Office Suite Comparison 2026: WPS Office, Microsoft 365, LibreOffice and OnlyOffice
A research-based comparison of four office suites in 2026 built from vendor pages and neutral references: free options, pricing model, collaboration and what each vendor does and does not state. Not lab-tested.
You can write a letter, build a spreadsheet and make a slide deck without paying Microsoft. The real questions are what each suite gives you for free, how you pay when you need more, and how well it works with the Word and Excel files other people send you.
This page compares four office suites using what the vendors state on their own pages, plus Wikipedia for Microsoft’s licence types. We did not run document-compatibility tests ourselves.
How this comparison was made
- This is a research-based comparison, not a lab test. We did not test file compatibility. The only way to know how your own documents behave is to open them in each suite.
- Claims come from the vendors' own pages and Wikipedia, listed at the bottom, as read on 18 October 2026. A vendor saying it is compatible is a claim, not a test result. Where a page does not say something, we write "not stated".
- We do not publish prices. They change and differ by country. Each section links to the vendor's page so you can see the current price for your region.
Quick answers
Which one fits which need
- Free and open source: LibreOffice states that it is free and open source software.
- Free with real-time co-editing: ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors are described as free for personal and professional use and advertise real-time collaboration.
- The reference suite, with cloud storage: Microsoft 365 is a subscription that includes 1 TB of OneDrive, per Wikipedia.
- A one-time purchase: Microsoft still sells a perpetually licensed Office (currently Office 2024).
Things to weigh carefully
- WPS Office's free plan is limited to 1 user and 1 GB of cloud storage, and its PDF editing and conversion tools appear to need the paid plan.
- One-time Office editions do not receive new features or new cloud services, per Wikipedia. A lapsed Microsoft 365 subscription puts the desktop apps in read-only mode.
- Complex layouts can shift when a file moves between any two suites. Read each vendor's privacy policy before using it for sensitive documents.
Side-by-side overview
| WPS Office | Microsoft 365 / Office 2024 | LibreOffice | OnlyOffice | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free option | Yes: a free plan (1 user, 1 GB cloud storage) | Not covered by the sources we read | Yes, free and open source software | Desktop Editors: free for personal and professional use, per the vendor FAQ |
| Pricing model | Free plan plus a paid plan | Subscription (Microsoft 365) or one-time purchase (Office 2024) | Free; donations are invited | Free desktop apps; paid editions exist |
| Open source | Not stated | Not stated (proprietary software) | Yes, stated by the vendor | The vendor states it is open source (no licence named) |
| Microsoft file formats | The vendor lists “100% Compatible with Microsoft File Formats” for the free plan (a claim, not a test) | The reference formats | Not stated on the page we read | Native DOCX, XLSX and PPTX support, per the vendor |
| Collaboration | Cloud document syncing | OneDrive with 1 TB per subscriber (Wikipedia) | Not stated | Real-time co-editing, per the vendor |
“Not stated” means the sources we read do not say it. It does not mean the feature is absent.
What each vendor says
WPS Office
Presented as one suite with Writer, Spreadsheet, Presentation, PDF and photo tools, AI features and cloud syncing, on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and the web. The product is branded Kingsoft WPS Office. The vendor’s comparison table lists the free plan as 1 user with 1 GB of cloud storage and Microsoft-format compatibility, while PDF editing and conversion are not included in the free column, and AI tools are limited by a daily usage cap. The pages we read do not mention advertising either way. See plans on WPS’s pricing page.
Microsoft 365 and Office 2024
According to Wikipedia, Microsoft 365 Personal covers Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher and Access on up to five devices, Family extends it to up to six users, and both include 1 TB of OneDrive storage. If the subscription lapses, the desktop apps enter a read-only mode. Microsoft also sells a perpetually licensed suite, currently Office 2024, whose support runs to October 2029, but one-time editions do not receive new features or new cloud services. We could not load Microsoft’s own plan pages, so check them for the current offer in your country. Microsoft 365 plans.
LibreOffice
The Document Foundation describes LibreOffice as free and open source software available at no cost, with six apps: Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base and Math. The page we read does not say which file formats it supports or how the project is funded, apart from a donation link. LibreOffice’s overview.
OnlyOffice
The vendor’s FAQ says the Desktop Editors are free for personal and professional use. It says you can open and edit DOCX, ODT, XLSX, ODS, CSV, PPTX, ODP and other formats, with native support for DOCX, XLSX and PPTX, and that you can co-edit in real time and connect cloud services such as Nextcloud and Dropbox. The site states that ONLYOFFICE is open source without naming a licence. OnlyOffice Desktop Editors.
Which one fits you?
Tick what matters to you
Suites that meet every ticked need are highlighted.
Tick a need to see which suites match.
| Suite | Free | Open source | One-time purchase | Co-editing | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPS Office | Yes (free plan) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | |
| Microsoft 365 / Office 2024 | Not covered | Not stated | Yes (Office 2024) | Not covered | |
| LibreOffice | Yes | Yes | Not applicable, it is free | Not stated | |
| OnlyOffice | Yes (desktop editors) | Yes (stated) | Not stated | Yes |
Ticks come from the vendor pages and Wikipedia listed below. “Not stated” counts as no match because the sources do not say it. Microsoft file compatibility is not a tick, because it cannot be reduced to yes or no: open your own documents in two suites and compare.
Two more checks: decide whether you need cloud storage on a paid plan, and read the privacy terms if your documents are sensitive.
Disclosure
Some outbound links on this page may be affiliate links. If you buy through them, UtilRank may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions do not influence which suites are included or how they are described. Read our affiliate disclosure and editorial policy.
Sources and verification
Read on 18 October 2026. Sources are the vendors’ own pages and Wikipedia. Plans and prices change and differ by region, so confirm on the vendor’s page for your country.
- WPS Office: Home page, Pricing
- Microsoft: Wikipedia, Microsoft 365, Wikipedia, Microsoft Office 2024
- LibreOffice: Overview
- OnlyOffice: Desktop Editors, Home page
Looking for in-depth evaluations of the tools mentioned in this guide? Check out our hands-on reviews: