Free office programs

If you’ve recently purchased a new Windows PC, a trial version of the popular Microsoft Office suite is likely included. In fact, this package integrates a series of useful tools for working, including frequently used software such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint which, respectively, allow you to write, create spreadsheets and create presentations by creating slides.

Unfortunately, however, the Microsoft Office software package, once the trial version has expired, requires the purchase of a paid version with fairly high prices. With this in mind, therefore, if you don’t feel like paying to use these tools designed primarily for working, you can turn to some of the best free office programs.

As an alternative to the well-known Microsoft software package, I just told you about, there are several solutions that offer completely similar operations, as well as being easy and immediate to use. So if you are interested in learning more, I suggest you take a few minutes of free time to read this guide. So are you ready to start? Yup? Very well, then I wish you a good read!

Index

• Best free office programs
  • LibreOffice (Windows / macOS / Linux)
  • OpenOffice (Windows / macOS / Linux)
  • WPS Office (Windows / macOS / Linux)
  • Other free office programs
• Free office design programs
• Purchasing department programs
• Technical office software
• Free office app

Best free office programs

If you are looking for completely free solutions to better optimize your work in the office, in the next chapters I recommend some programs that can surely be for you.

LibreOffice (Windows / macOS / Linux)

LibreOffice is one of the best free and open-source alternatives to the Microsoft Office package. It is in fact a completely free software suite available for individuals but also for companies. Its strong point is undoubtedly the full compatibility with Microsoft Office files.

I also want to inform you of the availability of a practical portable version of LibreOffice. You will then be able to download and use it without having to install it. LibreOffice is a suite of programs that is available in several languages, including Italian and is compatible for Windows PC, Mac and Linux.

To download LibreOffice on your PC, you must then go to the official website and then press the Download now button. In the next window that will open you can then choose whether to download the version for Windows or Mac, depending on the operating system of your PC, then pressing the Download button.

Once the download procedure is complete, if you are using a Windows PC, open the LibreOffice installation file you just obtained, double-click on it to start the installation. Then press in sequence on the Next buttons (twice consecutively), Install, Yes and then on Finish, to complete the procedure.

If you are using a Mac, just click on the file once downloaded, then you will have to drag the program icon to the Applications folder. Also download the Italian language pack from the LibreOffice download section and, after starting the downloaded file, right-click the LibreOffice Language Pack icon, press Open and then click Install twice in a row. Finally, type the password of your account on macOS to conclude. If you have any problems, you can check out my guide on how to download LibreOffice.

As you can see, once you start the program, LibreOffice offers its free version of most office programs available within the Microsoft Office package: Writer corresponds to Microsoft Word, Calc corresponds to Microsoft Excel, Impress is the equivalent of Microsoft PowerPoint, Draw is similar to Microsoft Publisher and then there is Math as an editor for equations and formulas and also Base instead of Microsoft Access.

To use one of LibreOffice’s free office programs, just click on the name of the program you want to use from those listed above. If you already know and have used Microsoft Office programs in the past, you will be familiar with the tools available in the free office programs offered by LibreOffice.

OpenOffice (Windows / macOS / Linux)

OpenOffice is the free and open-source office suite from which LibreOffice was born later, which I told you about in the previous chapter. Developed by The Apache Software Foundation, it is also available in a practical portable version, which will save you tedious installation procedures.

Before the split between LibreOffice and OpenOffice, OpenOffice was probably one of the best free office software. What now differentiates the two programs is the lower developer support for OpenOffice. Compared to LibreOffice, in fact, OpenOffice is updated less frequently and has fewer functions, especially in relation to editing PDF files, but it is still a valid free alternative to the Microsoft Office suite.

OpenOffice is completely in Italian as well as being with all major operating systems (Windows, macOS and Linux). It also includes word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, database and drawing programs. OpenOffice is available for free download for individuals, companies and the Public Administration, and is compatible with files from the Microsoft Office suite.

To download the OpenOffice suite you will need to go to the official website and click the Download button and then click the Download Full Version button. On the next screen you will be redirected to the website hosting the installation client and the download of the OpenOffice installation package will then start.

To start the installation on Windows, double-click the downloaded file and then click Yes to open it. In the installation panel, click Next, the Install button and then click Finish. To complete the installation wizard then click on Next, enter your username and then click on Next again and then click on the Install button to complete the installation by clicking on Finish. If you are using a Mac, open the file after downloading it, then drag the program icon to the Applications folder.

Once the procedure is completed you will need to register for OpenOffice: click on the Next button and then enter your data ( name, surname, initials ) and then click on the Finish button. You will have completed all the necessary procedures and will be able to start using OpenOffice.

Using OpenOffice you will have tools similar to those of Microsoft Office: Text Document, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Drawing, Database and Formula. The built-in tools for each software are similar to those of Microsoft Office, although less comprehensive than LibreOffice.

WPS Office (Windows / macOS / Linux)

In addition to the solutions I gave you in the previous chapters, WPS Office is another valid suite of free office programs, with which you can open and edit documents created with Microsoft Office as well. The downside, if you can define it that way, is that WPS Office is not available in Italian, but if you are familiar with English, you shouldn’t have any difficulty using this software.

Although there is a Premium version available, at a cost of $ 29.99 / year, which allows some features on PDFs or more space in the cloud to keep your documents, you can use WPS Office for free.

To download it to your computer, go to the official website and press the Download button. You can also download it in the blink of an eye from the Windows 10 Microsoft Store. When the .exe file has finished downloading, double-click on it, put a checkmark in the appropriate box and press the Install Now keys, on Yes and finally click on Gest Started and Launch WPS buttons.

On macOS, on the other hand, go to this section of the official WPS Office website and press the Free Download button to download the .dmg file. After downloading it, double click on it, press the Agree button and move the WPS Office icon to the Applications folder.

After installing the software and starting WPS Office through its quick launch icon, you can open an existing document or create a new one using the appropriate buttons, which will allow you to fill in a text document, a spreadsheet, a presentation or even a PDF document.

Other free office programs

There are so many free office software that are proposed as an alternative to the Microsoft Office package. Which one to use depends on what your needs are and what additional features you need. I can therefore point you to a summary list of other popular free office programs below.

• SoftMaker FreeOffice ( Windows / macOS / Linux ): another valid and free alternative suite to Microsoft Office. Compared to the programs of the Office suite, SoftMaker FreeOffice contains software TextMaker, which corresponds to Word, PlanMaker, which corresponds to Excel, Presentations, which corresponds to PowerPoint as well as the software Datamaker, similar to Access. The software comes with a user interface and full support for the Italian language is available free of charge for both private and commercial use.
• Calligra Suite ( Windows / macOS / Linux ): Free office suite of programs that includes several tools: Words, which corresponds to Word, Sheets, which corresponds to Excel, Stage, which corresponds to PowerPoint, and several others. The suite of programs is completely free to download.
• OnlyOffice Desktop Editor ( Windows / macOS / Linux ): it is one of the best suite of office programs that you can download for free to write texts, create spreadsheets and make slides for presentations. The strength of OnlyOffice Desktop Editor is its compatibility with the most popular PC operating systems, but also with Android and iOS / iPadOS mobile devices.

Free office design programs

Are you planning to redesign your office? In this case, if you don’t want to rely on professionals, you can also try to try it yourself using some free office design programs.

These are interior design software that can help you achieve this. Therefore my advice is to consult my guide on the best programs for home design.

Purchasing department programs

If you manage purchases with suppliers in your office, you should know that there are some software that can help you better manage your work.

In this regard, in this tutorial of mine, you will find some programs that will help you manage quotes. These are mostly free, but also paid software, which could help you in your intent.

Technical office software

To carry out the activity in your technical office, it is essential to have all the necessary software. Some software may be paid for, while others may be free.

Whatever type of software you are looking for, by consulting this tutorial you will be happy to know that you will find everything you need to achieve your goal!

Free office app

If you are wondering, even on smartphones and tablets there are various apps that can allow you to easily work on text documents, spreadsheets, presentations and so on. To learn more, check out my tutorials on Office for Android and Office for iPad and iPhone.