Freeware Office Suites

As the world's most popular office suite programs become more sophisticated, they tend to become proportionately more expensive. This is reasonable, to a degree, and worthy of further examination in another article.

But what if you are a smaller or start-up business that just can't afford even the "low-end" prices of MicroSoft Office or of Corel's WordPerfect Office? While you must communicate with other companies and clients with compatible file formats, how can you do so without using the same software?

Free Solution
There is a cheaper - and legal - solution to this problem: freeware. Free business software for the fiscally challenged. I've skipped over examining other popular retail packages and shareware programs for now to concentrate on the-other-end-of-the-spectrum programs.

Thanks to the fantastic learning curve of independent programmers, homegrown software is challenging the Big Boys in basic performance. The interface graphics quite often lack pizzazz, but it's functionality that counts most, right?

Are There Enough Options?
As for the functionality question, just how many options do you really need? Microsoft Word can place animated text in your documents, and WordPerfect does a beautiful job of converting documents into web pages, but is this why you need a word processor? Are your spreadsheets used for massive sub-lists and cross-referencing, or just for maintaining simple inventory or financial data? Do you need more than a simple graphics editor? Do you even need a slide show program?

Upgrades
Many freeware programs are ad-supported and incorporate some unavoidable advertising, usually in a circumspect window that your eyes may quickly learn to not see. The user often has the option to - for a small fee - upgrade the freeware version to a "pro" version, minus the ads and plus a few added features. This is a nice option, perhaps your next step on the way to eventually purchasing one of the "brand name" office suites.

You may find that these freeware programs will have effectively prepared you for a quick transition into a more traditional office environment with its high-end software. And for small business use, they often exceed the needs of the user. All the basic functions are there, and they are Word and Excel compatible.

If your business can afford to do a little less for a lot less money, these freeware office suites could be the best place to start.

OpenOffice - an open source project (multiple developers from the general public), this office suite works on all OS platforms, comes in 27 languages, and includes all the basics: word processor, spreadsheet, presentation manager, and drawing program.

EasyOffice with PDF Filter - Besides a word processor and spreadsheet, includes PDF creation/editing, calendar, contact manager, zip program, plus a Presentation-like add-on.

602Pro PC Suite - Word processing with 7 language spell check, spreadsheets, and a graphics editor are highlighted.

Gnome Office - another open source project. Mix and match over 20 components to customize your own suite.

Freebyte's Favorites

Nonags Reviews

Tucows Reviews