Free alternatives to Microsoft Word, Photoshop and more

Published : 21 May 2017, 15:53

Sahos Desk

For years, people have grumbled about the price of software. Adobe products have always been expensive, and many customers were agitated when the company shifted to “Creative Cloud,” which meant a monthly or annual subscription.

Meanwhile, Microsoft Office is a staple for computers everywhere, but the price tag often irritates people who just want a decent word processor.

Luckily, there are lots of free substitutes, and there are plenty of reasons people turn to them. Some folks just can’t afford mainstream software, or they’re starting new businesses and don’t want to invest in expensive programs that they can essentially get for free.

Others are trying out new media for the first time, such as digital photography, audio or video, and they want to learn the basics before buying expensive packages.

Whatever the reason, there’s a wide range of software alternatives. In years past, “alternative” programs usually meant “lousy.” You’d end up with something buggy, watered-down and incompatible with other services.

But that’s no longer the case. Many programs are nearly as sophisticated as their expensive inspirations, and some users might argue that these offerings surpass them.

Here’s a list of costly and popular programs and their many free alternatives.

Microsoft Office

For decades, Microsoft Office has dominated homes and businesses around the world. The Office suite has everything you need: a word processor, spreadsheets, presentations and email.

But many customers and college-bound students are surprised when their new Dell or HP doesn’t have Office installed. They’ve already shelled out money for a new computer, and now they have to spend another $150 for the software to make it useful.

That’s where LibreOffice comes in. This free, open-source software has what Microsoft Office has, plus some perks, such as templates and extensions. The word processor, called “Writer,” can handle Word documents, and the rest of the LibreOffice suite can upload and modify files from their corresponding Office programs.

Source: dailysun

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