The Best Office Suites for 2024

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Here at PCMag, we started testing word processors in 1986. And we're still at it. Today, office suites generally refer to software packages with word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation apps at the very least. Microsoft Office is indisputably the leader in the category, and either the subscription-based Microsoft 365 or standalone Office 2024 suites give you access to the same set of class-leading apps. Both are Editors' Choice winners alongside Google Workspace, which best suits corporate users thanks to its excellent collaboration features and ease of use. But one of the other office suites we included here might fit your needs better. Scroll down to see all of our top picks and links to our in-depth reviews of each, followed by buying advice to help you make an informed decision.

How Much Do Office Suites Cost?

Some office suites—such as those from Apple, Google, and LibreOffice—are free. Others, such as Corel WordPerfect, require you to pay a one-time cost. Google Workspace is a subscription-based service (the free versions fall under the umbrella of Google Docs Editors), while Microsoft Office and SoftMaker Office both offer standalone and subscription-based versions. The cost of a subscription depends on how many devices you need to use the software on, as well as which apps you need.

With any subscription-based office suite, your apps automatically stay up to date with all the latest features and security updates. That's an important benefit, but if you don't really care about getting the latest updates, you might prefer to purchase a static standalone version. Many office suites offer the latest version to existing users at a discount, so you might not need to pay full price when you decide it's time for an upgrade.

What Do You Get in an Office Suite?

Three apps remain the core of every office suite: a word processor, a spreadsheet editor, and a presentation app. Depending on the suite, and, in some cases, depending on which version of a suite you choose, you also get a mail and calendar app, a database manager, PDF-editing software, a note-taking app, website creation tools, and any of a dozen miscellaneous apps and services that cover everything from video conferencing to form-building.

One thing that all of today’s suites have in common is that their core apps—the word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation app—share much of their underlying code. That means, for example, that the drawing tools in the presentation app are typically also available in the word processor and spreadsheet app. The core apps also typically share a similar interface, so you can move from one to the other without difficulty.

Should You Use Cloud or Local Apps?

One important decision to make before you choose an office suite is whether you want to work online, offline, or both. Both types of software have advantages. For instance, online apps allow you to collaborate with others and can help ensure that your files are available everywhere. Local apps are typically more powerful and reliable, however.

Corel WordPerfect, LibreOffice, and SoftMaker Office all lack web versions. Google’s commercial and consumer apps, by contrast, are web-first experiences. For instance, all the apps within those suites are available via a browser and every document you work on is saved to cloud storage. Although you can work on Google Docs files offline, that's not as viable a solution as downloading full-featured, local-disk versions of apps.

Microsoft 365 offers the best of both worlds. By default—though it’s easy to change this—Microsoft’s apps save documents to its cloud storage service, Microsoft OneDrive, which allows you to keep copies of your documents both offline and in the cloud. Microsoft makes it easy to edit and access your documents either online through a browser or locally through top-notch desktop apps.

Apple's iWork apps (Page, Numbers, and Keynote) are also available online and locally on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices. Unlike Microsoft, Apple doesn’t provide Windows or Android versions of its office apps.

What File Conventions Do Office Suites Use?

For better or worse—and we think it’s mostly for better—Microsoft 365 sets the standard for document formats; all other suites let you save documents in Office’s file formats.

The only document formats that every suite we reviewed can handle are Microsoft’s Word and Excel formats. You can set up your non-Microsoft apps to save in those formats, but you typically need to swat away message boxes and other warnings when you do. If you share documents only within an organization standardized on non-Microsoft formats, this isn't an issue. In fact, some security-conscious users or businesses might prefer to keep potentially sensitive documents exclusively in LibreOffice's open-source formats. However, if you frequently send documents to recipients outside your organization, watch out for compatibility problems.

Google's apps have a unique way of handling file types. You can download Google’s documents in standard formats, such as those used by Microsoft 365 or LibreOffice, but the originals that are saved to the cloud are editable in Google’s web and mobile apps (with some special exceptions). All of the apps within Apple's iWork suite use proprietary formats, which makes sharing difficult.

Should You Use an Alternative to Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office?

When deciding on an office suite, consider whether you are picking one for yourself or your whole organization. If it's the former, use whatever feels most comfortable. If you do choose anything other than Microsoft 365 or Office 2024 and plan to send your files to anyone else, be prepared to set up your suite to export files in the standard Microsoft Office formats.

If you’re choosing an office suite for a small business or a large organization, matters get more complicated. Microsoft 365 and Office 2024 are the most effective, reliable, and easiest to use of all the suites, but they have two disadvantages: First, they're expensive. Second, you may have strong reasons to avoid proprietary software.

If you insist on open-source software, LibreOffice is your only serious choice. It suffers from a clunky interface with menus that can confuse even expert users. If you want free software and you use a Mac, Apple’s iWork apps might be a good fit. If you’re content with cloud-only software, Google’s apps are powerful and intuitive. If you’re in an industry or research field that uses WordPerfect, Corel’s suite is the only choice.