Choosing the right word processor
Aysë Stenabaugh
Jesters Computers
(11/2024) Several options are available to users who would like to create and edit documents and spreadsheets etc. While Microsoft Office might be the most obvious choice, it’s not the only choice. There are a few free and paid options for both online and offline use. Let’s get into what some of these choices are and what some of the differences are between them.
Microsoft Office has a little-known limited free option that is available in addition to the Office 365 Subscription and one-time purchase of Office suites. If you’d like to use the Free web version of Office, you’ll need to visit www.office.com and log in with a free Microsoft account. From there you will be able to access limited web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. All Microsoft accounts receive 5GB of free OneDrive (cloud storage) while new accounts may receive an additional storage bonus that will eventually expire. If you’re using the free web version of Office, you are always using the OneDrive cloud storage, but you do have the ability to download the document either in an editable office format or in a PDF.
Office 365 is offered as a monthly or yearly subscription and providers a single user with access to the latest version of the entire offline Office suite which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, and Access on up to 5 devices simultaneously. In addition to several other perks, 365 subscribers get access to 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage which can be configured to backup files on your computer’s Desktop, Pictures, and Documents folders, and even automatically backup photos on your Cell phone. Single users can expect to pay $7 a month or $70 a year. For those with multiple family members that can use Office 365, the Family plan may be an excellent option to provide up to six different users with each user having their own individual Microsoft account and separate 1 TB OneDrive storage. Office 365 Family plans are currently $10 a month or $100 yearly.
If you’d prefer a standalone offline version of the Microsoft Office suite, then Office Home and Student 2021 or Office Home and Business 2021 might better suit your needs. Home and Student offers the offline 2021 versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint whereas Home and Business also includes Outlook 2021. Office 2021 is only good for ONE single device and costs $150 for Home and Student and $250 for Home and Business.
Corel’s WordPerfect Office Standard 2021 is an alternative offline word processing suite that includes WordPerfect, Quattro Pro (for spreadsheets), Presentations, and WordPerfect Lightning (like Publisher). Unlike Microsoft Office, Word Perfect is compatible with both Microsoft Office file types and WPS (WordPerfect) documents which makes this a good option for users who already have Word Perfect files saved. The regular price for WordPerfect Office is $250 but can often be found on sale for less from Corel’s website.
LibreOffice and OpenOffice are 100% open-source (free) offline Office suite alternatives that include Writer, Calc (for spreadsheets), Impress (for presentations), Draw (to create 2D and 3D diagrams and illustrations), Base (for databases), and Math (for creating mathematical equations). LibreOffice also includes a program called Charts. Libre Office and Open Office are compatible with Microsoft Office file types and will open both new and old office file formats. However, OpenOffice has an older look and feel and will only save new files in the old Microsoft Office file formats or open document (.ODF file) formats. LibreOffice and OpenOffice are easy to use and are the best recommendations for users who want to save money and don’t have any special software requirements or specific compatibility needs.
Google has its own free Online Word Processing Suite which includes Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets. With a free Google account users can visit docs.google.com to create and edit new Word documents. Like Microsoft’s web office, Google Docs utilizes cloud storage. Free users receive 15GB of cloud storage which is also shared storage with Google Photos and your email. Google Docs is a great free option for users who already have a Google account with easy mobile access, especially on Android mobile devices.
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