Free alternative to Office on Mac
OpenOffice for Mac is a free powerful office suite that provides a good replacement for Microsoft Office for Mac.
OpenOffice for Mac is a multi-platform and multilingual office suite that is compatible with all other major office suites (meaning it will open and edit Word, Powerpoint documents etc) and best of all, its absolutely free to use.
OpenOffice for Mac includes the key desktop applications, such as a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation manager, and drawing program with a user interface and feature set similar to other office suites. It may not be quite as polished as Microsoft Office but considering you get all this for nothing, you really can't complain. The six components OpenOffice for Mac comes with are Write, Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw, Base (database management) and Formula (mathematical application).
There are some drawbacks to OpenOffice for Mac of course. Occasionally, you will experience formatting or printing issues when using documents that have been made in Microsoft Office. However, the main one is that since it is largely based on Java, it can be rather slow and unresponsive particularly when opening new files. This has certainly been improved in the latest releases but its still a sluggish old thing compared to Microsoft Office. The numerous settings and buttons that come with it can also be a little overwhelming too and it would be nice to see it made a little simpler and streamlined in future releases.
If you're strapped for cash or simply don't want to install Microsoft software on your Mac, OpenOffice for Mac is an excellent, if slightly imperfect alternative.
User reviews about Apache OpenOffice
by Balchand Parayath
Open source is free from virus. It is compatible with all standard file extensions.
by tuba topaloglu
Yes ı would reccomend it. Because it helps to improve my works.
by Tim Forster
Useful editing tool .
Useful editing tool as an alternative to Microsoft office. I recommended it to many friends of mine. It is free and easy to use.
Pros:
basic function
Cons:
dislike its menu bar More
by Anonymous
nice in 4.1.1 http://fullfreeversionsoftware.blogspot.com.
nice software but in 4.1.1.
Download 4.1.1 here
http://fullfreeversionsoftware.blogspot.com/2014/08/download-apache-open-office-for-mac.html More
by Anonymous
USELESS.
V 4.0 is useless! On my Mac it freezes on 2 dialogue boxes (which I can't remember) and has to be Force Closed. This happens EVERY TIME so as I said, useless. And hugely frustrating.Also- once full screen is opened, I can't see where to return to partial screen...WTF???????????
Pros:
nothing
Cons:
make it work!!! More
by Anonymous
restore windows bug.
since I installed the 3.4.1. version I got the Restore Winows bug on my Mac, nothing proved usefull to get if of, it still comes back after each 'force quit' and I could not save any worksheet for weeks.
Pros:
none
Cons:
this version upgraded my Mac to a "read only" computer, I have to use my old Windows XP machine for all workbook activities untill somebody finds a solution for my problem. More