Libre Office or......?

AlecEiffel

Hi all.

What's the best free office suite at the mo?

I'm looking into Libre Office but wondering if any others are better.

I'd like it to be compatible with ms office formats for reading and creating. Also, will the formulas in the spreadsheet programme be the same as in excel? I'm using excel a lot at work and want to get better at formulas so want them to be the same.

Or is ms office the only way??

henm2

Libre Office works fine for me. I have also used Open Office in the past and although it still exists most opinion would suggest that LO is much better.

System

It isn't a case of "what's best" is more a case of "what suits you". Of the two mentioned which I have tried, I've come down on the side of Open Office, but I hasten to add, that if anyone offers a suggestion other than these and I look and find them to me liking, I would consider changing.

Weird_Nev

Libre Office is about as good as it gets. Whilst it touts compatiability with MS Office formats, I've found this not to be the case even in relatively simple documents. Basic spreadsheet stuff and word processing is fine, and quickly put right between formats, but it's not 'the same' and it's not 100% compatible. By time we've attempted to put right some of my wifes very complex excel spreadsheets (used to model water balances and flooding prediction and things) we were wishing we'd just spent £100 on MS Office. So we did.

macman

Since it's free to download and use, why not try it out and decide for yourself?

securityguy

Weird_Nev wrote: »

we were wishing we'd just spent £100 on MS Office. So we did.

And for many people, they can buy Office through the "Microsoft Home Use Program", where it costs about a tenner. I picked a copy simply by dint of being a student registered at a university that is in the scheme.

AlecEiffel

Thanks all for the replies.

I enquired and my employer is part of the HUP so got office cheap.

Cheers all.