Free Office Software for Windows, Mac and Linux

Open Source Office Suites (Completely Free, All Platforms)

LibreOffice

LibreOffice is the most feature-rich free office suite available on any platform. It runs natively on Windows, macOS and Linux and includes Writer (word processing), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw (vector graphics), Base (databases) and Math (formula editing). The software is free for personal and commercial use, with no feature restrictions, no advertisements, no account requirements and no telemetry.

The current release, LibreOffice 26.2, supports both ODF and Microsoft Office formats, handles complex documents capably, and provides a depth of features that rivals paid software. For most users, LibreOffice is the best free office suite available. It is developed by The Document Foundation, an independent non-profit, and receives two major updates per year plus regular maintenance releases.

Platforms: Windows 7 and later, macOS 10.15 and later, Linux (most distributions). Also available as Flatpak, Snap and AppImage on Linux.

ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors

ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors is a free, open source office application that focuses on documents, spreadsheets and presentations with a ribbon-style interface similar to Microsoft Office. Its standout feature is native OOXML format support, which gives it the best Microsoft Office file compatibility of any free suite. If you frequently receive .docx and .xlsx files from colleagues and need them to look exactly right, ONLYOFFICE is worth considering.

ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors lacks the additional tools that LibreOffice includes (no drawing, database or formula editor), but the three core applications are polished and modern. The desktop version is genuinely free and open source, with no connection limits or feature restrictions.

Platforms: Windows 7 and later, macOS 10.13 and later, Linux (deb, rpm, Flatpak, Snap, AppImage).

Apache OpenOffice

Apache OpenOffice includes the same application set as LibreOffice (Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, Math) and is free to download and use. However, its development has slowed significantly compared to LibreOffice, with the last major feature release in 2014. The current version 4.1.16 is primarily a security update. New users should choose LibreOffice instead, which is based on the same codebase but has received twelve years of additional development.

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.

Free Web-Based Office Suites

Google Docs, Sheets and Slides

Google's free web-based office suite is fast, reliable and excellent for collaboration. Real-time co-editing works seamlessly, documents save automatically to Google Drive, and the entire suite runs in your browser with no software installation required. The free tier includes 15 GB of shared storage across Gmail, Drive and Photos.

The limitations are real, though. Google Docs is less feature-rich than LibreOffice Writer or Microsoft Word for complex document formatting. Google Sheets lacks the advanced analytical features of Excel or even Calc. Your documents live on Google's servers, subject to Google's privacy practices. Offline mode exists but is limited to Chrome and requires pre-configuration. For basic document creation and team collaboration, Google's suite is hard to beat. For privacy, complex formatting or offline work, a desktop suite is the better tool.

Platforms: Any modern web browser on any operating system. Mobile apps for Android and iOS.

Microsoft Office for the Web

Microsoft offers free, browser-based versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote through office.com. These are slimmed-down versions of the full desktop applications but handle basic editing tasks adequately. They integrate with OneDrive (5 GB of free storage) and support real-time co-editing. The formatting fidelity with desktop Microsoft Office documents is generally good, since both use the same underlying format.

The web versions lack many features found in the paid desktop applications, including macros, advanced formatting tools, mail merge, Power Query, Power Pivot and most automation capabilities. They serve as a useful free option for light editing tasks, especially when you need to work on a Microsoft Office document without the full desktop suite installed.

Platforms: Any modern web browser. Requires a free Microsoft account.

Platform-Specific Free Options

Apple iWork (macOS, iOS, iPadOS)

Apple includes Pages (word processing), Numbers (spreadsheets) and Keynote (presentations) free with every Mac, iPhone and iPad. iWork applications are polished, fast and well-integrated with the Apple ecosystem including iCloud, Handoff and AirDrop. Keynote, in particular, is widely regarded as producing more visually impressive presentations than PowerPoint with less effort.

The limitation is platform exclusivity. iWork runs only on Apple devices and iCloud.com, so it is not an option for Windows or Linux users. iWork also uses its own file formats natively (.pages, .numbers, .key) which are not supported by other office suites, though it can export to and import from Microsoft Office formats. For users who work exclusively within the Apple ecosystem, iWork is an excellent free option that handles everyday office tasks smoothly.

Windows WordPad and Notepad

Windows includes WordPad, a basic rich text editor that handles RTF files, simple .docx viewing and basic text formatting. It is not a replacement for a full word processor, lacking tables, spell checking, styles and most features that office users expect. Notepad handles plain text files. Neither is adequate as a primary office tool, but they can serve for quick edits when nothing else is available.

Free Office Software for Mobile Devices

Mobile office editing has become essential as more people work from phones and tablets. Several of the options listed above offer mobile apps, and understanding their capabilities helps you choose the right tool for on-the-go productivity.

Google Docs, Sheets and Slides have the most mature mobile experience on both Android and iOS. The apps are lightweight, load quickly and provide smooth editing with automatic sync to Google Drive. Collaboration features work well on mobile, including commenting and suggesting changes. For quick edits and document review, Google's mobile apps are hard to beat.

Microsoft Office offers free mobile apps for Word, Excel and PowerPoint on Android and iOS. Basic editing features are free, though some advanced capabilities require a Microsoft 365 subscription. The apps handle complex formatting better than most mobile editors and integrate with OneDrive for cloud storage. For users who receive Microsoft Office documents from colleagues, these apps provide the most faithful rendering on mobile.

ONLYOFFICE provides mobile apps for Android and iOS that connect to ONLYOFFICE cloud instances or other supported platforms. Collabora Office has mobile apps designed for use with Nextcloud and other Collabora Online deployments. LibreOffice has an Android viewer app, though full mobile editing support remains limited compared to purpose-built mobile apps. For serious mobile editing needs, the Google and Microsoft apps currently offer the most polished experience.

Freeware Office Suites (Free but Not Open Source)

WPS Office Free

WPS Office offers a free tier with Writer, Spreadsheets and Presentation applications, along with a PDF editor. The interface closely mimics Microsoft Office, and Microsoft format compatibility is generally good. WPS Office runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, making it one of the most broadly available free options.

The catch is that WPS Office Free displays advertisements, has limited cloud storage, restricts some advanced features to the paid version and is proprietary software. You cannot audit the source code, and the application collects usage data. For users who are comfortable with those trade-offs and want the most Microsoft-like free experience, WPS Office is a viable choice. For users who value transparency, privacy and full control, open source alternatives like LibreOffice or ONLYOFFICE are better options.

FreeOffice

FreeOffice, made by SoftMaker, includes TextMaker, PlanMaker and Presentations. It offers strong Microsoft Office format compatibility with a clean interface available in both classic menu and ribbon styles. FreeOffice is genuinely free for personal and business use, though it is proprietary (closed source). It lacks some features found in the paid SoftMaker Office, including track changes in the free version. Available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Choosing the Right Free Office Software

For most users, the decision comes down to a few key factors. If you want the most capable free suite with full features and no restrictions, install LibreOffice. If Microsoft format fidelity is your top priority, install ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors. If you prefer working in a browser and collaboration matters more than privacy, Google Docs is the easiest option. If you are in the Apple ecosystem and work only with other Apple users, iWork is polished and capable.

The important distinction is between open source and freeware. Open source software like LibreOffice and ONLYOFFICE gives you transparency, community governance, no advertising, no telemetry and the assurance that the software will remain free. Freeware like WPS Office and FreeOffice costs nothing today, but the company behind it can add restrictions, increase advertising or change terms at any time. For long-term reliability and trust, open source is the stronger foundation.

Consider your workflow across devices as well. If you need a consistent experience across desktop and mobile, Google Docs or Microsoft Office for the Web provide the smoothest cross-device story. If you work primarily on a desktop computer and value offline capability, LibreOffice or ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors are the stronger choices. And if you need to collaborate with a team while keeping data on your own servers, pair LibreOffice with Collabora Online, or deploy ONLYOFFICE Docs alongside Nextcloud, for a fully self-hosted free alternative to commercial cloud office platforms.