Back to school is very close, and you are probably already preparing yourself to be able to work in the best way from home, as many schools will continue to keep classes online. We’ve already told you how you can get Office 365 at no cost to students, but if you can’t apply for this promotion and you don’t want to spend money on a Microsoft 365 subscription or buy an Office 2019 license, then here are some free alternatives.
Word, Excel and PowerPoint online: an option to consider
The first recommendation is that if you like Microsoft’s office platform, try the version of Word, Excel and PowerPoint in its online version. The interface is exactly the same, but many functions that we see in the version for Windows and Mac will not be available, although you can work without problems with school documents or simple jobs.
These tools work similar to Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, and you can share documents with other users and every one can edit them in real-time and remotely.
1- Google Docs, Sheets and Slides
Probably the most popular and used option after Office is that of Google, which has gradually convinced users to use the platform for its simplicity and effectiveness. Well, not only is everything automatically saved in the Cloud but also collaborative work works very well.
The Google platform has become popular among students for working on the same document as a team. The downside is that it is not as powerful in terms of functions as Office, and the only way to use the platform is with a web browser or applications for Android, iOS and Chromebook.
2- OpenOffice: one of the most popular options for PC
It is very likely that you have heard of OpenOffice, since it is one of the most complete platforms compared to Office for PC because unlike the Google option, it does not work in a browser and does not necessarily require an Internet connection, but which is a suite that is installed on your computer at no cost.
OpenOffice has many of the functions found in Word or Exel, even many commands and formulas are exactly the same, so you will have no problem getting used to it.
The advantage of this platform is that it has the support of programmers around the world, so anyone with knowledge can contribute their bit to the platform.
3- LibreOffice: for many the definitive option against Microsoft
LibreOffice and OpenOffice are not very different, in fact, this platform is a fork of OpenOffice, however, it has the advantage that it does support Office file formats, that is,. docx, .xslx, and .pptx, allowing for better file compatibility between the Microsoft option and The Document Foundation option, although sometimes you may find slight variations in the format.
LibreOffice is also open-source, but it has the peculiarity that it receives many more updates than OpenOffice, which is why many users consider it the best option for Windows and MacOS if you don’t want to have Office.