5 of the Best Office Apps for Android

When it’s time for serious work on a mobile device, you’ll often need an office suite app to create and edit your files on the go
5 of the Best Office Apps for Android
Developer James Bruce uses a Nexus 7 at Google's Developers Conference on June 27, 2012 in San Francisco, California. (Mathew Sumner/Getty Images)
2/8/2016
Updated:
2/8/2016

When it’s time for serious work on a mobile device, you'll often need an office suite app to create and edit your files on the go. There are many such apps in the Play Store, but I have saved you the hassle of going through each one of them to determine the best one.

After pouring through the available office suite offerings for Android, I have listed five of the best ones here in no particular order.

1. WPS Office

1android-office-wps

WPS Office is definitely the most advanced office suite on Android, and it’s completely free, too. It has everything you want from a mobile office suite and even a desktop client to go with it. It sports a beautiful material design interface that adapts to your device’s screen size whether a phone or tablet and comes with Writer, Spreadsheets and Presentation, each of which has excellent Microsoft Office compatibility (Word, Excel and Powerpoint). WPS office can be used to create simple documents, but it is also packed with advanced options to spruce up your documents such as tables, images, charts, and much more.

Other Key Features:

  • You can access and edit your cloud files (Google Drive, Dropbox, Onedrive, Box)
  • Great Word, Excel, and Powerpoint format compatibility
  • Compatible with USB and Bluetooth Keyboards
  • Support for wireless printing
  • Auto-save and Document Encryption
  • Share files using WiFi, NFC or DNLA
  • Lightweight and fast

2. Google Drive (and company)

2android-office-sheets

Google’s offering of office apps is great for users who are locked into Google’s ecosystem. You'll need to install a total of four applications (Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Slides and Google Sheets) to get the complete suite, unlike WPS Office above which bundles everything into one app. Nonetheless, it’s still an excellent choice and offers several useful advantages along with compatibility with Microsoft Office formats.

Other key features:

  • Clean, straight-forward interface
  • Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint format compatibility
  • Keep files offline for editing without an internet connection and sync later
  • Export to PDF and built-in PDF reader
  • Excellent for collaboration with several participants
  • Offers 15GB of free storage
  • Can store files other than documents (such as pictures, videos, etc.)

3. Polaris Office

3android-office-polaris

Polaris Office is an excellent office suite that has been around for a long time. Like all the other apps on this list, it supports Microsoft Office formats and comes with a built-in PDF viewer. The interface is very clean and not riddled with distractions so you can focus on your work. It also offers its own cloud drive (Polaris Drive) where you sync all your documents, or if you prefer you can use your existing cloud storage provider (Google Drive, Dropbox, Onedrive, Amazon Cloud Drive etc.).

Other key features:

  • Comes with different templates
  • Chromecast support
  • Offers Desktop client
  • Microsoft Office Compatibility
  • Export to PDF and Memo
  • Camera mode lets you scan documents

4. Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)

4android-office-ms-word1

Microsoft’s Office apps were a late addition to the array of Office Suites in the Google Play Store, but it quickly grew in popularity among Android users. Just like Google’s suite of apps, it is comprised of three separate apps: Word, Excel and Powerpoint, which means you can install only the ones you need. They all offer a similar clean interface, plenty of editing options and a familiar workflow to their desktop companion. Advanced features are available via an Office 365 subscription which starts at $6.99/month.

Other key features:

  • Supports OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box and Sharepoint
  • Offers familar interface with its desktop application
  • Excellent compatibility and layout fidelity with Microsoft Office formats
  • Offers templates to speed up document creation process

5. OfficeSuite + PDF Editor

5android-office-officesuite

MobiSystems OfficeSuite is yet another office suite on Android with some unique features that distinguishes it from the other apps on this list. It offers a familiar desktop interface which makes it a great option if you’re working from a big screen (such as a tablet). It has extensive file format support (including Microsoft Office & Open Office Formats), document scanning and PDF support. I’m not a big fan of this app due to its clunky interface which is riddled with ads. However, you can upgrade to premium to remove the ads and access other powerful features for $14.99.

Other key features:

  • Supports editing documents saved in Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, SugarSync, Amazon Cloud Drive and Dropbox
  • Export PDF to Word, ePub, Excel (Premium)
  • Password protection (Premium)
  • Digital signatures for PDF files
  • Track changes with multi-author support

Which of the above Office Suite apps is you favourite, or did we leave it out of the list altogether? Let us know in the comments below.

Republished with permission from MakeTechEasier. Read the original.