Likelihood to Recommend In my opinion, Apache OpenOffice is best suited for writing, editing and proofreading texts in any language. You can also download additional language packages that really take up little space in your PC's storage. Of course, Apache OpenOffice is comprehensive of spreadsheet-/drawing-/database-related softwares and so on, but I primarily use it for writing and editing my own texts. I don't see any scenarios where it is less appropriate, at least so far.
Read full review iWork is suited for those in the Apple ecosystem. It is specially recommended for those who are already familiar with Apple apps. If cross-platform interoperability is needed, I use iWork + Google products. Usually I build the docs in iWork and present using Google products on the PC, when no Mac or iPad is available.
Read full review Pros The number one strength of OpenOffice is the flexibility it gives. We can open any file type, save any file type - it's pretty much invincible. Even if we're going to work on this in a different program, just being able to open some of these ancient files that we get from local city governments is a huge win for us. It's also administrator friendly - I'll use it a lot on the road because the licensing is so much easier to deal with than trying to check out a license from a server or make sure that everybody has internet connectivity. It just looks pretty! It's legitimately a quality product, the layout looks good, it's not nearly as pushy as "other suites," and for the money it's the best! Read full review Presentations with animations and links to other docs or web pages Worksheets & charts Documents & e-books Training materials Read full review Cons There seem to be issues using this app in Windows 10. It worked fine when we used it on Windows 7, but after we upgraded the network with NEW Win 10 computers, it takes a very long time to process commands. It will not allow any upgrades. Read full review iWork could use same pencil tools available in Apple Notes Add capabilities similar to Apple Notes to edit or markup PDFs Read full review Likelihood to Renew It is a cheap alternative; however, with
Microsoft 365 licenses also dropping significantly, we might opt to go in that direction to maintain uniformity.
Read full review Usability It is so easy to use and produces quality work comparable to its paid competitor, Microsoft Office. I highly recommend this free software to any who need to make the switch to powerful and free Office software.
Read full review Support Rating Is there really support? There is a user forum but I do not see much developer input. Support options are limited. The most recent (Sept 2019) version of the product seems to have issues operating under Windows 10, yet there are few recent comments in the community forum, most comments are regarding older versions.
Read full review Implementation Rating We found that it is possible to use Open Office to accomplish everything we need. Some tasks required searching for steps on Google.
Read full review Alternatives Considered Apache OpenOffice is less intense on our computer systems and saves us a ton of financial resources. Since our document creation and editing needs are typical of a small business and not very complex, Apache OpenOffice is sufficient for us. We think that almost any smaller to medium sized business would feel the same way if they don't have a need to make or edit complex documents.
Read full review iWork is fairly complete and does a great job on the usual tasks related to creating presentation, worksheets and documents. Its major drawback is the lack of interoperability in non-Apple systems. For Apple users (iPhone, iPad and Mac) it is the recommended solution for the tasks above. Apple has been improving the product over the years and should continue to do so.
Read full review Return on Investment Moving to OpenOffice will save the company the cost of 500+ of Microsoft Office licenses in our company. Because it is cross-platform, we could also save 500+ of Microsoft Windows licenses if we move everyone to Linux. On the negative side, the lack of online collaboration and browser support may be an issue when you use clouds like Box, Workboard etc. Read full review Since it is a free product, it saved me money in comparable products Read full review ScreenShots