LibreOffice vs. WPS Office vs. OnlyOffice for Windows: A Practical Comparison

Choose between LibreOffice, WPS Office and OnlyOffice when you work in Windows can make a difference in tasks as diverse as writing reports, managing spreadsheets, or preparing presentations. In this practical analysis, we will put these three suites that compete directly with Microsoft Office, highlighting his real compatibility, performance, collaboration and price so that you make the right choice.

Behind the decision there are usually very specific fears: how your LibreOffice PowerPoint presentations On a Windows computer, whether OnlyOffice preserves formatting better, or whether WPS compensates with its AI tools for creating slides and polishing content. There are also real-life experiences from users who value the interface, stability, and small details that, in the end, they make you win or lose time In day to day.

What we compare and why

The goal is to thoroughly evaluate three mature office suites available on Windows: LibreOffice, WPS Office and OnlyOfficeWe focus on what matters most to you if you work with documents that need to circulate between teams with Microsoft Office: compatibility with DOCX, XLSX and PPTX, online collaboration, extra features (such as PDF or AI), language, templates, performance on modest teams and price/licenses.

The most repeated concern in presentations is clear: a user who creates a talk in Linux and then a colleague opens it in Windows with PowerPoint and is afraid that something will "jump out" of place. Along these lines, some people perceive OnlyOffice as more compatible with PowerPoint, while WPS stands out for its AI for generating content and creating slides. These insights help us fine-tune each suite's strengths in mixed Windows environments.

Overview of each suite

LibreOffice It's the standard suite for the free ecosystem. It works, it's stable, and it includes Writer, Calc, and Impress, among other tools. Experienced users emphasize that its interface is more classic and that the tape does not necessarily make it modern; on Windows, it often generates mixed reviews due to its aesthetics. It's also said that DOCX support isn't always perfect, although the suite outperforms many web-based alternatives when you need advanced features.

WPS Office It is presented as a very close alternative to the Microsoft Office experience. It is an all-in-one suite with Writer, Spreadsheets and Presentation, as well as a PDF reader/editor and WPS Cloud. On Windows, it offers a familiar, fast interface with a tab system for managing multiple documents and a great compatibility with Microsoft formatsIt's not open source, and its free version may display ads, while the Premium version adds features and removes ads.

only Office It focuses on real-time collaborative editing and cloud integration. It offers Docs, Sheets, and Slides editors that work natively with DOCX, XLSX and PPTX, something many choose for its interoperability with Microsoft Office. It offers a desktop version for Windows and a self-hosting open source Community Edition, as well as commercial options and a Workspace with modules like CRM and Projects.

Format support and visual fidelity

When the document is going to circulate on computers with Windows and Microsoft Office, what matters is that the opening and editing in DOCX, XLSX and PPTX maintains formats, fonts, styles, complex tables, animations, transitions and, if applicable, advanced functions such as macros. Here the sensations collected are nuanced.

Experienced users point out that LibreOffice doesn't always nail DOCX, and that shortcuts and macros don't work the same as Excel on Windows. Even so, it often offers features you don't find in purely online suites and can get you out of trouble when you need specific features. Impress has improved in presentations, but if you're going to edit PowerPoint later, it's a good idea to test it thoroughly.

In the case of only OfficeWorking natively with DOCX/XLSX/PPTX reduces friction. Collaborative editing on these open standard formats makes it easier for the file to be passed through Windows with PowerPoint, Word or Excel without any hassle. It's one of the reasons why teams that share Microsoft Office prefer it.

WPS Office It boasts high compatibility with Microsoft formats and, in practice, it usually performs very well in complex documents and presentations. Its Presentation editor offers transitions, animations and export to PDF or image, and the suite includes tools for polish the final look quickly.

Online collaboration and teamwork

OnlyOffice is designed for the simultaneous co-editing: Multiple users can edit the same document, view the change history, and communicate via integrated chat. If you work on Windows but coordinate with colleagues on other systems, this feature is one of the most robust on the market outside of Windows. Microsoft 365.

WPS Office also allows for cloud collaboration with synchronization and co-editing, although its collaborative approach is considered not as developed as OnlyOffice's. For personal use or small teams on Windows, its features are sufficient. sufficient and comfortable.

LibreOffice, on the other hand, shines locally and is stable; in real-time collaboration it relies more on complementary solutions (e.g., server-based edition variants) and is not its main proposal.

Price and licenses

WPS Office offers a free version with basic Writer, Spreadsheets and Presentation features on Windows, although it may include ads. Their Premium plans remove ads and unlock extra options, with pricing options like €6,6/month (3 months), €4,49/month (6 months), and €3,41/month (1 year). These are generally affordable options for home users and students; check out the licensing differences.

OnlyOffice has Community Edition Free, open source, which you can install on your own servers, plus free desktop editors. Advanced features and extended support are available in the commercial plans and Workspace. Pricing varies based on team size and support/integration needs.

LibreOffice is free and open source; see the what's new in LibreOfficeOn Windows, you can install the full suite for free, and if you want to contribute, you can do so through donations. For many individual users, this is an option. powerful and barrier-free of entry.

Programs and tools included

En WPS Office You'll find: Writer (a word processor similar to Word), Spreadsheets (Excel-like spreadsheets), and Presentation (PowerPoint-like slides), as well as a PDF reader/editor and WPS Cloud for synchronization. It's a very convenient all-in-one suite on Windows due to its familiar interface and tab management.

En only Office, editors correspond to Docs, Sheets, and Slides and integrate with cloud services like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox. It includes project management, calendar, CRM, and email modules within Workspace. In addition, its ecosystem of plugins expands functions: translation with Google, diagrams with Draw.io, bibliographic management with Mendeley, and even assistant with ChatGPT by complement.

LibreOffice includes Writer, Calc and Impress, and modules such as Draw (diagrams) or Base (databases). Although its appearance is classic, in Windows it offers a very complete set free of charge, and can be customized with icons/colors to match Microsoft's aesthetics.

Artificial intelligence in the suite

WPS Office integrates WPS AI, a set of features for generating content, creating outlines, summarizing documents, translating in real time, and analyzing data. It's still in a phased rollout, but it already helps you quickly complete writing and editing tasks within Windows.

Security and privacy

WPS Office includes encryption and password protection for documents, access control, regular updates and mechanisms for detect threats. Manages data to provide service and offers measures to protect user information.

OnlyOffice allows you to manage granular permissions, data encryption in transit and at rest, security measures for online deployments (firewalls, monitoring, IDS), compliance with GDPR and choice of location storage of data, something key for organizations.

Cloud and no device limits

WPS Cloud offers cross-device synchronization and collaboration. A free standard account provides 1 GB storage; with Premium, this option expands to 20 GB. WPS also supports third-party services.

OnlyOffice Workspace is its cloud service for the online version, with a similar approach to Google Drive, and also integrates with Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. It has apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android e iOS, and a version website that works in Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari.

Performance and requirements

WPS Office is lightweight on Windows: about 225 MB installation, with modest requirements (dual-core CPU, 2 GB RAM and 4 GB of storage). However, it can handle large documents with ease; to compare Office performance with alternatives keep this in mind.

OnlyOffice Desktop Editors ranks among 208MB and 327MB Depending on the platform/version, it runs well on Windows with a 2 GHz single-core CPU, 2 GB of RAM, and 4 GB of storage. It's an efficient option for mid-range computers.

Interface and user experience

In WPS Office the interface is very reminiscent of Microsoft Office: top ribbon, quick access and a view by tabs to open multiple documents like in a browser. It can be customized with themes, fonts, and layout.

OnlyOffice prioritizes a clean, minimalist design with separate modules for documents, sheets, and presentations, plus a integrated chat per file to facilitate coordination during editing.

In LibreOffice, users comment that the UI is more classic and that, although a ribbon can be activated, the perception of modernity doesn't change that much. It can be "dressed up" with Office style icons and colors to bring it closer to the Microsoft aesthetic in Windows, something that many do.

Languages ​​and templates

WPS Office is available in numerous languages: on mobile it reaches 46 and on PC it reaches 13, including Spanish, English, French, German and more. It has thousands of templates (free and paid) for resumes, invitations, certificates, presentations, and spreadsheets.

OnlyOffice offers support in about 25 languages ​​(Spanish, English, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, etc.) and features 64 useful templates (contracts, letters, forms refillable, diagrams and documents) that you can use online or download to DOCX/PDF.

Comparison by applications

• WPS Writer is a free editor for creating and sharing documents with styles, tables, images, headers, and footers. It integrates WPS AI to generate content, summarize, analyze data, and propose solutions. schemesIt's a very handy centerpiece in Windows if you want to lean into AI.
• OnlyOffice Word Allows advanced text formatting, paragraph styles, tables, charts, images with editing, headers/footers, spelling and grammar checks, comments, change tracking, and real-time co-editing. Supports DOC, DOCX, ODT, TXT, and HTML; converts PDF/XPS to DOCX for editing and exporting to PDF, EPUB, JPG, and PNG. Its plugins add translation, diagrams, and bibliography management, in addition to the ChatGPT add-on.
• WPS Spreadsheets It stands out for its similarity to Excel, support for popular formats and functions such as merging/centering cells, highlighting duplicates, inserting checkboxes, splitting/merging cells, batch renaming files, facilitating formulas, creating bills and convert to PDF.
• OnlyOffice Excel (sheets) brings formulas and functions, cell/table formatting, charts and graphs, sorting/filtering, pivot tables, and import/export in multiple formats. It's a solid foundation for analysis on Windows with compatibility modern
• WPS Presentation includes transitions, animations, screen recording, concept maps, timelines, rehearsal schedules, inserting icons and images, co-editing and converting PPT to PDF/Image. It has a huge catalog of templates to get you started quickly.
• OnlyOffice PowerPoint (presentations) allows you to create slides with text, images, shapes, and multimedia, use templates, add transitions/animations, insert graphics, use presenter notes, and collaborate in real time. On Windows it is agile and consistent with PPTX.
• In PDF, WPS PDF It allows you to edit text and images, crop pages, set headers/footers, password protect, digitally sign, collaborate in the cloud, compress and convert. The free version covers the basics, and the paid version adds page creation. forms, advanced annotations and removes ads.
• OnlyOffice PDF It offers reading, annotation (highlighting, strikethrough, comments), freehand drawing, and PDF↔Word conversion. It is simpler than WPS PDF, but sufficient for score and convert quickly on Windows.

Highlighted pros and cons

According to the compilation of key points, in WPS Office Highlighted advantages include: compatibility with multiple systems and devices; good integration with Microsoft documents; simple interface; collaboration features; advanced AI assistant; lightweight suite for managing files. great.

• As disadvantages of WPS: there may be specific problems compatibility (e.g. VBA); the free version displays ads (although the Pro edition is affordable).
• En only Office The advantages: a complete suite that covers most needs; very successful simultaneous co-editing; it uses DOCX, XLSX and PPTX as a base, which reinforces the interoperability with Microsoft Office.
• And as disadvantages of OnlyOffice: its interface may be less familiar to those coming from Microsoft; some functions are not as developed; support may be perceived as limited outside of commercial plans.

Real experiences and other proven alternatives

A user with two years of LibreOffice comments that, despite preferring a more modern UI, he has had to return to this suite because online options Microsoft and Google didn't cover some of the features he needed. He also tried Linux alternatives such as Apache OpenOffice (perceived as having "better DOCX"), WPS (mature but not open source), Calligra/KOffice (slow development), Gnome Office (Abiword, Gnumeric, Dia), and FreeOffice (very compatible with MS, not open). For the web, he cites Microsoft Office Online as “good but slow and cumbersome” and Google Suite as “perfect for university students” but with shortcomings.

On Windows, if you recommend one of these suites to a user who is used to Microsoft Office, experience suggests that visual familiarity weighs heavily. Here WPS usually convince quickly Because of their similarity. OnlyOffice appeals to teams that prioritize co-editing and standard formats. And LibreOffice offers power at no cost, especially if you don't rely on MS-specific macros or templates.