XDA flagged that Microsoft is locking Office 2019 users out of editing on Apple devices starting next month, leaving Mac users on perpetual licences with a read-only version of software they already paid for. Office 2021 owners keep editing rights, but the pattern of trimming features from older purchases to push everyone onto the recurring 365 subscription is now hard to ignore. Plenty of households and small teams are quietly priced out of the latest cycle.
We compared 8 Microsoft 365 alternatives for desktop in 2026, all running on Windows, macOS, or Linux. The picks below cover the open-source suites, the major cloud-first competitors, the budget-friendly desktop suites, and the ecosystem options that come included with hardware you already own. Every entry handles DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX with enough fidelity for daily work, and none requires a Microsoft account to launch.
Quick comparison
| Suite | Best for | Windows | macOS | Linux | Free | Paid starting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LibreOffice | Open-source desktop default | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free |
| Google Workspace | Browser-first collaboration | Yes (web) | Yes (web) | Yes (web) | Yes | $6/user/mo |
| OnlyOffice | Best Office compatibility outside Microsoft | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $10/mo Personal |
| WPS Office | Word-like UI without subscription | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (ads) | $35.99/year |
| Apple iWork | Built-in for Mac | No | Yes | No | Yes | Free with Mac |
| Collabora Office | Self-hosted collaborative editing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (community) | Paid Enterprise |
| SoftMaker Office | Pro-quality Office workalike | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (FreeOffice) | $79.95 one-time |
| Zoho Workplace | Small-business productivity suite | Yes (web) | Yes (web) | Yes (web) | Yes | $4/user/mo |
Why people leave Microsoft 365
The pricing climb is the loudest reason. Microsoft 365 Personal is now $99.99 per year and Family is $129.99, both up roughly 30% from three years ago. Office 2024 perpetual licences cost $149.99 for Home & Student and $249.99 for Home & Business, which leaves a noticeable gap to subscription totals over five years.
The Copilot upsell is the second reason. Microsoft pushed AI features into the 365 subscription in 2024 and again raised prices to fund them, but the Copilot quality lags Gemini in Workspace and ChatGPT inside OnlyOffice and Zoho. Users paying for 365 are increasingly paying for an AI layer they do not use.
The third reason is platform support. Microsoft’s pattern of trimming features from older Office versions on Apple silicon and not supporting Linux at all is starting to bite. Linux desktop usage continues to grow, and most of the suites below are first-class citizens on at least two of the three desktop platforms.
The 8 best Microsoft 365 alternatives for desktop
LibreOffice — best open-source default
LibreOffice is the open-source desktop suite that has been the default Microsoft Office alternative on Linux for a decade and is now a credible pick on Windows and macOS too. The 25.2 release modernised the toolbar, fixed long-standing DOCX rendering bugs, and added a usable presentation mode that finally feels close to PowerPoint. Six apps in the suite, Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, and Math, cover almost every Microsoft 365 equivalent.
Where it falls short: Complex DOCX files with tracked changes, embedded comments, or heavy formatting still lose fidelity occasionally. The interface looks closer to early-2010s than to modern Microsoft 365.
Pricing:
- Free: Completely free and open source
- Paid: None, optional paid LibreOffice TDF Pro coming in late 2026
- vs Microsoft 365: No recurring cost, slightly less polished, native on every desktop OS
Download: libreoffice.org (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Bottom line: Pick LibreOffice when budget is the priority and you are comfortable with an older-looking interface.
Google Workspace — best for browser-first collaboration
Google Workspace is the browser-based competitor that defined real-time document collaboration. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are now mature enough to compete with desktop Office for most knowledge work, and the AI layer (Gemini) is more useful than Microsoft Copilot for typical tasks. The desktop experience is a web app, optionally installed as a PWA on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Where it falls short: Offline editing is limited compared to a native desktop suite. Long documents perform worse than Word or LibreOffice. The Workspace subscription bundles Drive storage and Gmail, which is more than some buyers need.
Pricing:
- Free: Personal Google account with 15 GB Drive
- Paid: $6/user/mo Business Starter, $12 Business Standard
- vs Microsoft 365: Cheaper at the base tier, weaker offline story, dominant for collaboration
Download: workspace.google.com (Windows, macOS, Linux via browser)
Bottom line: The clear pick if real-time collaboration matters more than offline editing.
OnlyOffice — best Office compatibility outside Microsoft
OnlyOffice is the desktop suite that handles DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX with the highest fidelity outside Microsoft itself. The UI deliberately mirrors Microsoft 365, the macro engine supports VBA-style scripting, and the cloud version supports real-time collaboration. The 8.0 release added an AI assistant (with bring-your-own OpenAI or Gemini key) and a redesigned PDF editor.
Where it falls short: The free desktop version is fully functional but the community knowledge base is thinner than LibreOffice’s. Some advanced Excel functions still differ subtly.
Pricing:
- Free: Desktop editors, fully featured
- Paid: $10/mo OnlyOffice Personal cloud, $5/user/mo Workspace
- vs Microsoft 365: Highest Office compatibility, cheaper paid tier
Download: onlyoffice.com (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Bottom line: The pick for users who specifically need to send DOCX or XLSX files back to Microsoft 365 users without formatting loss.
WPS Office — best Word-like UI without subscription
WPS Office is the Kingsoft suite that mirrors Microsoft 365’s interface closer than any other competitor. New users coming from Word find the toolbar familiar inside a minute. The 2026 release rebuilt the cloud collaboration layer and added a built-in AI assistant. The free tier remains the most generous on the list.
Where it falls short: The free version shows ads and pushes feature upsells. Privacy concerns around Kingsoft data handling have surfaced repeatedly; sensitive documents are better edited in LibreOffice or OnlyOffice.
Pricing:
- Free: Ad-supported
- Paid: $35.99/year Pro
- vs Microsoft 365: Cheaper paid tier, near-identical UI, more aggressive marketing
Download: wps.com (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Bottom line: Pick this if interface familiarity matters more than open-source values.
Apple iWork — best built-in option for Mac
Apple iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) is bundled free with every Mac and is the best built-in suite of any operating system. Keynote in particular is genuinely better than PowerPoint for presentation design, with Magic Move transitions and live video that PowerPoint cannot match. Real-time collaboration works across iCloud and the web.
Where it falls short: Mac-only on the native client. Web versions work in a browser but are weaker than Google Docs. DOCX fidelity is moderate; round-tripping complex files to Word can introduce formatting drift.
Pricing:
- Free: Included with every Mac and iPad
- Paid: None
- vs Microsoft 365: Free, Apple-only, much weaker spreadsheet capabilities
Download: apple.com/iwork (macOS, iCloud Web)
Bottom line: Mac users running iWork already do not need a 365 subscription unless their workflow specifically demands Word or Excel.
Collabora Office — best self-hosted collaboration
Collabora Office is the enterprise edition of LibreOffice with a self-hosted real-time collaboration server (CODE). Teams that want Google Docs collaboration with full data sovereignty deploy CODE behind their firewall and connect Nextcloud or ownCloud as a front end. The desktop client is LibreOffice with paid support and faster bug fixes.
Where it falls short: Setup is non-trivial, CODE needs a reverse proxy, valid TLS, and a Nextcloud/ownCloud instance. The community edition is rate-limited at twenty users per server.
Pricing:
- Free: CODE community edition, capped users
- Paid: From $1,895/year for 25 user Enterprise
- vs Microsoft 365: Higher cost at scale, but data stays on your servers
Download: collaboraoffice.com (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Bottom line: The pick when data sovereignty is non-negotiable and you have IT capacity to run a server.
SoftMaker Office — best perpetual-licence pro suite
SoftMaker Office is the German perpetual-licence suite that wins on speed and fidelity. TextMaker, PlanMaker, and Presentations all match Microsoft 365 on DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX compatibility, and the apps boot faster than any competitor including LibreOffice. The 2026 release added a macro-recording mode and dark mode across the suite.
Where it falls short: Lacks cloud collaboration. Marketing presence is small enough that some users have not heard of it.
Pricing:
- Free: SoftMaker FreeOffice with full editing on three platforms
- Paid: $79.95 one-time Office Standard, $99.95 Professional
- vs Microsoft 365: Cheaper over five years, no cloud collaboration
Download: softmaker.com (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Bottom line: Pick this if you specifically dislike the recurring subscription model and want a desktop-first suite without compromise.
Zoho Workplace — best small-business productivity suite
Zoho Workplace bundles Writer, Sheet, Show, Mail, and Cliq into a $4/user/mo plan that undercuts every major competitor on price. The cloud-first suite leans on a clean web app and a competent set of Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac clients. Workplace is part of a broader Zoho stack that includes CRM, Books, and Projects, which makes it the strongest small-business pick on this list.
Where it falls short: Document fidelity to Microsoft 365 is workable but not as tight as OnlyOffice. The breadth of the broader Zoho stack can feel overwhelming.
Pricing:
- Free: Up to 5 users, 5 GB per user
- Paid: $4/user/mo Standard, $7 Professional
- vs Microsoft 365: 30 to 50% cheaper, weaker offline editing
Download: zoho.com/workplace (Windows, macOS, Linux via browser)
Bottom line: The pick for small businesses that want a full productivity stack at a fixed per-user cost.
How to choose
Pick LibreOffice if budget is the constraint and you are willing to accept a slightly older interface. Free and runs everywhere.
Pick Google Workspace if browser-first collaboration is the workflow. The Gemini AI layer is currently the strongest of the lot.
Pick OnlyOffice if you regularly send DOCX or XLSX files to Microsoft 365 users and need formatting fidelity. The free desktop tier is fully featured.
Pick WPS Office if interface familiarity matters most and you are happy to either pay $35.99 a year or accept ads.
Pick Apple iWork if you are on a Mac and the documents you produce stay on Apple platforms. Free, no other reason needed.
Pick Collabora Office if data sovereignty is non-negotiable and you can run a small server.
Pick SoftMaker Office if you specifically want a one-time-purchase desktop suite.
Pick Zoho Workplace if you run a small business and want one subscription that covers email, docs, chat, and CRM.
Stay on Microsoft 365 if your workflow depends on Outlook calendar integration, the specific Excel pivot features, or shared OneDrive across a corporate domain. None of the alternatives match those three things in combination yet.
FAQ
Is Microsoft 365 worth it in 2026?
For households that use Outlook, OneDrive, and Word together with multiple users, yes. For users who mostly write documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, the alternatives above cover most needs at lower cost.
What is the best free Microsoft 365 alternative on Mac?
Apple iWork ships free with every Mac and covers Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. LibreOffice is the cross-platform free pick. SoftMaker FreeOffice is the best free Office workalike if interface familiarity matters.
Will Office 2019 still work after the Apple device lockout?
Office 2019 will continue to open and view files on Apple devices, but Microsoft is restricting editing rights from July 2026. Office 2021 owners retain editing rights. Office 2024 buyers are not affected.
Can I import Word documents into LibreOffice or OnlyOffice?
Yes. Both suites open DOCX files natively and re-save them in DOCX without losing the file format. Complex formatting can drift slightly, especially tracked changes and embedded comments.
What runs on Linux without Wine or virtualisation?
LibreOffice, OnlyOffice, WPS Office, Collabora Office, SoftMaker Office, and Google Workspace through a browser all run natively on Linux. Microsoft 365 itself does not.
