After desiring for a MacBook, I finally bit the bullet and bought myself a MacBook Air. The transition from a Windows laptop to a MacBook was a tough one but after a month or so I couldn’t help but get addicted to my Mac.
The Apple App Store never let me down. However, the one thing that really pestered me is an alternative for Microsoft Office. The Pages app is still not up to the mark and falls short when it comes to Microsoft Office.
It is for this very reason I will list a handful of Microsoft Office alternatives for Mac, take a pick,
Microsoft Office alternatives for Mac users
LibreOffice
It is quite likely that you may have heard of LibreOffice. This is one of the best alternatives that is not only comprehensive in nature but is also free of cost and promises a superlative cross-platform compatibility.
The best part is that the interface is pretty similar to the Microsoft Office and it shouldn’t take a lot of time getting used to the same.
LibreOffice also comes integrated with Google Drive and OneDrive. This makes it easier for you to share files and other documents with colleagues and friends.
The LibreOffice suite is capable of supporting complex excel sheets and this should have you covered.
Google Docs
The easiest and the fastest way to fill the void left behind by the Microsoft Office is by migrating to Google Docs.
With this in place, you can not only use the Google Suite for your documentation needs but also use the same for collaborating on a real-time basis.
I personally prefer Google Docs, thanks to the deep integration with other Google services like the Gmail and Google Drive. Also, remember you will be getting free 15GB of cloud storage.
Google Docs lets you import spreadsheets, add macros, collaborate on Google docs in realtime basis and also gives you a greater control when it comes to sharing files with others.
Overall the only qualm I have with the Google Docs is that it lacks a strong offline support and if you live in an area devoid of strong connectivity than this is definitely a big drawback.
Quip
Not all of us are looking out for an advanced word processor or an Office Suite. Some of us do prefer simplicity over unnecessary features and this is where Quip comes into the picture.
Everything with Quip is minimalistic and frankly speaking it offers a distraction-free environment for typing.
Whats more, the Quip iOS app allows you to edit and save documents on the fly while the default themes will help you better your presentation skills. What I like the most about Quip is the collaborative features.
Microsoft Office Online
Microsoft has been pushing its Online version of the Office from quite some time. When it was first launched the Office Online was a half-baked solution riddled with bugs and shortcomings.
Microsoft has now improved the service to a great extent and it is a good choice if you want to stick to the comfort zone of Microsoft Office on the Mac.
The best part is that this is free and the online office suite comes with a decent integration with OneDrive and Google Drive.
