite embedded in a browser. In favor of iCloud is the possibility of synchronizing with a desktop computer (compatible with Mac and Windows) and the simplicity and ease of use. It is free and offers more storage space at very attractive prices.
Dropbox
It has been one of those key programs cloud for several years, and in recent times it is also gaining momentum as a collaboration and editing tool. files. Although it does not have its office suite, the key to Dropbox is that it has the collaboration of Microsoft Office to allow the editing of office files in the cloud, directly in the browser without having to install anything. We will only need a trivial configuration (link the Dropbox account with the Office account) and work from a browser.
Polaris Office
For many, Polaris Office is the best alternative to Microsoft tools available. This suite combines endless tools for viewing and editing files and documents, with compatibility with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe documents PDF.
All of this is included in a light application, which can be used for free despite there being a paid subscription that allows you to unlock extra additions with which to get even more out of the application.
Quip
Quip is an app that takes the concept of office applications one step further. It is a tool intended for those who want to completely distance themselves from Microsoft Office since it offers the possibility of using the app on any device through its web version.
In addition, it has a very different format from other apps of this type, as it is based on a chat-type format, which facilitates collaboration on documents with other team members.
LibreOffice
Next on our list of FREE Office Software for Windows of 2023 is LibreOffice due to its excellent compatibility with Microsoft Office, and it is Packed with features identical to those you can find in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It is a complete software capable of performing all office-related tasks including Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Math, and Base.
While the first three tools are standard, you won’t find the last three tools in many office suites, as LibreOffice offers them exclusively for vector diagrams, mathematical functions, and databases, respectively.
This free office software is available for home and business users and contains a variety of extensions and templates to make it more convenient for its users. A strong point of LibreOffice is its open source nature comprising a strong and active community that is constantly working to improve the software and add new features.