Free Microsoft Office Suite Alternative Worth Using

So you’re using Microsoft Office but you’re sick of paying the pricetag every time a new version comes out. And let’s not kid ourselves, Microsoft charges a lot for their software. And many of us have learned there are free alternatives to MSO, and some even open MSO documents and save them as MSO documents. Programs like OpenOffice, GoogleDocs, LibreOffice, etc, are great alternatives, but they all resemble MSO 2003. If you’re like me, and you’ve become spoiled by the ribbon interface that made its debut in 2007, then you’ll likely find these alternatives lacking in some degree.

Enter Kingsoft Office Suite Free 2012. It’s a great little software made by a Chinese company of the same name, based in Hong Kong. Kingsoft seems to be heavily influenced by MSO 2010, and for good reason. ’10 simply works, and Kingsoft does too.

Kingsoft is a full suite, offering counterparts to Word, Excell, and powerpoint, and does good on the MSO addicts by offering file compatibility with MSO. It’s been rated highly all over the net, so feel free to look into its credentials to see just how well the software holds up through rigorous testing.

Kingsoft also seems to perform faster than MSO. Even on my high end laptop, MSO still takes forever to load up just one text only document.

Now don’t get me wrong. OpenOffice, GoogleDocs, and LibreOffice are still great alternatives, and Kingsoft’s free version doesn’t include everything the Pro version includes, but if you’re willing to give it a try, you won’t be disappointed. Who knows, maybe it will catch on in your office and save your company hundreds of dollars a year on software costs.

Just try not to thank me all at once.