Should I use Microsoft 365 or WPS Office?

Use Microsoft 365 for uncapped Copilot AI and more bundled cloud storage; use WPS Office for a lower price and broader platform coverage including Linux.

Is Microsoft 365 cheaper than WPS Office?

No — Microsoft 365 starts at $9.99/month, while WPS Office's Pro+ tier is $5.83/month and its Sharing plan drops to $2.49/user/month.

Is WPS Office compatible with Microsoft Office files?

Yes, WPS Office natively reads and writes .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx formats without the conversion friction some open-source alternatives face.

Does WPS Office run on Linux like Microsoft 365 does not?

Yes, WPS Office has a native Linux client, while Microsoft 365 has no official Linux desktop app.

Is WPS Office actually free?

Yes, the WPS Standard tier is genuinely usable with no credit card required, though it's limited to 1GB of cloud storage, limited templates, and basic PDF features compared to the paid Pro+ tier.

Microsoft 365 vs WPS Office (2026)

By Noahlast updated September 14, 2026

Verdict: Choose Microsoft 365 if you want Copilot AI unrestricted by daily usage caps and 1TB+ of cloud storage bundled with a well-established privacy track record. Choose WPS Office if you want native Microsoft-format compatibility at a lower price with broader platform coverage, including Linux. Price and AI usage limits are the deciding factors: WPS Pro+ costs $5.83/month against Microsoft 365 Personal's $9.99/month, but Microsoft 365's Copilot has no daily usage cap while WPS Office's AI tools do even on the paid tier.

Microsoft 365

Subscription bundle of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneDrive storage with Copilot AI, starting at $9.99/month.

Pricing: From $9.99/mo
License: Paid
Best for: individuals and families who want the full desktop-grade Office apps plus generous cloud storage and Copilot AI synced across multiple devices, rather than free browser-only Office

4.6/5 on Capterra (14,143 reviews)

Details microsoft365.com

WPS Office

AI-powered Microsoft Office alternative for DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX files, free to use with Pro+ from $5.83/month.

Pricing: Free tier · paid from $2.49/mo
License: Freemium
Best for: students, freelancers, and budget-conscious users who need Microsoft-compatible document, spreadsheet, and presentation editing without a Microsoft 365 subscription

4.5/5 on Capterra (1,537 reviews)

Details wps.com

Choose Microsoft 365 if…

You want AI features (Copilot) without daily usage limits, unlike WPS Office's capped AI tools even on its paid tier
You want 1TB or more of bundled cloud storage per person rather than WPS Office's 20GB
You're privacy-conscious and prefer a vendor without past scrutiny over bundled-installer behavior and data-handling practices
You want the full native Microsoft file format experience rather than a third-party reader/writer of that format

Choose WPS Office if…

You want a lower monthly price, since WPS Pro+ is $5.83/month against Microsoft 365 Personal's $9.99/month
You need a Linux desktop client, which Microsoft 365 doesn't offer
You want a genuinely usable free tier rather than only a one-time-purchase fallback with no upgrade path
You're a household or small team that wants the lowest per-seat cost via the Sharing plan ($2.49/user/month)
You need built-in full PDF editing and conversion as part of the same subscription

Microsoft 365 vs WPS Office: feature comparison

Feature	Microsoft 365	WPS Office
Starting price	Yesfrom $9.99/mo (Personal)	Yesfrom $2.49/user/mo (Sharing plan, billed annually)
Free tier	Nono ongoing free tier, only a $179.99 one-time purchase	YesWPS Standard, genuinely usable, no credit card required
Platforms	Yesweb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	YesWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, web
License/hosting	Noclosed-source, paid subscription	Noclosed-source, freemium subscription
Native Microsoft file format (.docx/.xlsx/.pptx)	Yesnative format	Yesnative compatibility without conversion friction
AI assistant usage limits	Nono daily cap on Copilot	PartialAI tools capped by daily usage limits even on paid Pro+ tier
Cloud storage included	Yes1TB per person, up to 6TB pooled on Family/Premium	Partial1GB free, 20GB on Pro+
Full PDF editing and conversion	Unknownnot stated in the data	Yesfrom $5.83/mo (Pro+)
E-signatures	Unknownnot stated in the data	Yesfrom $5.83/mo (Pro+)
Multi-person sharing plan pricing	YesFamily, $12.99/mo for up to 6 people	YesSharing plan, $2.49/user/mo billed annually
Data-privacy track record	Unknownnot flagged in the data	Partialpast scrutiny over bundled-installer behavior and data-handling practices
External rating (Capterra)	Yes4.6/5 from 14,143 reviews	Yes4.5/5 from 1,537 reviews
Learning curve	Yeslow	Yeslow

Microsoft 365 vs WPS Office pricing: which costs less?

WPS Office costs less, with Pro+ at $5.83/month and a Sharing plan at $2.49/user/month, against Microsoft 365 Personal's $9.99/month.

WPS Pro+ is $5.83/month billed annually ($69.99/year) for full PDF editing, unlimited templates, e-signatures, 20GB storage, and capped AI tools. The Sharing plan drops the per-user cost to $2.49/month billed annually for multiple people. Microsoft 365 Personal is $9.99/month for one person with 1TB storage and uncapped Copilot; Family is $12.99/month for up to 6 people, cheaper per-seat than WPS Pro+ individual accounts but not as cheap as WPS's Sharing plan.

Which is easier to use, Microsoft 365 or WPS Office?

Both hold a low learning-curve rating in the data, with no clear edge between the two.

Is WPS Office safe to use compared to Microsoft 365?

WPS Office's free version has drawn past scrutiny over bundled-installer behavior and data-handling practices, a consideration the data doesn't raise for Microsoft 365.

This is listed as WPS Office's biggest weakness alongside its AI usage caps, worth weighing for privacy-sensitive users choosing between the two. The data doesn't provide a corresponding privacy concern for Microsoft 365, though it also doesn't independently verify WPS Office's current practices beyond noting past criticism.

Can WPS Office replace Microsoft 365?

Yes for most document, spreadsheet, and presentation editing, since WPS Office reads and writes native Microsoft formats at a lower price with broader platform coverage including Linux.

WPS Office covers the core Office-compatible workflow at $5.83/month versus Microsoft 365's $9.99/month, and adds a Linux client Microsoft 365 doesn't offer. It falls short for users who want uncapped AI assistance (WPS's AI tools have daily limits even on Pro+) or more cloud storage than WPS's 20GB ceiling on Pro+.

Strengths and weaknesses

Microsoft 365

Pros

Bundles full-featured desktop and web apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote) in one subscription.
Generous cloud storage — 1TB per person, up to 6TB pooled on Family and Premium.
Copilot AI assistance is built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook rather than sold separately.
Family and Premium plans cover up to 6 people under a single subscription.

Cons

No ongoing free tier; canceling the subscription removes access to the desktop apps entirely.
The only one-time-purchase option (Office Home 2024, $179.99) lacks Copilot and never gets feature upgrades.
Advanced Copilot AI agents require the $19.99/month Premium tier, a $10-20/month jump over Personal.
Reviewers cite setup and admin complexity, especially for business deployments.

WPS Office

Pros

Free tier is genuinely usable, not just a trial, with native DOCX/XLSX/PPTX compatibility.
Available across Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, iPad, and web, more platform coverage than most competitors.
Pro+ pricing at $5.83/month is well below a Microsoft 365 Personal subscription.
Sharing plan offers a lower per-seat cost than buying individual Pro+ accounts for a household or small team.

Cons

AI tools have daily usage limits even after paying for Pro+.
Free version has drawn past scrutiny over bundled-installer behavior and data-privacy practices.
Full PDF editing and e-signatures are locked behind the paid Pro+ tier.
Advanced spreadsheet and macro compatibility with Excel is less complete than Microsoft's own suite, per user reports.

Which fits your use case?

Use case	Pick	Why
Budget-conscious student or freelancer needing Microsoft-compatible editing	WPS Office	WPS Pro+ is $5.83/month versus Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99/month, and WPS Standard offers a genuinely usable free tier.
Linux user who needs a full office suite with native file compatibility	WPS Office	WPS Office runs natively on Linux; Microsoft 365 has no Linux desktop client.
User who wants unrestricted AI writing and editing assistance	Microsoft 365	Microsoft 365's Copilot has no stated daily usage cap, while WPS Office's AI tools are capped by daily limits even on the paid Pro+ tier.
Household or small team wanting the lowest per-seat subscription cost	WPS Office	WPS Office's Sharing plan is $2.49/user/month billed annually, cheaper per seat than Microsoft 365 Family's $12.99/month for up to 6 people.
User who wants generous bundled cloud storage with their office subscription	Microsoft 365	Microsoft 365 includes 1TB of storage per person versus WPS Office's 20GB ceiling on Pro+.
Privacy-conscious user wary of bundled-installer practices	Microsoft 365	WPS Office's free version has drawn past scrutiny over bundled-installer behavior and data-handling practices; the data raises no equivalent concern for Microsoft 365.

Neither a match?

Both lists carry verified pricing and honest weaknesses for every option.

5 alternatives to Microsoft 365 5 alternatives to WPS Office

Popular comparisons

Microsoft 365 vs WPS Office: migration FAQ

Should I use Microsoft 365 or WPS Office?: Use Microsoft 365 for uncapped Copilot AI and more bundled cloud storage; use WPS Office for a lower price and broader platform coverage including Linux.
Is Microsoft 365 cheaper than WPS Office?: No — Microsoft 365 starts at $9.99/month, while WPS Office's Pro+ tier is $5.83/month and its Sharing plan drops to $2.49/user/month.
Can WPS Office replace Microsoft 365?: Yes for most users, since WPS Office reads and writes native Microsoft file formats at a lower price, but its AI tools carry daily usage limits even on the paid tier and it includes less bundled cloud storage.
Is WPS Office compatible with Microsoft Office files?: Yes, WPS Office natively reads and writes .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx formats without the conversion friction some open-source alternatives face.
Does WPS Office run on Linux like Microsoft 365 does not?: Yes, WPS Office has a native Linux client, while Microsoft 365 has no official Linux desktop app.
Is WPS Office actually free?: Yes, the WPS Standard tier is genuinely usable with no credit card required, though it's limited to 1GB of cloud storage, limited templates, and basic PDF features compared to the paid Pro+ tier.