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OpenOffice - Free solution for word processing
March 09, 2018

OpenOffice - Free solution for word processing

Liz Wade | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Apache OpenOffice

I am a professional freelance photographer, so within my business, I handle all matters that require a word processor. I use OpenOffice, an open-source office productivity suite, to create any and all business-related documents: invoices, receipts, quotes, etc. I do not have the need to create more complicated documents or presentations, so I can move through the administrative part of my day with ease and no cost.

  • OpenOffice is free and fully functional. When I bought my first Macbook, I did not want to pay additionally for Microsoft Word or any other processing software. I found OpenOffice as a free alternative that met all of my needs.
  • It is easy for beginners to learn. Omitting some of the bells of whistles of Microsoft Word (for example), leaves it super user friendly but still powerful enough to get your work done.
  • Because it is open sourced, OpenOffice is well-policed software. Anyone can suggest improvements, propose bug fixes, read about future plans, and avoid the hype of commercial software.
  • Though not often, the software can occasionally act glitchy: it can lag a little bit or crash altogether, though this is rare in my experience.
  • The primary document format in OpenOffice is ODF, rather than DOC. I sometimes experience incompatibility when opening files from Microsoft DOC in OpenOffice, such as formatting errors.
  • OpenOffice does not have a built-in grammar check tool. This can be remedied by downloading an extension, but I'd like to see it built-in.
  • OpenOffice allows me to complete all the basic needs of the administration side of my small business.
  • Any document that I have ever needed to create, whether that is an invoice, a quote, a receipt, or even a resume, I can create easily in OpenOffice.
  • Without software like OpenOffice, I would not be able to operate my small business in a professional manner.
Apache OpenOffice may not quite have all the bells and whistles of Microsoft Office, but I chose it for one major reason: it is absolutely free. It is also fully functional as a free software. There is no trial, need to upgrade, or subscription plan. As a small business owner, when I was first starting out, I needed software that could meet my needs that also wouldn't break the bank. OpenOffice was the answer to my needs.
If you're looking for a free word processor and you do not need all the bells and whistles of Microsoft Office, then OpenOffice is the program for you. The software can sometimes be laggy and the design options are not quite at Microsoft level, but it is compatible with Microsoft Office file formats and there's only a small learning curve to it. If you're coming from Microsoft Office, you should be able to jump right into OpenOffice.