Why You Can Trust CNET Get a one-year WPS Office Business license for free
From the Cheapskate: Normally $44.99, this is one of the best Microsoft Office alternatives you can get. Just make sure you get it today.
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A year's worth of free Office-alike software, but be sure to download and install it today.
As you know, I have a love/hate relationship with Microsoft Office. I actually like the suite a lot, and rely heavily on Outlook to manage my various email accounts. But I've long railed against the price, especially given that most of the suite's features are overkill for most users.
That's why I typically steer people to WPS Office (formerly Kingsoft Office), which in my mind has the best interface of any of the Microsoft alternatives. Alas, the free version now adds a watermark to printed and PDF pages, a serious limitation. Needless to say, Kingsoft wants you to upgrade to WPS Office Business, which costs $44.99 annually.
Not today! Giveaway of the Day has WPS Office 10 Business (Windows) for free. Specifically, you get a one-year license good for one PC and unlimited mobile devices. Once that year is up, you can decide whether you want to pay for another year, buy a lifetime license (currently $79.99) or switch to something else.
Of course, plenty of users are perfectly content with free-all-the-time options like Google Docs, Microsoft Office Online, LibreOffice, OpenOffice and so on. WPS Office offers the same three core programs: word processing, spreadsheets and presentation. But it also includes cloud-sync capabilities and a handful of minor amenities not found in some of the freebie suites, like a built-in spell checker, a save-as-PDF option and loads of document templates.
What's more, as I mentioned, I think WPS Office has the most polished interface this side of Microsoft Office. Not everyone cares about that, but I do.
Don't worry, they're supposed to look like that.
Truth be told, I no longer recommend WPS Office (the free version) as an Office alternative, primarily because of the aforementioned watermark. But I also understand Kingsoft is in business to make money. If you're looking for a top-flight office suite that's effectively free for a year, here's your shot.
Take note, however, that as with most Giveaway of the Day giveaways, you must download and install the program today.
Bonus deal: One of my favorite so-silly-it's-clever products is back on sale today. Ace Teah (via Amazon) has a six-pack of its three-in-one pens for $5.99. That's after applying coupon code 5PQPPAIW at checkout. ($2 off! Woo!) Offered in an assortment of colors, each pen is a ballpoint, a stylus and, thanks to its uniquely bent barrel, a smartphone stand!
If you grabbed this last time around, please hit the comments and share your feedback. Because I have mad love for anything that doubles as a smartphone stand. (I'm weird that way.)