How to use Microsoft Office on Linux

For many users, lack of support for Microsoft Office is the only reason they don’t switch to Linux. It is true that Microsoft Office is not available for installation on Linux. For some existing users, not having Microsoft Office on Linux will cause additional difficulties. There are also some open source office suites that are good and feature enough for most users.

But there are situations where you are forced to use MS Office. If a colleague at work sends you an Office document with complex macros, it may not work well with LibreOffice. Similarly, if your university or workplace requires you to submit .docx or .xlsx files and you use LibreOffice, there may be compatibility issues in tables, macros, and other related elements. mandarin.

These are real difficulties faced by people who have to collaborate with MS office users. If you’re in a situation where you have to use Microsoft Office, you don’t need to ditch Linux completely. Here are some ways you can use Microsoft Office on your Linux desktop.

How to use Microsoft Office on Linux

1. Use Microsoft Office 365 Online

You can use Microsoft Office applications in your web browser. And it works on any operating system. Of course including Linux.

This is the best way to access Microsoft Office applications if you have a stable internet connection.

Note that the online version of Office doesn’t have all the features you get in the desktop version. However, it’s a good enough choice in many cases. If you have a Microsoft account, you can sign in directly to Microsoft 365.

If you don’t have one, you must create a Microsoft account. No need to sign up for a paid version, you can use lite versions of all essential office tools like Microsoft Word, Excel, etc., right on your web browser.

The best part about this service is that you can use 5 GB of free OneDrive storage to keep your documents online, and it integrates well with all available apps. You can also use Office apps on mobile phones.

Note that there are some feature differences between Office Online and the native desktop applications. You can know more here.

Furthermore, if you want to get the most out of it, with more cloud storage and some premium features, you can also opt for a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Advantage

• Free with Microsoft account
• Documents are saved in the cloud and can be accessed from any device
• 5 GB of free storage with OneDrive
• Can be used on any operating system without the need to install software

Defect

• You must create a Microsoft account
• The free version lacks features
• You can only store documents up to 5 GB for free
• An internet connection is required to access and edit files

2. Use a Windows-compatible program

What if you want to experience Microsoft Office desktop apps right in your Linux system. You can use a virtual machine to install Windows, but we’ll talk about that later, because it’s time-consuming. Instead, you can use Windows compatible programs on Linux machines.

I will suggest two ways to install Microsoft Office applications on Linux:

• Use PlayOnLinux (free but offers older versions of MS office)
• Use CrossOver (paid and comes with proper support)

Use PlayOnLinux

PlayOnLinux is one of the best ways to run Windows applications on Linux.

On Ubuntu, you can install it with one command through Terminal as follows:

sudo apt install winbind playonlinux winetricks -y

After installation, launch the program and click the Install button, which will synchronize available packages and allow us to install MS Office.