Imagine paying $200 a month for a ChatGPT subscription, only to see DeepSeek offering top-tier AI at a fraction of the cost. Now, Microsoft 365 is hiking prices by 45%, and the world is waiting for an "Office version" of DeepSeek to break free from Microsoft's pricing trap. Well, good news—that alternative already exists. Today, we’re diving into why WPS Office is the DeepSeek of Office suites and how to use it to avoid Microsoft’s price increase.
Microsoft Office Price Going Up? WPS Office is the "DeepSeek" Option for You
Microsoft Office Price Increase
AI costs are skyrocketing, especially with U.S. companies. ChatGPT Pro costs $200/month, but at least OpenAI offers a more affordable ChatGPT Plus for $20/month, giving users a choice. Unfortunately, Microsoft 365 users aren’t so lucky.
On January 16, 2025, Microsoft raised the price of its Personal plan from $6.99 to $9.99/month (or $69.99 to $99.99/year)—a 43% increase. And what’s driving this? Microsoft Copilot AI features that many never even asked for.
This is a huge price jump, making it unaffordable for many. Unlike ChatGPT, where you can choose whether to pay for AI, Microsoft forces AI into your plan—whether you want it or not.
The Wanted "DeepSeek" Version of Office
Like DeepSeek, WPS Office is developed by a Chinese company—but many people don’t realize that Kingsoft was founded in 1988, a year before Microsoft Office. Just as DeepSeek built powerful AI with just $6 million, competing with U.S. tech giants that have spent billions, WPS Office stands out as the free alternative to Microsoft Office. Its free version includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for creating, editing, and saving documents.
WPS Office vs Microsoft Office
Although the free office app is the most attractive, WPS Office has other powerful advanced features that Microsoft does not have. Here’s a comparison table of WPS Office and Microsoft 365:
Feature |
WPS Office |
Microsoft 365 |
---|---|---|
Founded |
1988 |
1989 |
Free Plan |
Yes |
No |
Word, Excel, PowerPoint Editor |
Yes |
Yes |
PDF Editor |
Yes |
No |
Free Template |
Yes |
No |
AI Features |
AI Spell Check, AI Translate, AI Slides, Chat PDF (separate subscription) |
Copilot AI (bundled with premium) |
Collaboration |
Online sharing & editing |
Only in Office apps |
Platform Support |
Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
Interface |
Easy to use |
More complicated |
What Can WPS Office Do as the "DeepSeek" Office Suite
WPS Office is like the DeepSeek of Office suites. Compared to traditional Office software, its AI tools—like AI Spell Check, AI Parallel Translate, AI slides and Chat PDF—make working with Word, PowerPoint and PDF files so much easier. What I love most is that, unlike Microsoft 365, which locks AI behind expensive plans, WPS Office lets you subscribe to AI separately. More choice, better value—just like DeepSeek vs. ChatGPT.
Free Access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint
In 2005, Kingsoft made a bold move: it announced that WPS Office Personal Edition would be free forever. This means you can get free access to Word documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. By ensuring full compatibility with Microsoft Office formats, WPS achieved a breakthrough in technology. As of 2024, WPS Office has over 600 million monthly active users worldwide, spanning 200+ countries and regions.
AI in WPS Office
AI Spell Check – Fixes grammar and spelling mistakes instantly.
AI Parallel Translate – Translates documents side by side for easy comparison.
AI Slides – Auto-generates slides from prompt or Word doc.
Smart Create – Helps with content generation, editing, and formatting.
Chat PDF – Summarizes, explains, and interacts with PDFs using AI.
AI Photo Tools – Auto removes backgrounds, erases unwanted objects, enhances image quality.
A Cost-Effective and Flexible Subscription Model
WPS Office offers an affordable alternative with high value and flexible subscription options:
1.Basic Features – Completely Free
The free version includes Word processing, Spreadsheets, and Presentations, covering 90% of daily office needs with no time limits.
2.WPS Pro – Just $2.99/Month
Includes full PDF features, premium templates, and other advanced tools for only $2.99/month or $35.88/year.
Compared to Microsoft 365 Personal’s $99.99/year, WPS Pro costs only 1/3 of the price.
3.WPS AI – Full AI Features at $9.99/Month
Unlike Microsoft Copilot, which costs an extra $30/month, WPS AI is more affordable, more comprehensive, and completely optional—users can subscribe as needed.
Check the pricing details on the official website.
How to Use WPS Office to Avoid Price Increase on Microsoft Office
With Microsoft Office prices going up, switching to WPS Office is a smart move. It's powerful and affordable. WPS Office has full compatibility with Microsoft Office and easy-to-use interface, making it easy to switch from Microsoft Office.
How to Download WPS Office?
WPS Office is not difficult to download and can be done quickly. Here's how you can get started:
Step 1: Visit the WPS Office website: Open your browser and go to the WPS Office's official website.
Step 2: Download and install by clicking the "Download" button. After downloading, open the file from the download folder and follow the on-screen instructions to install WPS Office on your device.
Step 3: Open and Edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint files: You can open your Microsoft files without compatibility issues in WPS Office. Feel free to use the templates for easy creation.
Switching to WPS Office is easy and user-friendly. A smooth transition to WPS Office helps you stay productive and efficient and won't be hit by Microsoft Office's price hikes.
FAQs
Q1. How do the AI-powered tools in WPS Office compare to Microsoft Office?
Both WPS Office and Microsoft Office have AI tools. But WPS Office has more features at a lower price, making it a great choice for advanced AI office software.
Q2. Can I cancel my Microsoft 365 subscription?
Go to your Microsoft account (https://account.microsoft.com/services).
Find Microsoft 365 under "Subscriptions."
Click Manage and select Cancel subscription or Turn off recurring billing to avoid future charges.
Q3. Will I lose access to my files if I cancel Microsoft 365 subscription?
No, your files will stay in OneDrive, but you’ll only have 5GB of free storage instead of 1TB. If you exceed 5GB, you’ll need to download or move your files to avoid losing access.
Q4. Is there a cheaper alternative to Microsoft 365?
Yes! WPS Office offers:
A free version with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint alternatives.
WPS Pro ($2.99/month)—1/3 the cost of Microsoft 365 Personal.
WPS AI ($9.99/month)—a more affordable AI option than Copilot ($30/month).
To Sum Up
Just like how DeepSeek built strong AI on a budget, WPS Office gives you powerful tools without breaking the bank. You get free Word, Excel, and PowerPoint alternatives, plus AI features like spell check, translation, and PDF chat—all for a great price. Unlike Microsoft 365, which locks AI into pricey plans, WPS AI is optional and much more affordable. With over 600 million users worldwide, WPS Office is hands down the best alternative to Microsoft Office.