时至今日，Microsoft Office 套件(Microsoft Office suite)几乎是大多数专业环境中的默认生产力套件(default productivity suite)。但是， Microsoft(Microsoft)不再将其作为独立的盒装副本(standalone boxed copy)出售。相反，您需要按月支付订阅费(subscription fee)才能访问最新版本的Microsoft Office。
这实际上是一笔非常令人难以置信的交易，包括多个安装和用户的许可证（使用家庭计划(family plan)）、大量包含的OneDrive 存储(OneDrive storage)，以及在Android 和 iOS(Android and iOS)上完全解锁移动Office 应用程序(Office apps)。
但是，如果您不想花一分钱怎么办？Microsoft Office的最佳免费替代品是(free alternatives to Microsoft Office)什么？请务必查看我们的YouTube 视频(YouTube video)，我们还会在其中向您介绍文章中提到的一些选项：
iWork（macOS 和 iOS）( (macOS & iOS))
对于运行 macOS 或iOS(iOS)的Apple 用户来说， Microsoft Office的最佳免费替代品无疑是iWork 套件(iWork suite)。自 2017 年以来，Apple已向(Apple)macOS 和 iOS上的所有(macOS and iOS)Apple用户完全免费提供Microsoft Office的替代竞争对手。
iWork 套件(iWork suite)的三个主要部分是Pages、Keynote和Numbers。如果您不能立即弄清楚，这些是提供的Word、Powerpoint和Excel替代品。这里缺少的是Apple 版本(Apple version)的MS Access，但绝大多数用户并没有真正使用数据库应用程序(database application)。
Apple 和 Microsoft(Apple and Microsoft)有两种截然不同的方法来创建他们的生产力软件(productivity software)。Microsoft提供了功能强大、功能丰富的解决方案，这是真的。然而，经过这么多年，用户体验(user experience)仍然相当粗糙，如果你真的想获得好东西，学习曲线会很陡峭。(learning curve)
另一方面，iWork 非常漂亮且易于使用。例如，如果您想创建具有专业外观的文字处理器文档(word processor document)，iWork 让这一切变得轻而易举。
谁应该使用 iWork？
显然，由于这仅适用于Apple用户，因此在为(Apple)Office支付任何现金之前先给 iWork 一个公平的摇晃是有意义的。毕竟，它已经在您的硬件上免费提供。因此，如果它涵盖了您的所有需求，为什么还要花钱呢？
对于那些重视精致用户界面和精美设计的人来说，它也是一个很好的套件。几十年来，Apple 的软件在出版业(publishing industry)的创意人士中广受欢迎是有原因的。
谷歌套件（基于浏览器）(Google Suite (Browser-Based))
Google Suite是一款免费的基于云的生产力应用程序(productivity apps)套件，来自Google。每个(Every person)拥有Gmail 帐户(Gmail account)的人都会自动访问文档(Docs)、表格(Sheets)和幻灯片(Slides)以及许多其他简洁的应用程序。
文档本身存储在您的Google Drive中。还免费提供 15GB 的存储空间。Google Docs是文字处理器(word processor)，Sheets提供电子表格，Slides当然是演示应用程序(presentation app)。
谷歌套件(Google suite)的美妙之处在于它可以在任何支持现代网络标准的浏览器上运行。还有适用于Android 和 iOS(Android and iOS)的适当移动应用程序以及适用于桌面用户的离线模式。
与Office(Office)相比，Google 的应用程序非常有限。这些是非常轻量级的软件。但是，我们几乎从首次发布Google 套件(Google suite)应用程序开始就一直在使用它们，并且该产品已经实现了突飞猛进的发展。在许多方面，像Docs这样的应用程序更适合其简化的方法。
谁应该使用 Google 套件？
格式选项非常有限，但如果您正在编写将在其他地方（由网页设计师或出版商(web designer or publisher)）格式化的写作，那么这是一个很棒的选择。
以写作为生的人当然属于这一类。Google 云端硬盘(Google Drive)提供了一种灵活且安全的方式，让您可以在几乎任何设备上随时随地进行写作。它还有一些非常棒的实时协作工具，甚至连Office Live 服务(Office Live service)都无法与之匹敌。
如果您像大多数人一样需要与一群人一起制作文档，那么Google Docs与传递文档以供评论和附加写作的传统“循环”方式相比，提供了巨大的效率提升。(” style)
LibreOffice（macOS、Windows 和 Linux）(LibreOffice (macOS, Windows & Linux))
LibreOffice是此列表中第一个替代(LibreOffice)Microsoft Office的开源替代品，这意味着源代码(source code) 对任何人都是开放的，可以修改(is open for anyone to modify). 如果您是程序员，这意味着您可以制作自己的定制生产力套件(custom productivity suite)。
但是，对于大多数人来说，这意味着他们无需支付任何费用即可使用该软件。此外，整个社区都在更新和升级软件。
除了免费和开放之外，LibreOffice感觉很像经典的MS Office 体验(MS Office experience)。它没有闪亮的现代用户界面(user interface)或广泛的在线集成(online integration)，但它是一个可靠的套件，具有完全可移植性的选项(the option for full portability)。也就是说，您可以将其保存在闪存驱动器上并在任何计算机上运行，而无需进行传统安装。
谁应该使用 LibreOffice？
LibreOffice有一些很好的目标受众。任何仍然渴望90 年代或 2000 年代初期的经典Office 体验的人都会喜欢(Office experience)LibreOffice 风格(LibreOffice style)。就功能而言，它是一个现代套件，但它确实有这种感觉。
Linux用户和任何喜欢支持开源的人也会发现LibreOffice是Microsoft Office的绝佳替代品，没有任何专有软件的包袱。
对于预算有限或访问互联网的学生来说，它也是一个绝佳的选择，因为它是免费的，并且不依赖任何互联网服务来提供其功能。
WPS Office（Windows、Android 和 Linux）
WPS Office以前在西方(West)被称为“KS Office ”或“K Office ” 。这个“相对”未知的办公套件(office suite)的第一个版本早在 1988 年就已经发布了。这个免费的生产力套件(productivity suite)的现代版本看起来很像现代的MS Office，所以如果你已经喜欢Office，你会感觉更多或在这里少在家。
我们在这里专门查看该套件的免费版本。这不是开源软件，金山软件(software and Kingsoft)确实销售具有附加功能的软件。免费层包括Writer、Presentation 和 Spreadsheets(Presentation and Spreadsheets)。我们不需要解释每一个是做什么的。
格式支持(Format support)非常好，支持现代MS Office格式以及一长串旧格式。拥有WPS 帐户(WPS account)还可以让您跨设备和平台同步文档。除了 iWork，这是您可以获得的最完善的生产力套件之一，尤其是作为免费产品。
免费版本有一些值得注意的限制。无法从WPS 在线(WPS online)资源访问预制模板和其他资产。也有支持免费版本的广告。免费版无法编辑PDF文档，并且缺少OCR等其他不错的功能。但是，所有核心功能(core functionality)都在那里。
谁应该使用 WPS Office？
如果LibreOffice(LibreOffice)的粗糙边缘不吸引您，但您又不想在MS Office 订阅(MS Office subscription)上花钱，WPS提供了流畅、视觉上令人愉悦的体验。
其独特的“一体式”界面(” interface)设计融合了多标签浏览器和办公套件(office suite)的感觉。如果您不喜欢一体机风格，您可以切换到更传统的格式，但它非常适合在单屏笔记本电脑上工作，因此是学生或作家的不错选择。
Dropbox以提供出色的基于云的存储解决方案(storage solution)而闻名。它在各种设备上进行了出色的平台集成(platform integration)，并已成为在一起工作的人之间共享文件的流行方式。
然而，像Google Drive这样的服务(Google Drive) 也(also )提供了方便的云存储，并(and )提供了一种实时协同工作的方式。所以现在我们有了 Dropbox Paper。
这不是我们从Google获得的完整套件，但它确实提供了基本的基于云的文字处理、与您的(word processing)Dropbox 驱动器(Dropbox drive)的完美集成以及与其他用户的精心设计的协作。
谁应该使用 Dropbox Paper？
Dropbox Paper并不是(Dropbox Paper)Microsoft Office的真正替代品，但如果您和您的同事已经将您的文档存储在Dropbox中，那么这是对(Dropbox)基础文本(base text)进行协作的阻力最小的途径，可能会将高级格式化留给实习生来完成.
Dropbox确实在帮助人们在Paper中协同工作方面付出了很多努力，让您可以分配任务并设置截止日期。Google Docs等服务中也有一些这样的功能，但如果您已经投资了Dropbox的云存储(cloud storage)，这是一个不错的奖励。
Graphite Docs（去中心化区块链软件）( (Decentralized Blockchain Software))
Graphite Docs 不是(Graphite Docs isn)完整的Office 套件(Office suite)，但它做的事情是如此新颖和有趣，以至于它应该在Microsoft Office替代品列表中被提及。
该服务在这一点上基本上提供了相当于Google Docs 文字(Google Docs word)处理器的功能。具有类似的协作功能来启动。那么为什么这个相对简单的在线文字处理器(online word processor)如此特别呢？这一切都归功于它在引擎盖下的工作方式。
您会看到，当您使用Google Docs(Google Docs)之类的东西时，Google可以完全访问您的文档内容。在某些方面这是必要的。例如，如果他们无法读取内部数据，就很难提供文档内搜索。
但是，总是有人担心公司中的某人或破坏其数据中心的黑客可能会提取某些敏感或机密文件。
Graphite Docs 是去中心化(decentralized)应用程序的一个示例。它使用与比特币(Bitcoin)相同的核心技术(core technology)（即区块链）来提供在线云服务。实际的计算能力(computing power)由维护该区块链的许多对等计算机提供。
因此，它为您提供了从Google Docs获得的大部分好处，但没有任何隐私问题。
谁应该使用 Graphite Docs？
Graphite Docs不适合主流用户，它是一种非常新的、相当实验性的技术。但是，如果您正在处理需要特别高级别安全性和隐私性(security and privacy)的东西，那么它非常值得研究。
完成工作(Getting The Job Done)
Microsoft Office是一款出色的产品，老实说，它的要价提供了很多价值。
话虽如此，它如此具有竞争力的唯一原因是竞争(competition)。上面列出的每一个Microsoft Office替代品本身都很棒，而且可能比生产力市场(productivity market)上最大的玩家更适合你。
由于它们都是免费的，因此您也没有理由不试一试。
Best 6 Free Alternatives To Microsoft Office
To this day, the Microsoft Office suite iѕ pretty much the default productivity suite in most professional contexts. Microsоft no longer sells it as a standаlone boxed copy, however. Inѕtead, уou pay a monthlу subѕcription fee to get access to the latest vеrsiоn of Microsoft Office.
It’s actually a pretty incredible deal, including licenses for multiple installations and users (using the family plan), oodles of included OneDrive storage, and a complete unlock of the mobile Office apps on Android and iOS.
However, what if you don’t want to spend a single cent? What are the best free alternatives to Microsoft Office? Be sure to check out our YouTube video also where we walk you through some of the options mentioned in the article:
iWork (macOS & iOS)
For Apple users running macOS or iOS, the best free alternative to Microsoft Office is without a doubt the iWork suite. Since 2017, Apple has made its alternative competitor to Microsoft Office completely free for all Apple users on macOS and iOS.
The three main parts of the iWork suite are Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. If you can’t immediately figure it out, these are the Word, Powerpoint, and Excel alternatives on offer. What’s missing here is an Apple version of MS Access, but the vast majority of users have no real use for a database application.
Apple and Microsoft have two very different approaches to creating their productivity software. Microsoft offers a powerful, feature-rich solution, it’s true. However, the user experience is still pretty rough after all these years and there’s a steep learning curve if you really want to get at the good stuff.
iWork, on the other hand, is beautiful to a fault and easy to use. If you want to, for example, create a professional-looking word processor document, iWork makes it a breeze.
Who Should Use iWork?
Obviously, since this is only available to Apple users, it makes sense to give iWork a fair shake before ponying up any cash for Office. After all, it’s already available on your hardware for free. So if it covers all your needs, why spend anything?
It’s also a great suite for those who value refined user interfaces and beautiful design. There’s a reason Apple’s software has been popular among creatives in the publishing industry for decades.
Google Suite (Browser-Based)
The Google Suite is a free suite of cloud-based productivity apps from, well, Google. Every person who has a Gmail account automatically gets access to Docs, Sheets and Slides along with a number of other neat applications.
Documents themselves are stored in your Google Drive. 15GB of storage is included for free as well. Google Docs is the word processor, Sheets provides spreadsheets and Slides is of course the presentation app.
The beauty of the Google suite is that it will work on any browser that supports modern web standards. There are also proper mobile apps for both Android and iOS and an offline mode for desktop users.
Google’s apps are, compared to Office, incredibly limited. These are very lightweight pieces of software. However, we’ve been using Google suite apps almost since they were first released and the offering has grown by leaps and bounds. In many ways, an app like Docs is better for its streamlined approach.
Who Should Use The Google Suite?
Formatting options are pretty limited, but if you’re doing the sort of writing that will be formatted elsewhere (by a web designer or publisher) then it’s a fantastic choice.
People who write for a living are certainly in that category. Google Drive offers a flexible and secure way to do your writing anywhere on almost any device. It also has some pretty amazing live collaboration tools, which even the Office Live service has yet to match.
If you, like most people, need to produce documents along with a group of people, Google Docs provides massive efficiency gains over the traditional “round-robin” style of passing a document around for comment and additional writing.
LibreOffice (macOS, Windows & Linux)
LibreOffice is the first open-source alternative to Microsoft Office on this list, which means that the source code is open for anyone to modify. If you’re a coder,this means you can make your own custom productivity suite.
However, for most people this means that they don’t have to pay anything to use the software. Moreover, there’s an entire community of people updating and upgrading the software.
Apart from being free and open, LibreOffice feels quite a lot like the classic MS Office experience. It doesn’t have the shiny modern user interface or extensive online integration, but it’s a solid suite with the option for full portability. Which is to say, you can keep it on a flash drive and run it on any computer, without having to do a traditional installation.
Who Should Use LibreOffice?
There are a few good target audiences for LibreOffice. Anyone who still yearns for the classic Office experience from the 90s or early 2000s will like the LibreOffice style. It’s a modern suite in terms of functionality, but it does have that feel.
Linux users and anyone who likes to support open-source will also find that LibreOffice is a great alternative to Microsoft Office, without any of the baggage that proprietary software comes with.
It’s also an excellent choice for students with limited budgets or internet access, since it’s free and doesn’t rely on any internet services to provide its functionality.
WPS Office (Windows, Android & Linux)
WPS Office was previously known as “KSOffice” or “KOffice” in the West. The first version of this “relatively” unknown office suite was released all the way back in 1988. The modern version of this free productivity suite looks quite a bit like the modern MS Office, so if you already like Office you’ll feel more or less at home here.
We’re looking specifically at the free version of the suite here. This is not open-source software and Kingsoft does sell this software with additional features. The free tier includes Writer, Presentation and Spreadsheets. We don’t need to explain what each of these are meant to do.
Format support is excellent, with modern MS Office formats supported as well as a long list of legacy formats. Having a WPS account also lets you sync documents across your devices and platforms. With the exception of iWork, this is one of the most polished productivity suites you can get, especially as a free product.
There are some limitations in the free version worth noting. There’s no access to premade templates and other assets from the WPS online resource. There are adverts that support the free version as well. The free version can’t edit PDF documents and other nice-to-have features such as OCR is missing. However, all the core functionality is there.
Who Should Use WPS Office?
If the rough edges of LibreOffice don’t appeal to you, but you don’t want to spend any money on an MS Office subscription, WPS provides a slick, visually pleasing experience.
Its unique “all-in-one” interface design blends the feel of a multi-tab browser with an office suite. If you don’t like the all-in-one style, you can switch to a more traditional format, but it makes it great for working on a single-screen laptop and is therefore a good choice for students or writers.
Dropbox is best known for offering a fantastic cloud-based storage solution. It’s got fantastic platform integration on various devices and has become a popular way to share files between people who work together.
However, services like Google Drive also offer convenient cloud storage and offer a way to work together in real time. So now we have Dropbox Paper.
This is not a full suite as we get from Google, but it does provide a basic cloud-based word processing, perfect integration with your Dropbox drive and well designed collaboration with other users.
Who Should Use Dropbox Paper?
Dropbox Paper is not really an alternative to Microsoft Office, but if you and your coworkers are already storing your documents in Dropbox, then this is the path of least resistance to working together on the base text, perhaps leaving advanced formatting for an intern to complete.
Dropbox have really put a lot of thought into helping people work together in Paper, letting you assign tasks and set due dates. There’s some of that in services such as Google Docs as well, but if you’re already invested in Dropbox’s cloud storage, this is a nice bonus.
Graphite Docs (Decentralized Blockchain Software)
Graphite Docs isn’t a complete Office suite, but it’s doing something so new and interesting that it should be mentioned on a list of Microsoft Office alternatives.
The service essentially offers the equivalent of the Google Docs word processor at this point. With similar collaboration features to boot. So why is this relatively simple online word processor so special? It’s all thanks to how it works under the hood.
You see, when you use something like Google Docs, Google has complete access to the contents of your documents. In some ways that’s necessary. It would be hard, for example, to offer within-document searches if they couldn’t read the data inside.
However, there’s always a concern that some sensitive or confidential documents could be extracted by someone at the company, or by hackers who compromise their data centers.
Graphite Docs is an example of a decentralized application. It uses the same core technology as Bitcoin (i.e. the blockchain) to provide online cloud services. The actual computing power is provided by the many peer computers that maintain that blockchain.
So it provides you with most of the benefits you get from Google Docs, but without any of the privacy concerns.
Who Should Use Graphite Docs?
Graphite Docs is not for mainstream users and it’s very much a new and rather experimental technology. However, if you’re working on stuff that needs a particularly high level of security and privacy, then it’s well worth looking into.
Getting The Job Done
Microsoft Office is a fine product and, to be quite honest, provides a lot of value for the asking price.
That being said, the only reason it’s so competitive is, well, competition. Every one of the Microsoft Office alternatives listed above are great in their own right, and may well be a better fit for you than the biggest player in the productivity market.
Since they are all also free, you have no reason not to give them a go either.
