Although Microsoft 365 is the most popular productivity solution on the market, it is clearly not the ideal solution for many, especially those who prefer to stay away from the Windows ecosystem and are on a tight budget. Although Google Docs is widely known as an ideal alternative to the Microsoft 365 suite, you cannot completely rule out other alternatives. Among them, WPS Office remains an overlooked productivity powerhouse that offers the perfect balance between features and price.
If you've never heard of WPS Office, discover the outstanding features and benefits that make it the most underrated alternative to Microsoft 365.
7 Cross-platform availability
Access on all your devices
Cross-platform availability is the most important aspect when choosing a productivity suite. After all, you don't want to lose access to your favorite software when you switch from Windows to Mac or vice versa. When it comes to WPS Office, the company has hit the jackpot with native apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. It also ensures a consistent experience across all platforms.
In addition, unlike the Google Workspace apps, there are native solutions that feel much better in daily use.
6 Clean user interface
Requires no learning curve
A clear user interface is one of the outstanding features of WPS Office. Unlike LibreOffice, it does not look outdated and places emphasis on simplicity and efficiency.
The best part is that it's very similar to Microsoft 365 apps like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. If you're switching from Microsoft 365 to WPS Office, you won't have to start from scratch and waste time searching for common features. You'll feel right at home with WPS Office.
The clean and structured design significantly improves the user experience, as all important tools and functions are right at your fingertips.
5 An extensive template library
A template for every use case
This is where WPS Office really shines compared to other Microsoft 365 competitors. Whether you want to create a new document, presentation or spreadsheet, you have plenty of templates to choose from. They are also neatly organized into relevant categories.
For example, if you are trying to create a new document, you can find a suitable template in the categories of Letters, Resumes, Invitation Letters, Posters, Work, and Plan. Similarly, you can look for a spreadsheet in the categories of Plan, Education, Project Management, For Teachers, Human Resources, and others. A well-designed template will enhance your document or presentation with minimal effort and increase productivity.
4 Packed with features
Doesn't skimp on features
Whether you choose WPS Doc, Slides, or Sheet, each of them is packed with advanced features. Some of the notable add-ons include track changes, text speech (which is missing in Google Docs), multiple page layouts, AI spell checker, eye protection mode, animations, transitions, slide masters, pivot tables, charts, formulas, and more. Overall, you won't miss your Microsoft 365 apps.
Like Microsoft 365, WPS Office offers a centralized Home tab where you can see all your documents, presentations, PDFs, and spreadsheets. It even supports multiple tabs, which is a huge productivity boost for working professionals. For example, you can open your meeting notes in one tab and create a presentation from scratch in another tab, and switch between them seamlessly.
WPS Office also offers AI tools such as intelligent writing assistants, smart forms, summaries, translations and data analytics.
3 A robust PDF editor integrated
Say goodbye to your favorite PDF editor
In addition to the standard Doc, Slide and Sheet formats, WPS Office is also equipped with a powerful PDF editor. You can create a PDF file and open an existing one to make changes; you can insert text and images, add annotations and comments, convert PDF files to other formats, sign documents, create fillable forms, manage pages, extract text and use other highlighter tools.
Overall, it's an impressive PDF editor from WPS Office that can definitely give some of its more expensive competitors (I'm looking at you, Adobe Acrobat) a run for their money.
WPS Office also supports a long list of productivity tools that can improve your workflow in an instant. Starting with WPS Drive, you can store and sync your files across all devices. Other tools include automatic data backup, the ability to convert file formats and images to text, WPS Form to make your online data collection seamless, and a screen recorder. The latter is an essential tool for online teachers and project managers.
You can create a video explaining the presentation or table data and share the clip with your team members.
1 Affordable prices
Saves your wallet
WPS Premium is competitively priced at just $30 per year. It offers PDF editing and conversion tools, 20GB of cloud storage, access to an extensive template library, and more. In comparison, the Microsoft 365 Personal plan costs $70 per year.
WPS Office is indeed a productivity powerhouse
Suffice it to say, WPS Office offers a compelling blend of familiarity, functionality, and affordability. With a powerful PDF editor and other neat productivity add-ons, it easily beats other Microsoft 365 competitors and certainly deserves far more attention. What are you waiting for? Download the free version and experience its powerful features first hand.
If you want a completely free alternative to Microsoft 365 with no hidden strings attached, LibreOffice is worth trying. Even though it won't win any awards in terms of user interface and productivity tools, these reasons might convince you to give LibreOffice a try.
