Calligra, which runs on Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and macOS.NeoOffice, a Java-based fork of OpenOffice for macOS.Open Document Foundation's LibreOffice, a fork of OpenOffice for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Apache OpenOffice, a comprehensive suite for Windows, macOS and Linux.Here are four open source alternatives to Microsoft Office: Though their feature sets aren't quite as comprehensive as Office, that's unlikely to matter - most people only use a fraction of the available features available anyway. Open-source suites are compatible with Microsoft Office file formats such as. Very few companies using Microsoft Office actually require support from Microsoft, so using an open source alternative can make good financial sense. Is it possible, then, to run a business entirely on software that can be downloaded for free? There certainly are many options that make it possible - and many more that aren't included in this guide. It may be included in a low-cost commercially licensed version as well. While support usually isn't available for such free software, it's frequently offered at an additional cost by the author or a third party. The most attractive benefit of doing so: It's generally available to download and run for nothing. The vast majority of companies simply aren't prepared to make office workers use an open source OS - and most office workers aren't prepared to use them, either.Įven if you want to stick with a closed source operating system (or, the case of macOS, partially closed source), your business can still take advantage of a vast amount of open source software. Despite the advances made by distributions such as Ubuntu, desktop Linux is still miles behind Windows and macOS in terms of the look, the feel and the slickness that most office workers have come to expect. Linux and other wholly open source operating systems have only a tiny market share. Microsoft's closed-source Windows has by far the highest share of the PC client operating system market, followed in a distant second by Apple's macOS. Odds are good it won't be running an open-source operating system. Take a look at the next desktop PC or laptop you come across.

Free open source microsoft office