FreeOffice 2021 For Linux

FreeOffice is one of the more interesting free Microsoft Office. You might notice that we said "free" and not "open-source" well, because FreeOffice is not open-source, but the free version/edition of SoftMaker Office.

SoftMaker Office is a premium office suite that works on a plethora of platforms, including most Linux distributions, Windows, and macOS, as well as on mobile platforms such as iOS and Android.

FreeOffice only offers binaries and installers for Linux, Windows, macOS, and Linux which can be downloaded directly from the app's official website. Granted, a bit more cumbersome than, say, having dedicated apps for all the Linux software centers (Flathub, Snapcraft, etc.), but at least there are no extra requirements.

It's important to note that FreeOffice is a proprietary software. Yes, it can be used for both personal and business scenarios, but you have to register and get a free product key in order to use the app indefinitely. Oh, and you can only install the app on up to three computers.

On the one hand, FreeOffice is free, and does have a lot going for it.

For example, FreeOffice boasts very good format compatibility with MS Office files. After all, it's one of the best aspects of SoftMaker Office. The interface is also very well designed, even if it doesn't stray away from the classic Office app look, it does provide users with various easy ways of customizing the experience.

Sadly, this is about the end of the things that really go in FreeOffice's favor, especially when compared to other Microsoft Office alternatives (which, granted, are open-source) such as LibreOffice and OpenOffice.

For instance, with LibreOffice you get a series number of apps such as Math, Writer, Impress, Draw, Calc, and Base. FreeOffice is limited to just three main apps: Spreadsheets, TextMaker, and Presentations.

This is by no means a deal-breaker, since not all free MS Office alternatives have to have all the bells and whistles. However, FreeOffice also cuts back on some eseential features like spell checking, dictionaries for synonyms, tabs, macros, and free technical support (all things which you can get with a SoftMaker Office premium subscription).

The answer is both yes, and no. As with all things, it's a matter of what you need, yet it's also a matter of perspective. FreeOffice is a decent little Office alternative and, let's not forget, it's free. It has a very good compatibility with MS Office formats and the user experience on the whole is a lot better than expected.

It does fall a bit short in terms of features when compared directly with other MS Office alternatives, it's true, but that doesn't mean that it can't be used with success by users who don't need more than what this app offers.