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49 Open Source Office Tools


steven36

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Top open source office tools for everything from graphics to CAD to Web design to CRM. All free downloads, of course.

 

The good thing about open source office tools: you can use them to save major cost in office productivity. As you’ll see on the list below, some of these free office tools replace highly expensive commercial software. In some cases, a business could equip itself for thousands of dollars less.

 

In many ways, the following list of open source office tools shows just how far open source has progressed in the last several years. And, always, if you have recommendations to add to this list, use the Comments section below. Happy downloading!

Customer Relationship Management

1. Sugar Community Edition

 

Replaces ACT! Premium ($300 per user per year and up), Salesforce.com Professional ($780 per user per year)

Sugar boasts millions of users worldwide and claims to be the "most innovative, flexible and affordable CRM in the market." The website is primarily devoted to the commercial versions of the software, but you can find the free community edition on the download page, and there are extensions for the community version on GitHub. Operating System: OS Independent

 

2. vTiger

Replaces ACT! Premium ($300 per user per year and up), Salesforce.com Professional ($780 per user per year)

Downloaded more than 4 million times, vTiger is another popular, full-featured CRM solution. The company sells a range of cloud subscriptions, and you can find the free version on the website's open source page. Operating System: Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

 

3. Orange Leap

Replaces ACT! Premium ($300 per user per year and up), Salesforce.com Professional ($780 per user per year)

While most CRM applications are designed with for-profit companies in mind, Orange Leap is specifically for non-profits who need help managing their donors. Like many of the other options in this category, Orange Leap primarily touts its paid versions on its website. You can find the open source version on SourceForge. Operating System: Windows.

 

4. SplendidCRM

Replaces ACT! Premium ($300 per user per year and up), Salesforce.com Professional ($780 per user per year)

Unlike many of the other open source CRM solutions, SplendidCRM makes it easy to find the free community version although they do also offer paid cloud-based and on-premise versions. The latest update adds new themes, an activity stream feature and better PayPal and Google integration. Operating System: Windows.

 

5. ConcourseSuite

Replaces ACT! Premium ($300 per user per year and up), Salesforce.com Professional ($780 per user per year)

This Web-based CRM application makes it easy to track leads, opportunities, marketing campaigns and customer support. In addition to the free, open source version, commercially supported editions are available. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

Desktop Publishing

6. Scribus

Replaces InDesign CS5 ($239.88 per user per year and up), QuarkXPress ($849)

This professional-grade desktop publishing tool rivals the capabilities of well-known proprietary solutions. The latest version includes a retooled interface, improved handling of type, real tables and, for the first time ever, the ability to import files from InDesign, PageMaker, QuarkXPress and other similar programs. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

 

7. MiKTeX

Replaces InDesign CS5 ($239.88 per user per year and up), QuarkXPress ($849)

Specifically designed to help with the creation of technical publications and books that contain a lot mathematics, MiKTeX brings the TeX/LaTeX solution that is familiar to many Linux users to Windows. Numerous addons extend its capabilities. Operating System: Windows, Linux

 

E-mail/Collaboration/Groupware

8. Zimbra

Replaces Microsoft Exchange (price varies)

Zimbra offers multiple collaboration tools, both paid and free. The open source version above offers a client-server email solution with excellent security, multi-domain support, online moves and backups, real-time dashboard and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, Unix, OS X

 

9. Zarafa

Replaces Microsoft Exchange (price varies)

A complete communication tool, Zarafa offers Web-based meetings and file management as well as standard calendar and email capabilities. It also offers mobile sync and secure mail. A variety of paid subscription plans are available; for the free version, click the community tab on the website. Operating System: Linux

 

10. EGroupware

Replaces Microsoft Exchange (price varies)

This information management suite combines email, task management, project management, calendar, bookmarking, knowledge base, addressbook, time sheet and other capabilities into a single solution. In addition to the free community version, it comes in paid cloud-based and on-premise editions. Operating System: OS Independent

 

11. Citadel

Replaces Microsoft Exchange (price varies)

Built with a "room" architecture, Citadel promises easy installation and versatility. In addition to standard groupware features, it includes forums, instant messaging, a wiki, a blog engine and more. Operating System: Linux

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

12. Odoo

Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite (price vary)

Odoo boasts more than 2 million users, including companies like Hyndai, Danone, Toyota, Jack in the Box and the World Wildlife Fund. It includes a full suite of tools for building websites, boosting sales, running operations, managing HR, marketing, accounting and enhancing productivity. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

 

13. Openbravo

Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite (price vary)

Openbravo offers both a commerce suite (for multichannel retailers) and a business suite (for business management and business process optimization). You can find the open source versions at Code.Openbravo.com, or you can purchase enterprise versions and support through one of Openbravo's channel partners. Operating System: OS Independent

 

14.Postbooks/xTuple ERP

Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite (price vary)

Like many of the other open source ERP vendors, xTuple offers multiple commercial and open source products. PostBooks is the name it gives to its core open source ERP, accounting and CRM package. Operating System: OS Independent

 

15. ADempiere

Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite (price vary)

Forked from Compiere, ADempiere is a community-managed ERP suite. It includes tools for sales, purchasing, manufacturing, material management, finance, HR, project management, CRM, POS, ecommerce and maintenance management. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others

 

16. Compiere ERP + CRM Business Solution

Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite (price vary)

Very similar to ADempiere, Compiere offers multisite ERP, CRM and performance management capabilities. It comes in a free community edition, a paid enterprise edition and a cloud version that runs on Amazon Web Services. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others

 

17. opentaps

Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite (price vary)

Opentaps claims to be "the most advanced open source ERP + CRM solution." In addition to the free open source version, it comes in a paid professional version and a cloud version, and paid implementation and training are also available. Operating System: Windows, Linux

 

18. Apache OFBiz

Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite (price vary)

This full-featured enterprise automation suite include features for ecommerce, catalog management, promotion and pricing management, ordering, customer management, accounting, content management, POS and more. It's extremely flexible and scalable. The name stands for "Open For Business." Operating System: OS Independent

 

19. Dolibarr ERP/CRM

Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite (price vary)

This Web-based ERP solution was created for smaller companies, foundations and freelancers. Partners around the world provide support and other services, including cloud-based hosting. There is also an online marketplace with a variety of add-ons to extend its capabilities. Operating System: OS Independent

 

20. webERP

Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite (price vary)

As you might guess from the name, webERP runs in a browser and provides a wide range of business administration and accounting tools. It offers quite a few features that make it especially suitable for wholesalers, distributors and manufacturing companies. Operating System: OS Independent

 

21. ERP5

Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite (price vary)

This award-winning application includes CRM, production management, supply chain management, product design management, and HR features as well as standard ERP capabilities. In addition to the free download, it's also available on an SaaS basis that has a free pricing tier. Operating System: OS Independent

CAD

22. BRL-CAD

Replaces AutoCAD ($1,680 per year and up)

Early development activity on this very mature project began way back in 1979, and the U.S. military has been using it to model weapons systems for more than twenty years. It includes more than 400 tools for constructive solid geometry modeling. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others

 

23. FreeCAD

Replaces AutoCAD ($1,680 per year and up)

Useful for hobbyists, educators and experienced CAD professionals, FreeCAD is a general purpose 3D modeling tool. It has been around since 2001 and has a very full set of features. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others

 

24. Archimedes

Replaces AutoCAD ($1,680 per year and up)

Designed with architects in mind, Archimedes is a less full-featured CAD modeling tool. It is based on Eclipse's Rich Client Platform and is highly extensible. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

Graphics/Drawing

25. Dia

Replaces Visio Professional ($589.99)

If you need to create an org chart or similar diagram, Dia is a free, easy-to-use tool that gets the job done. It includes special objects for flowcharts, UML diagrams and network diagrams, making it useful for many who work in IT. Operating System: Windows, Linux

 

26. Gimp

Replaces Photoshop ($239.88 per user per year)

The GNU Image Manipulation Program, or Gimp for short, is a very popular, high-quality photo authoring and editing program with features that rival Photoshop. It supports numerous image file formats, including tiff, jpeg, gif, png, psd and others. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

 

27. Inkscape

Replaces Illustrator ($239.88 per user per year), CorelDraw ($419)

Suitable for use by professional graphic designers and other artists, Inkscape is a full-feature vector graphics digital illustration program. The website includes a wealth of helpful tools for using it, including an artwork gallery, tutorials, videos and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

Office Productivity

28. OpenOffice

Replaces Microsoft Office ($99 per user per year and up)

While Microsoft Office is much less expensive than it used to be, the price for the full installable version still adds up over time. Apache OpenOffice offers Office-compatible word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphic editing and database software. It's been downloaded more than 100 million times and is one of the most popular desktop open source software suites. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

 

29. LibreOffice

Replaces Microsoft Office ($99 per user per year and up)

LibreOffice offers the same set of applications as OpenOffice with a few slight differences. The newest version adds Android support, new spreadsheets functions and more powerful conditional formatting, interface improvements, and better import and export filters. The helpfulcomparison chart on its website shows in detail how its features map to Microsoft Office. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, Android

 

30. Calligra

Replaces Microsoft Office ($99 per user per year and up)

This office productivity suite bundles together a word processor (Words), spreadsheets (Sheets), presentations (Stage), project management (Plan), painting (Krita), database (Kexi), vector graphics (Karbon), diagramming (Flow) and mind mapping (Braindump). Its interface is less similar to Microsoft Office than OpenOffice's and LibreOffice's are, but it is still very intuitive. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

 

31. NeoOffice

Replaces Microsoft Office ($99 per user per year and up)

Very similar to OpenOffice and LibreOffice, NeoOffice is a Mac-only option that is compatible with Microsoft Office and the other major open source productivity suites. Note that the free version offers viewing, editing and printing only; the version that allows you to save documents can be downloaded from the Mac App store for $29.99. Operating System: OS X, iOS

 

32. AbiWord

Replaces Microsoft Word ($99 per user per year and up)

AbiWord is not a complete office suite—just a word processor. It opens other file formats, including Word and OpenOffice, and it offers advanced document layout capabilities. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

 

33. Gnumeric

Replaces Microsoft Excel ($99 per user per year and up)

Also not a full suite, Gnumeric is just a spreadsheet program, but it offers very advanced features and excellent accuracy. Note that it no longer supports Windows. Operating System: Linux, OS X

PDF Tools

34. PDFCreator

Replaces Adobe Acrobat DC Desktop ($449)

This helpful tool allows users to create PDFs or image files from almost any printable file format. It also includes encryption and document merge capabilities. Paid and free versions are available. Operating System: Windows

 

35. jPDF Tweak

Replaces Adobe Acrobat DC Desktop ($449)

This Java-based app functions like a "Swiss army knife for PDF files," allowing users to combine, split, reorder, watermark or rotate pages. In addition, it provides encryption and digital signature capabilities. Operating System: OS Independent

 

36. PDFedit

Replaces Adobe Acrobat DC Desktop ($449)

If you need to alter an existing PDF file, this tool does the job. It allows you to insert, change, delete or highlight text and edit graphics. Operating System: Windows, Linux

 

37. PDF SAM

Replaces Adobe Acrobat DC Desktop ($449)

The "SAM" part of this project's name stands for "split and merge," and just as it suggests, it allows users to divide existing PDFs into separate documents or combine multiple PDFs into one document. It's especially useful if you just need to reorder the pages in a PDF. The paid enhanced version adds encryption and metadata editing capabilities. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

Project Management

38. GanttProject

Replaces Microsoft Project Standard ($589.99 and up)

Downloaded more than 20,000 times a week, GanttProject has been around since 2003. It allows users to create tasks and milestones, organize and prioritize tasks, create PERT charts and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

 

39. dotProject

Replaces Microsoft Project Standard ($589.99 and up)

Another mature project, dotProject has been under development since 2000. Key features include an email-based trouble ticket system, hierarchical task list, discussion forum and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux

 

40. Feng Office

Replaces Microsoft Project Standard ($589.99 and up)

Used by more than 2 million people, Feng Office combines project management features with collaboration and email capabilities. In addition to the free community version, it also comes in paid cloud and onsite versions. Operating System: Windows, Linux

 

41. Onepoint Project

Replaces Microsoft Project Standard ($589.99 and up)

This application combines project management capabilities and portfolio management capabilities in a single package. It comes in personal server (free), group server (free), enterprise server (paid) and enterprise cloud (paid) versions. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

 

42. openXprocess

Replaces Microsoft Project Standard ($589.99 and up)

A good option for development teams, openXprocess includes features designed for agile and scrum methodologies. The organization also offers paid training in agile and scrum, and paid support is also available. Operating System: Windows, Linux

 

43. ]project-open[

Replaces Microsoft Project Standard ($589.99 and up)

Downloaded more than a million times, project-open is a full-featured project management solution suitable for enterprise use. It comes in community, professional and enterprise editions. Operating System: Windows, Linux

Reporting

44. JMagallanes

Replaces SAP Crystal Reports ($495), DBxtra ($1,590 and up)

This Java-based reporting tool can create static or dynamic reports and charts. It can accept data from SQL, Excel, XML and other sources, and it can create PDF, XML or application-specific files. Operating System: OS Independent

Web Site Design

45. Kompozer

Replaces Adobe Dreamweaver ($239.88 per user per year)

This "complete web authoring system" offers a WYSIWYG page editor or the option to directly in the page code. It's a good option for beginners as well as more advanced Web developers and designers. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

 

46. Bluefish

Replaces Adobe Dreamweaver ($239.88 per user per year)

Aimed at developers creating more advanced Web applications, Bluefish supports numerous programming languages. It boasts fast startup and performance, the ability to open hundreds of documents at once, project support, powerful search and replace, snippets sidebar, unlimited undo/redo, programming language-aware spell checker and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

 

47. SeaMonkey

Replaces Adobe Dreamweaver ($239.88 per user per year)

In addition to Webpage editing, this complete Internet suite also includes a browser, email client, IRC chat and more. Closely aligned with Mozilla, it is based on a lot of the same code as the Firefox browser and Thunderbird email application. Operating System: Windows, Linux

 

48. BlueGriffon

Replaces Adobe Dreamweaver ($239.88 per user per year)

Like SeaMonkey, BlueGriffon is also powered by Firefox's rendering engine. It includes a WYSIWYG content editor that simplifies the process of creating websites. Operating System: Windows, Linux

 

49. Amaya

Replaces Adobe Dreamweaver ($239.88 per user per year)

Managed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Amaya integrates web browsing and editing. It supports HTML, CSS, XML, and some related tools like XHTML, MathML and SVG. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

 

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