The cost of Microsoft Office can be a bit out of reach, especially if you run a small business. If you’re looking for an alternative for cost or performance reasons (or just plain hate Microsoft products), there are plenty of alternatives available. The free alternatives can be just as good, or even slightly better, than the paid versions. Not all office suites are created equal, so we searched through more than a dozen competitors to find the best Microsoft Office alternative for your needs. We tried them all to bring you the best alternatives we could find; your needs will dictate which is the right option for you.

Cost: Free Features: Word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and graphics Storage: None

Apache OpenOffice is an excellent choice for those on a budget who don't need all the bells and whistles and who prefer open source office software.

If your main complaint about Office is the cost, consider Open Office. While this open-source software isn’t as fully featured or polished as Microsoft’s apps, you can’t beat free.