For those who are looking for free alternatives to Microsoft Office, they may be faced with a difficult choice between WPS Office and LibreOffice. Both are powerful office softwares with Writer, Spreadsheet (Calc ) and Powerpoint (Impress), but they have their own characteristics. To help you choose the optimal office suite for your work, we will offer an in-depth comparison of both WPS Office and LibreOffice in 2024.
General Features of WPS Office and LibreOffice
When deciding on a productivity tool that best suits your needs, it is important to know its functions and advantages. In the following paragraphs, we will elaborate on the major similarities and differences between WPS Office and LibreOffice.
File Compatibility
WPS Office and LibreOffice share the commonality of supporting various file formats including .doc, .ppt, .xls and .pdf. However, when importing a file from Microsoft Office into LibreOffice, there may be problems with the document format. By contrast, WPS Office is obviously better at file compatibility. It keeps the original format intact when the file is imported from elsewhere.
AI Tools
If you are looking for an office tool with assistance by artificial intelligence, perhaps you should give WPS Office a shot. With an incorporation of AI tools, such as assisted writing and spell checking, WPS Office offers an improved and more efficient user experience. There is a free trial for everyone with limited functionality. If you wish to unlock the full potential of AI-powered tools for your documents, you can get the premium version for $29.99 a year. You can also enjoy the professional version of WPS AI for $80 per year. Just to remind you, WPS AI is included in the WPS PRO subscription plan. As for LibreOffice, it is still working on introducing similar functionalities to stay competitive.
Templates
In both WPS Office and LibreOffice, you can find different kinds of templates based on your needs. However, there are significantly more templates to choose from in WPS Office 2024, whether it is for business, education or design. When you have no idea how to make professional resumes, nice-looking slides or well-designed spreadsheets, the Template store in WPS Office may come in handy as it provides you with a variety of choices.
WPS Writer vs. LibreOffice Writer
While it is true that both WPS Writer and LibreOffice Writer offer a complete word processing experience, there are some key differences between the two softwares. WPS Writer integrates AI functionalities such as AI Writer and AI Chat, contributing to the efficient creation of documents with higher quality. Real-time contextual suggestions and corrections are shown to help you generate content that fulfils your writing objectives.
WPS Spreadsheet vs. LibreOffice Calc
With WPS Spreadsheet and LibreOffice Calc, basic needs of creating and editing spreadsheets can be easily met. However, the interface of WPS Spreadsheet looks more user-friendly than that of LibreOffice Calc. The most frequently used functions are displayed in the tool bar, with both icons and names, so that you can find what you need with ease. In addition, WPS Spreadsheet has some unique functions, to name a few, split sheet, merge sheet, invoice creator and batch file renaming, making it exceptionally useful for data management and accounting.
WPS Presentation vs. LibreOffice Impress
Most of the classic PowerPoint functions are available in WPS Presentation and LibreOffice Impress. But for people looking for advanced features to boost productivity and document quality, WPS Presentation may just be the right choice. If you are in a hurry to make a presentation, you can choose a template recommended by WPS Office to work on, saving your time for creating impactful slides. There are also multiple features tailored for students and they can all be found in the Student Tools on the bar.
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Summary
In this article, we have explored the key differences and commonalities between WPS Office and LibreOffice, the two popular free office alternatives to Microsoft Office. Both of them can fulfill the basic needs of word processing, editing spreadsheets and creating presentations. However, in terms of file compatibility, AI tools and templates, WPS Office 2024 distinguishes itself from LibreOffice by offering more practical features and better user experience. In this way, it enhances work efficiency and document quality. LibreOffice also has its merits in pricing and cloud storage services. In short, both suites offer powerful solutions, so the final decision will depend on what features you value most for your workflow.