Professional’s Ranking
Professionals
- Helps importing a variety of file codecs, together with Apple iWork and Microsoft 365
- Presents native apps on the most well-liked platforms, together with desktop and cell
- Packs quite a few, helpful templates, a few of that are accessible offline
- Features a plugin library to increase the app’s performance
Cons
- Can’t export new recordsdata in Apple’s Pages, Numbers, and Keynote codecs
Our Verdict
It’s a Microsoft 365 clone that helps the most well-liked doc codecs, packs within the generally used enhancing options and it’s utterly free, what’s to not like?
Worth When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Finest Pricing In the present day
Finest Costs In the present day: OnlyOffice for Mac
Microsoft 365 (previously Workplace), Google Docs, and Apple’s free iWork (which incorporates Pages, Keynote and Numbers) are arguably the three hottest productiveness suites for Mac customers. Microsoft’s possibility is perceived because the trade customary by many, and academic establishments are inclined to depend on its providers. Google Docs, albeit web-based, has equally been adopted by the lots as a consequence of its free providing and ease of real-time collaboration. iWork, though not as sensible, additionally gives free and dependable instruments for these within the Apple bubble. However what if none of those suites swimsuit you?
Fortuitously, there are many options, together with free and open-source software program (FOSS) with strong reputations. OnlyOffice is one in all them, replicating the Microsoft 365 expertise—sans the subscription charges. Is it any good, although?
OnlyOffice first impressions
OnlyOffice is on the market without cost on macOS, iPadOS, iOS, Home windows, Android, and Linux. For this assessment, I put in model 8.3.2 of the app—the most recent on the time of writing—on a MacBook Air M2 working macOS 15 Sequoia 15.4. Whereas some App Retailer evaluations recommend the iPhone and iPad purchasers undergo from irritating bugs, like random crashes, the Mac expertise has typically been very steady on my finish. Actually, I struggled to discover a single situation with this app.
Upon launching OnlyOffice, you’ll be greeted by a clear, ad-free display screen showcasing its essential sections. You possibly can create a doc (.docx), spreadsheet (.xlsx), presentation (.pptx), or PDF file from scratch or choose from the present templates. Some templates can be found for offline use whereas the remainder require an lively web connection to obtain when creating a brand new file. These allow you to shortly compose an bill, calendar, guidelines, proposal, and so forth.
Alternatively, you may launch an present file saved domestically in your laptop or one of many supported cloud storage providers, corresponding to Nextcloud. No matter what you go for, the app runs fluidly, and I’ve but to come across my first severe bug.
Foundry
Paperwork
When it comes to structure and performance, OnlyOffice’s doc editor resembles Microsoft Phrase. You possibly can alter the font, colours, formatting, alignment, and extra in supported recordsdata. You equally get to insert shapes, tables, equations, symbols, and so forth. A few of the suitable codecs embody DOCX, DOC, TXT, HTML, and EPUB.
It’s value noting that you simply seemingly can’t export a file in Apple’s .pages format until the unique file was created within the Pages app. However, you possibly can import, edit, and save these proprietary recordsdata in OnlyOffice simply positive.
Foundry
Past the basics, you possibly can shield doc recordsdata, encrypt them, add your signature, view their phrase depend, set the creator, and so forth. And if you happen to’ve related a suitable cloud service, you possibly can collaborate remotely with different customers to make edits in actual time.
One in every of my favourite options is the built-in plugin library that allows you to depend on much more functionalities in a doc. So, for instance, you may add a third-party AI assistant to research your file and make it easier to form its content material.
Spreadsheets
Likewise, OnlyOffice’s spreadsheet editor affords a Microsoft Excel-like expertise. You possibly can carry out the entire actions you’d anticipate from such software program, together with fixing formulation, constructing dynamic charts, analyzing information, and illustrating. You possibly can import XLXS, XLTX, CSV, OTS, and Numbers recordsdata, whereas exporting, as talked about above, excludes the .numbers format for non-Apple recordsdata.
Foundry
Displays
You guessed it, the presentation editor in OnlyOffice certainly mimics Microsoft PowerPoint. By default, you’ve received a number of slide layouts that allow you to simply organize the specified content material, be it textual content or media, on the display screen. The app additionally affords a plethora of animation and transition types, letting you carry your work to life.
Just like the identified options, you may as well set customized backgrounds, insert hyperlinks, graphs, and pictures, and preview the ultimate end result. A few of the codecs you possibly can import embody PPTX, PPT, PPSX, ODP, and Keynote.
Foundry
PDFs
Final however not least, OnlyOffice features a fundamental PDF viewer and editor. In contrast to Apple’s native Preview app, OnlyOffice enables you to really tweak the content material in a PDF doc, so you possibly can tweak the textual content and add shapes, drop-down menus, and fields for viewers to fill in. That’s along with the common annotation instruments, corresponding to highlighting and doodling.
It’s definitely not as superior as a devoted, premium PDF editor. Nevertheless, since OnlyOffice primarily acts as a free different to Phrase, Excel, and PowerPoint, it’s definitely a welcome bonus perk that’s dependable for fundamental PDF manipulation.
Have a look to see hoe OnlyOffice compares to different PDF Editors in our spherical up of the Finest PDF editors for Mac. We additionally consider some free PDF editors.
Do you have to swap to OnlyOffice?
As we’ve established, OnlyOffice is basically a free Microsoft 365 clone. For those who depend on Microsoft’s workplace suite and are uninterested in its recurring charges, then OnlyOffice may act as a superb different.
The app usually maintains the doc formatting, so the structure ought to persist even when others view your recordsdata utilizing totally different software program. Provided that OnlyOffice is free to make use of, options no adverts, helps the most well-liked doc codecs, and packs the generally used enhancing options, there’s no hurt in giving it a shot to examine if it will probably efficiently change your present productiveness suite. Had my private workflow prolonged past Apple gadgets, I’d have definitely ditched iWork in favor of it.
