Get to learn of some of the best Microsoft Office free alternatives that students can use to edit their classwork documents saved in Word format. Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, Publisher, etc.) are the default for many users of Microsoft’s Windows operating system. However, the office software have two major limitations; they are relatively costly, and they are limited to the Windows operating system.

For these reasons, or others not mentioned, you may wonder if there’s an alternative out there somewhere. Fortunately, there are great alternatives that will get you finish your office projects just as fine. Here are 5 great ones.

LibreOffice

LibreOffice is perhaps the most widely used word-processing software after Microsoft Office. It is also packed with many tools and extensions to help you tailor your projects to specific needs.

The LibreOffice suite is available for Windows, Linux and Android operating systems.

SoftMaker FreeOffice

SoftMaker’s FreeOffice suite supports .doc, .dox, .xls, .xlsx, and .ppt document file formats. SoftMaker made vast improvements in their latest release (2016) to ensure there are little or no changes when you open the files with Microsoft Office.

FreeOffice’s GUI is largely similar to Microsoft Office, meaning users can make the transition without the need for tutorials. SoftMaker FreeOffice is available for Windows, Linux, and Android operating systems.

Kingsoft Office

Also known as KSO, KSOffice, or WPS Office, is another popular Microsoft Office alternative. It is basically a clone of Microsoft Office’s Word, Excel and Publisher (Writer, Spreadsheet and Presentation, respectively).

It also has a powerful PDF conversion tool that is sure handy. All files you create with WPS Office are fully compatible with Microsoft Office. It is available for Windows, Linux, Android and IOS operating systems.

iWork

Apple’s iWork is now more compatible with Office documents than before. It gives you the ability to import Microsoft Office files and edit them in Pages, Numbers or Keynote.

Additionally, Windows users can use iWork via iCloud. Users not accustomed with iWork will however have to take some time to learn their way around as it bears little resemblance to Microsoft’s Office.

Google Docs

This is Google’s cloud-based suite, ideal for working on a project as a teams. Google Docs supports PDF, iWork and all DOC file formats.

The plus side of Google Docs is that you have the advantage of working on your documents on Google Drive and have the advantage of integrating work with Gmail, Calendar, Google Plus among others. Google Docs is only available online on Google.