Microsoft to cease all support for these Office versions: Alternatives revealed

Microsoft will completely stop supporting Office 2016 and Office 2019 (photo: Unsplash)

Microsoft has announced that it would end support for Office 2016 and Office 2019 as of October 14, 2025. Basic support for these products ended in October 2020 and October 2023, respectively. Now comes the end of their extended support.

RBC-Ukraine explains what to do when Microsoft stops supporting Office 2016 and 2019, and what alternatives are available.

Sources used: Microsoft Tech Community, ClickUp, and Lifewire.

What to do after Office support ends

If organizations need a permanent version of Office without access to the Internet, Microsoft reminds you of the availability of Office 2021 LTSC. Support for this version will end on October 13, 2026.

Earlier it was announced that new versions of office suites will be released this year, including both standard and LTSC versions. Office 2024 will be available for purchase as a permanent product without the need to subscribe to Microsoft 365.

Both versions will be supported on Windows 10 and Windows 11 for five years. It is worth noting that Office 2024 LTSC will not have some cloud-based features, such as real-time collaboration and AI-powered process automation.

For organizations using Exchange Server 2016 or 2019, Microsoft will offer an upgrade in the second half of next year.

Free alternatives to Microsoft Office

Google Docs, Sheets, and Presentations

Google Docs, Sheets, and Presentations are online tools for creating and editing text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, respectively. It is part of the Google Workspace cloud office suite.

Google Docs. Allows you to create and edit text documents directly in a web browser. Users can work on a document at the same time, share it with other users for collaboration, add comments, and use various text formatting features.

Google Sheets. Provides the ability to create and edit spreadsheets online. They have powerful features for organizing data, making calculations, and visualizing information. Users can also use formulas, create charts, and work with data in collaboration with other users.

Google Presentations. Allows you to create and edit presentations using built-in tools for adding text, images, graphics, video, and audio. Users can create presentations both independently and in collaboration with other users, share them, and view them online.

Google Docs, Sheets, and Presentations (photo: Udemy)

WPS Office

This is an office suite that provides a set of applications for creating and editing text documents, spreadsheets presentations, and other office tasks.

Key features of WPS Office:

Multi-platform. WPS Office is available for a variety of operating systems, including Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, which ensures ease of use on different devices.

Extensive functionality. WPS Office offers a wide range of features for creating and editing documents, including text formatting, inserting images, tables, and graphs, using templates, animations, and much more.

Cloud services. WPS Office is integrated with cloud services such as WPS Cloud, which allows users to store and synchronize their documents in the cloud for access from any device.

WPS Office offers a free version with all the basic features of office programs, as well as paid subscriptions for additional features and capabilities.

Screenshot

SoftMaker FreeOffice

SoftMaker FreeOffice is a free office suite that includes three main applications for working with documents, spreadsheets, and presentations:

TextMaker. A program for creating and editing text documents. It supports a wide range of text formatting functions, insertion of images and tables, spelling and grammar checking, as well as export and import of files in Microsoft Word (.docx) and other formats.

PlanMaker. An application for creating and editing spreadsheets. It has functionality for working with data, formulas, charts, and graphs, and supports Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) and other file formats.

Presentations. A program for creating and editing presentations. It provides options for adding slides, text, images, animations, and transition effects, and supports exporting and importing files in Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx) and other formats.

SoftMaker FreeOffice (photo: SoftMaker)