Microsoft Office can be expensive: The stand-alone versions of the software, which are becoming increasingly rare as Microsoft grows Office 365, start around $150 and only go up from there. Subscriptions to Office apps start at $7 per month or $70 per year, and prices quickly increase for professional versions of the software. The good news is that future versions of the software will probably be the same price. The bad news is it can be costly for consumers.
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Either way, it’s a lot to spend on basic productivity tools, but there is some good news. If you’re not a power user and don’t need all the latest, premium features, you can save a lot of money on Microsoft Office. Here’s how.
Use the free web and mobile apps
Microsoft has been gradually expanding the number of apps you can use online for free, and now offers an impressive suite that can easily merge with downloaded apps, if necessary, and has plenty of functionality for the average project.
It’s also really easy to sign up. Go to this web page, pick the app that you want (scroll down for all options), and log into your Microsoft account to get started. If you don’t have a Microsoft account, signing up is easy — plus, since you need Office Online, it’s a good idea to create one anyway. This allows you to use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Calendar, and other traditional Microsoft apps. It also gives you access to more niche apps, like Sway, an interactive report/presentation app; People, an advanced, Skype-friendly contact list; and Docs.com, for uploading and sharing documents.
So, if this is all here and available for free, why does the rest of this article exist? Because while these apps are useful, they’re also limited to only work for very basic functions. They don’t offer the full features that Office 365 provides and, of course, you need an online connection to use them. It’ll work for simple tasks, like putting together a simple document — but it won’t work for more complicated ones.
Get Office through your school
If you are part of an education organization (student, faculty or staff), take time to enter your school email address on this site and see if you can get a version of Office 365 for free. Microsoft extends this to all students, but your school needs to be signed up first or just get very lucky.
If your school isn’t part of the program, an administrator can sign you up easily. The benefits are basically the same as the trial version of the software, with the addition of a separate Class Notebook for class management, unlimited online meetings, and intranet customization options.
Try a free 30-day trial of Office 365
Ahh, the free trial lives on. If you want to experience Office 365 for free, you can — for a full month. Just head to the free trial page and sign up. The trial allows you to download Office 365 on up to five PCs or Macs, and lets you to use the Office mobile apps on up to five tablets and five phones. Plus, you get 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage for each user to experiment with. The trial includes the Office 2016 versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other apps.
The downside is that you only get a month of service, which obviously isn’t beneficial if you need long-term access. Another caveat is that Microsoft requires your financial account information before the download and will start automatically charging you after the month is up, which can make disentangling yourself from Office 365 a little difficult (which is the point). It’s a good way to try out the full version of Office 365 to see if it offers enough to be worth the price tag but be ready to cancel if you don’t want to be charged.
Note: Some product offers can be a little tricky, like the “Try Office 365 Personal for free” hook on the Microsoft Store. Be warned that this is still referring to the one-month trial version, even if it doesn’t come right out and say so. And don’t try those “free product key” websites, which tend to be pretty sketchy and rarely deliver.
Sign up for an evaluation (30 to 60 days)
Over at its TechNet Evaluation Center, Microsoft also runs a program that allows you to test out certain Office apps for a period of time. This includes Project Professional 2016 (60 days), Visio Professional 2016 (60 days), and Office 365 ProPlus (30 days). It’s basically another way to get a free trial, but with more specific and full-featured software.
However, remember that it is an evaluation period, so the service will stop after the set period of time. Also, Microsoft may use this service to help work out the kinks in newer apps, so don’t expect everything to be perfect the first time around.
Don’t forget that you can use free Microsoft Office alternatives
If you need Office-like apps and need them fast, there are a lot of free versions and alternatives out there. These apps tend to have interfaces very similar to Office apps, and their files can often be transferred over to the Office suite with little to no hassle.
That makes these solutions great in a pinch — or just when you need to save some money.
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HomeAlternative7 Best Microsoft Office Alternatives You Can Use in 2019
Of all the software applications considered as “must-haves” for a PC user, an office suite is arguably one of the most important. From students needing to submit their homework to office-goers who have to create business presentations, everyone needs an office suite. I mean MS Office is one of the foundations of Microsoft, on which the company has created one of the largest companies of the world. But as impressive and feature-rich as MS Office is, there are people who’d prefer to use something else for various reasons.
One of my reasons which forced me to look for Microsoft Office alternatives was its pricing. While the subscription pricing is too high for me, the onetime payment process is so convoluted that a normal user won’t be able to navigate it and certainly end up with a bad deal. If you’re also one of those users who is looking for Microsoft Office alternatives you have come to the right place. So, read along as we show you the 7 best Microsoft Office alternatives that you should be using.
Best Microsoft Office Alternatives in 2019
Before we begin our list, let us first take a look at some of the reasons that force people to look for MS office alternatives.
Why Do You Need Microsoft Office Alternatives
There can be many reasons for wanting alternatives to MS Office. Here are a few of them:
Best Microsoft Office Alternatives1. Polaris Office
One of my favorite Microsoft Office alternatives is the Polaris Office Which brings a really good experience. The best part about Polaris Office is that the company offers a limited free version which brings enough features to suit the needs of most individual users, thereby allowing us to do our work without needing to pay a high subscription fee. For enterprise users and users who want add-on features, there’s also a relatively cheaper paid plan. When it comes to features, Polaris Office offers all the features that one might expect from a capable MS Office alternative software.
Users will be able to edit MS Office documents and text files, get access to both local and cloud storage, connect external cloud services such as Dropbox and Google Drive for extra free storage, manage document versions, and more. In fact, there’s even real-time collaboration where two and more people can work on the same document simultaneously. If you subscribe to their paid plans you will also be able to access features such as PDF annotations, comments, animation editing, document security, and more. I have been using Polaris Office for quite a while now and definitely consider it to be one of the best MS Office alternatives on the market.
Platform Availability: Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS
Price: Free, $3.99/month
2. OnlyOffice
OnlyOffice is yet another good Microsoft Office alternative that one can use. The software not only offers native apps for all the major desktop and mobile platforms but it also has a web version which works really well. One of the USPs of OnlyOffice is that it can integrate with various third-party services including mail, CRM, calendars, and much more to give users extra control and power. The only drawback of OnlyOffice is that it is made primarily for businesses and enterprises and not meant for individual users. If you want an MS Office alternative for personal use, check out the other options on this list.
Since it’s made for businesses, the benefits of using OnlyOffice is that it can be configured to meet the requirements of different businesses. For example, businesses can host OnlyOffice on their own servers so that their data is totally private. OnlyOffice also brings enhanced security features which are not found on most other office alternatives. If you are a business who is looking for a complete in-house office like document creation, management and organization took, this is one of the best options on the market.
Platform Availability: Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, and Web
Price: Enterprise edition starts at $1200/Server
3. Apache OpenOffice
Probably the most popular alternative to MS Office out there, Apache OpenOffice is loaded with features. It’s completely free and open-source, and includes the standard trio of office applications (word processor, spreadsheet program, presentation software), in addition to a graphics editor and a DBMS application. Apart from being compatible with MS Office file formats, OpenOffice also supports a huge number of other formats (e.g. SWF, PPT). It can also be extended with a variety of downloadable extensions, and its constituent sub-modules include all standard features like diagramming tools, auto complete, and natural language formula.
Platform Availability: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP, Mac OS X 10.4 – 10.8, Linux
Price: Free
4. LibreOffice
Although it’s essentially a fork of the previously discussed OpenOffice, LibreOffice has enough features to hold its own as one of the best MS Office alternatives you can find. It includes applications for everything from editing documents to creating presentations, and aside from UI differences, has a feature set identical to OpenOffice. However, what gives LibreOffice the edge is that its code is much better optimized, thus making it a bit faster. Also, LibreOffice is more actively developed, and is the default office suite included with majority of Linux distros. It even lets you embed fonts in your documents, and has a file viewer app (in beta) for Android.
Platform Availability: Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista, Mac OS X 10.8 and later, Linux
Price: Free
5. WPS Office
If your requirements are basic and you don’t need a full office suite, WPS Office is exactly what you need. Packing just the three standard applications (word processor, presentation software, and spreadsheet program), it’s lightweight (under 100 MB) yet feature-rich. In addition to having all the essential document creation/editing abilities, WPS Office includes hundreds of free templates and fonts. The free version lets you create and edit documents in MS Office compatible formats. However, for saving in MS Office formats, you need to upgrade to the paid version, which also adds in other features like VBA/Macro support.
Platform Availability: Windows, Linux (Desktop); iOS, Android (Mobile)
Price: Free (some features restricted), Paid business version costs $44.99 (billed annually)
6. Softmaker FreeOffice
It may not be the best looking thing out there, but as a lightweight MS Office alternative, Softmaker FreeOffice works surprisingly well. It includes the three standard office programs, and among themselves, these provide a host of features such as smart text replacement, granular cell formatting, and automated presentations. Softmaker FreeOffice has robust support for MS Office file formats, and better Office XML compatibility. That said, there’s also a paid version that includes extras such as multiple languages dictionaries for more efficient spellchecking.
Platform Availability: Windows, Linux (Desktop); Android (Mobile)
Price: Free, Paid versions start from $69.95
7. NeoOffice
If you’re looking for a solid Microsoft Office alternative specifically for your Mac, NeoOffice is going to serve you just fine. It’s a commercial fork of the previously mentioned OpenOffice, although the source code is still available for free. As such, NeoOffice packs in all standard features of OpenOffice, and comes with a word processor, spreadsheet program, and presentation software, along with a graphics program. Other than that, it also adds some Mac OS X native extras, such as grammar checking, text highlighting, and integration with OS X’s drag and drop functions, to the mix. However, it’s not compatible with newer MS Office formats, which is a bit of a bummer.
Platform Availability: Mac OS X 10.8 and later
Price: Paid versions start from $10
Online Microsoft Office Alternatives (Bonus)
If your productivity needs are fairly basic and you don’t really want to bother downloading heavy office suite applications for the occasional usage, you don’t have to. That’s because there are many online office suites that you can use for working with documents, spreadsheets, presentations and more, straight from your web browser. All you need is an internet connection, and you’ve got a MS Office alternative. Here are a few of them:
Advantages of Using Online Microsoft Office Alternatives
SEE ALSO: 8 Best Sketch Alternatives for Windows and Linux in 2019
Which are Your Favorite Microsoft Office Alternatives
There’s little doubting the fact that Microsoft Office is the standard bearer of office productivity suites, having a truckload of impressive features. But as discussed above, if your needs are limited and you don’t really want to spend a ton of cash, there are quite a few Microsoft Office alternatives (both desktop and web-based) that you can use. So try them all, and let us know your favorites in the comments below.
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Microsoft Office apps like Word, Powerpoint, Excel, etc. have got so many features nowadays that it takes weeks of classes to learn the ins and outs of a single product (almost as many features as text editors). Then there’s the feature that most people aren’t so much a fan of, the price tag. Having said that, do you wish to know some great free Microsoft Office alternatives to make your tasks easier?
Some people need specific features or compatibility with other contacts, and that’s understandable; it’s expected to come at a price. But what about those who don’t need much out of an office software? The average person, even if technically inclined, doesn’t need much out of a word processor (I mean, it’s not like it’s a text editor or anything). So, should you pay for something that you don’t need? Probably none of my business, so I’ll just give you the facts to make an informed decision and select the best Microsoft Office alternative:
7 Best Microsoft Office Alternatives For Free1. Google Docs, Google Slide, Google Sheets
Google is known for its omnipresence in all things technology, there are few places Google hasn’t touched, and the office isn’t one of them. Google’s own set of web apps can be used as the best alternative to Microsoft Office apps as they are available for free and their cloud-based nature doesn’t need you to go through a tedious installation process.
Google Docs online office suite comprises of a word processor (Docs), a presentation app (Slides), a spreadsheet (Sheets). Apart from these primary office apps, Google Drawings, Forms, are also a part of the free office suite.
Google’s office suite apps can be accessed without any cost from any location on the globe, all you need is a Google account and an active internet connection. However, the biggest advantage can be a deal breaker for the users having a scarcity of internet. Although there is an official extension that enables offline mode, it only works for the files stored on your Google Drive.
Google Docs supports simple export to industry standard document formats such as Microsoft ‘docx’, PDF, and several others. Similar is the case of other Google office apps like Sheets and Slides. Google Sheets now includes a feature where you can create pie charts and bar graphs for a given data just by typing the description into a text box.
You can upload files from your device or directly edit the files stored on your Google Drive. Google office apps allow the sharing of documents privately with friends, or even publicly. And in addition to the sharing, you can even invite people to edit with you in real-time collaboration.
Why choose Google Docs?
Google Docs is undoubtedly the best and free cloud-based office software that also gives close competition to Microsoft Office Online. You can also add a number of add-ons built by Google or third parties which extend the functionality of Google Docs.
The freely available Microsoft Office alternative can be beneficial to home users and students searching for a cost-effective set of office apps, you’re only paying for the internet. However, for commercial users, Google also sells these apps in the form of a subscription called G Suite (here’s the free G Suite trial) which also includes Google’s other cloud-based solutions. G Suite comprises of Gmail, Calendar, Google+, Hangouts, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Sites, etc. It also includes the digital interactive whiteboard Jamboard.
Platforms supported by Google Docs: Windows, macOS, Linux, and other operating systems via a web browser. Apps are available for Android and iOS.
2. LibreOffice
LibreOffice was forked from OpenOffice a while back for some political reasons. Suitable for all intents and purposes, they’re more or less the same thing with the exception that the community followed the LibreOffice fork and OpenOffice just hasn’t seen as much development since.
LibreOffice is a very feature-rich free MS Office alternative suite if you want something that installs on your computer and works without an internet connection. In terms of cost-effectiveness, it’s pretty hard to beat. It has a few quirks, like need to change the default document formats to Microsoft Office formats. But apart from that, this free office software is an excellent choice for anyone that doesn’t require the bells and whistles of a commercial product.
Why Choose LibreOffice?
If you’re using Linux, there are great chances that you’re already using LibreOffice. It’s good looking, gets regular updates, supports MS Office file formats and has a few of its own.
The free office suite is also one of the best open source software for Microsoft Windows, so Windows users might want to consider it in place of the closed source MS Office.
Platforms supported by LibreOffice: Windows 10/8/7, Linux, Mac OS X, Android (only for viewing documents)
3. Office Online
If you want to stick to Microsoft-made office apps, Office Online can also be a great alternative to Microsoft Office Suite which we normally install on our PCs and Macs. Similar to Googe’s set of office apps, it works right inside your web browser and can be accessed using your Microsoft account.
Currently, Office Online includes cloud-based versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Sway (creates presentations), Flow (automate tasks), etc. Similar to Google Docs, and Sheets, you can edit the files stored on your OneDrive or your computer.
You shouldn’t confuse these apps with Office 365 which comes at a monthly price. It won’t be surprising if Microsoft cuts down some features from these cloud-based Office apps.
Why use Office Online?
One reason to use Office Online is that it doesn’t introduce you to an entirely new set of office apps. It even carries the same user interface we find in MS Office 2016. Technically, Office Online is an MS Office alternative but given the lack of its awareness among general users, it had to make to the list.
Office Online has Skype integration allowing users to chat with other people while editing a shared document or a powerpoint presentation together. For Chrome, users can install the Office Online extension which allows them to create and edit new files and existing files easily using Office Online.
Platforms supported by Office Online: Windows, MacOS, Linux, and other operating systems via a web browser.
4. WPS Office
Another name to be taken as the best Microsoft Office alternative in 2018 is WPS Office. You might have heard about Kingsoft Office in the past; it was renamed as WPS Office which is a well-known office app for Android.
Currently, WPS Office 2016 Free version is available to the Windows users at no cost but with non-interrupting advertisements when the software starts. It includes a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation making applications. Regarding look and feel, WPS Office is similar to MS Office.
Why use WPS Office?
WPS Office includes cloud sync feature allowing users to sync document progress across devices. You can take advantage of various inbuilt templates for different purposes.
It also includes an inbuilt Word to PDF converter but the free version gives you a limited number of conversions. That’s the dark side of software which are available in both free and premium versions. In a nutshell, the free version can be more than enough for regular users like us. But you can go for the paid option if you want additional features.
Platforms supported by WPS Office: Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS.
5. Apple iWork
Apple has always been Microsoft’s biggest competitor in consumer operating systems, but Apple has put generous effort into their office suite called iWork. It’s only available on Mac OS (OS X) but it is free of charge (though, not free as FOSS). Yes, it lacks many of the features of Microsoft Office, but do you need them?
iWork is capable of word processing (with an emphasis on design), spreadsheets, and presentation software. Some find iWork to be so simple that it makes you feel stupid (myself included) and it really takes some time to get used to. Despite that, this Microsoft Office replacement for Mac is still a solid suite for a small office.
Why Choose Apple iWork?
iWork provides many easy to use and popular features. It’s simple to use without any unnecessary fuss.
A cloud-based version called iWork for iCloud is also available. Earlier, iCloud was available only for Apple users but now other platforms are also compatible with iWork apps because of the free office suite on iCloud. All you need is an Apple ID.
Platforms supported by iCloud: Mac, iOS, Multiple operating systems (via iCloud version).
6. Calligra Office
Calligra Office split from KOffice in 2010, and the KOffice fizzled out shortly afterward. Calligra Office is an open source suite built upon the Qt toolkit. It has more applications than LibreOffice, but they lack much of the features of LibreOffice. If you want a simple office suite with a few extra applications like flowcharts, database management, and image manipulation, this free Microsoft Office replacement might be for you. Again, just like LibreOffice, if this is all you need, it’s very cost-effective.
Why Choose Calligra Office?
While LibreOffice is often the final choice of users, Calligra Office comes with more applications like one for project management.
Platforms supported by Calligra Office: Full support for Linux and FreeBSD. Preliminary support for Windows and Mac.
Best Free Office Suite For Windows 107. DropBox Paper
For a long time, DropBox was only a place where you could store your documents. Now, with DropBox Paper, which aims to develop itself as a replacement of Microsoft Office Online and Google Docs, you can create and edit documents, collaborate with friends and colleagues, as well as enjoy many of the project management and team communication features.
Dropbox Paper has gone past its beta stage. The web-based work platform doesn’t include presentation and spreadsheet apps of its own but it’s possible to add compatible files created using Google Docs apps or Microsoft Office files stored on your computer or Dropbox or Google Drive.
Why use DropBox Paper?
With Paper, DropBox is looking to break the shell and become more than a file storage platform. If you love a minimalistic and clean interface for collaborative editing, Paper is a great choice.
Supported platforms: Works on all platforms, but needs internet connection
There are many more office applications that are capable of covering the basic user’s needs. The alternative options to Microsoft Office are many and plenty. Even more when you include individual applications that aren’t bundled like AbiWord and LYX.
Editor’s Recommendation:
Without a doubt, LibreOffice is the perfect free Microsoft Office replacement if you don’t want to opt for a cloud-based solution. It comes loaded with all necessary features that one needs to perform common tasks. If you have seamless Internet connectivity, Google Docs is a great way to create and share documents.
Did you find this article helpful? Let us know what your favorite office productivity suites (or individual applications).
After describing the next version of Windows on Wednesday, Microsoft on Thursday unveiled the next versions of Office: Office for Windows 10, and the standalone Office 2016 desktop suite.
Microsoft said that the Office for Windows 10 apps, like their counterparts on iOS and Android, would be free to use (and preinstalled) on Windows 10 phones and small tablets—no Office 365 subscription required, apparently. And more importantly, they’ll be available as part of the Technical Previews of Windows 10 that Microsoft is publishing “in the coming weeks,” the company said.
Office 2016 will be likely designed for businesses and cost extra, but Microsoft isn’t saying how much. The desktop productivity suite will ship in the second half of this year—yes, 2015, despite the Office 2016 name.
When Microsoft executives demonstrated Windows 10 for phones at the Wednesday event, they referred to Word as “universal” Word. Julia White, the general manager of Office, also used that terminology in a blog post describing the new apps. And indeed, they look much the same as the superlative Office for iPad Microsoft launched last year.
“They are designed from the ground up to run on Windows 10, built for touch and offer the unmistakable Office experience you know and love,” White wrote. “As ‘universal’ Office apps, they truly are the same app across device size, providing a consistent way for independent software vendors and developers to extend and integrate with Office apps.”
Why this matters: It’s time for Windows devices to receive the same Office love as the Android and iOS platforms. One of my questions at this point, however, is how the new apps will be tied (if at all) to Office 365. Will O365 strictly be a desktop play?
The same but different
The new Windows 10 apps do appear to be slightly different than their counterparts on other platforms, however. In his presentation, for example, Joe Belfiore showed off how the Office “ribbon” is essentially a separate pane at the bottom of a phone.
Here’s how Microsoft describes each of the new touch-enabled Office for Windows 10 apps. You’ll notice that in each image, the text and images expand or contract to fill the available space on the phone or tablet. Microsoft calls this “flow”.
Word for Windows 10: ”Review and mark-up documents, then share your work with others to collaborate in real time. The new Insights for Office feature (powered by Bing) in Read mode brings additional online resources like images, web references and definitions right to you in your reading experience.”
In many ways, the core apps on a tablet look very similar to the Office apps on the iPad.
Excel for Windows 10: “Use Excel to create and update spreadsheets and gain new insights as you analyze data and visualize it with charts. And new touch-first controls shine in Excel, you won’t even miss your keyboard and mouse when selecting ranges of cells, formatting your pie charts or managing your workbooks.”
PowerPoint for Windows 10: “Create and edit beautiful presentations with PowerPoint. Then use Presenter View to prepare and present with confidence, even use Ink Tools to annotate your slides in real time so your audience really knows what you are talking about.”
OneNote for Windows 10: “Getting things done with your friends, classmates and colleagues has never been easier with shared notebooks–now with the consistent Office ribbon experience.”
One note on OneNote: The Metro version of OneNote lacks the “recording” capability, which the desktop version includes. That’s a handy way to type notes in a meeting and record it at the same time--and the audio is keyed to your notes, and vice versa.
Outlook Mail and Outlook Calendar for Windows 10: “Crafting emails has never been easier or more powerful, with the familiar and rich capability of Microsoft Word built into the authoring experience. Simply insert tables, add pictures and use bullets and color to get your point across. Keep up with your inbox with new touch gestures that help you read, sort, flag and archive your mail.”
The last bit refers to the swiping gestures that Microsoft showed off at the Windows Phone presentation.
As for Office 2016 proper, it looks like Microsoft is saving those details for another time. Can we all leave Redmond now, Microsoft, or are there other surprises in store?
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Microsoft Office 2016 has arrived , and with it the same pricing model Microsoft adopted a couple years back: $69 per year for the single-user Personal Edition, $99 per year for the five-user Home Edition or $149.99 to buy the suite outright.
Pass.
Make no mistake, I like Office. Word, Excel and PowerPoint have been refined and polished to a fine shine, and Outlook is arguably the best desktop mail client currently available, especially for business users.
But for years many of us have been spoiled by Google Docs, OpenOffice and other free alternatives, to the point where it just seems ludicrous to pay for Microsoft's suite -- even with its 1 terabyte of OneDrive cloud storage and (snicker) 60 minutes of monthly Skype time. (Excuse my mockery, but this is such a paltry value-add, one few people ever use, yet Microsoft wants you to think it's all that and a bag of chips.)
My question for you, fellow cheeps: What's your solution? My guess is you're not paying for Office either (unless you're getting it cheap or free as a student or from your company), but you still need word processing, spreadsheets and/or presentations.
One of my longtime favorites, WPS Office (formerly Kingsoft Office), has become something of a mess. If you head to WPS.com, you find only Android, iOS and Linux versions of the suite. Huh? A little Googling reveals that Kingsoft proper still offers the Windows version, but good luck figuring out the different names and options. (My advice: click the Download button next to Office Suite Free 2013. That's the version I used for a long while and really liked.)
What about Google Docs? It's effective enough for basic document work, but file management is kind of a pain -- especially if you use Google Drive as your portal. (If there's a way to sort your documents by file type, I haven't found it.) And like most of Google's Web-based apps, it's just ugly. I consider myself a creative guy, and when I'm creating stuff, I prefer a pretty interface.
Free Office Programs For Windows
Which brings us to Microsoft Office Online, a surprisingly decent set of tools that more or less rival what Google has to offer -- but with a much prettier UI. If you don't need the higher-end feature packed into Word, Excel and PowerPoint (and I suspect most users don't), you might be surprised by how much you can accomplish with free Office Online.
Now, your turn. What's your pleasure? LibreOffice? Old-standby OpenOffice? Something else entirely? Tell me (and everyone else) what tools you use to handle your everyday office-y tasks.
Bonus deal: Calling all Mac users! If you're getting ready to make the move to El Capitan, you'll no doubt want to make a full backup first. And for that you'll need software. For a limited time, you can grab Belight Backup Pro (Mac) for free. Normally $19.95, this drive-cloning tool creates a bootable backup and includes features like file-syncing and scheduled activities.
Bonus deal No. 2: You've probably heard this news by now, but just in case: Starting tomorrow (and ending tomorrow!), Amazon will offer a one-year Prime subscription for $67. Regular price: $99. This offer is for new subscribers only, though if there's a gift option, you could theoretically buy that gift for yourself and use it to renew an existing subscription when the time comes. (You'll definitely want to read all the fine print to see if this would work. I'm only speculating.)
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