Microsoft office online web apps are full-featured versions of the microsoft office applications.
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Microsoft Office Online can serve as a free MS Office alternative, as it lets you edit and share files created in a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation program, as well access Outlook and OneNote. Show
Everything done through the online version of Office is performed through a web browser and saved online, so you can access the files from anywhere. What We Like
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Using Office OnlineWhen you visit Office.com and log in with your Microsoft account, there's a menu, like you see above, that provides access to all the apps you're offered. This is how you access Excel online, or Word, or Outlook, etc. When you select an app, you'll be taken to it immediately, where you can then create and edit files already in your account, and upload new ones. For example, Excel Online has an Upload and open button where you can select an XLS, XLSX, XLB, CSV, or other supported file from your computer. Office Online also makes it really easy to share files and work on documents with other people in real time. Links can be shared that anyone with a Microsoft account can open, so that you can collaborate on files. Microsoft Office Online File FormatsMicrosoft Office Online fully supports the following file types, meaning that you can open and save back to these formats: DOCM, DOCX, PPTM, PPTX, XLSM, XLSXOther files are supported, too, such as CSV, but after editing it, if you want to save it back to your computer, you need to pick XLSX or XLSM. You can, however, take advantage of an export tool that permits the saving of formats like ODT and PDF as a downloaded document. Otherwise, Office saves to OneDrive by default, and it links with your desktop version of Office such that your most-recent-files list is synced between the two. Microsoft Office Online vs. Microsoft OfficeThe desktop version of is similar to the online one. While some features may not be present in the online tool, the overall look and feel are nearly identical. They both contain Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. The major limitation relates to the fullness of the feature set. The desktop apps, by virtue of residing on a hard drive with access to the operating system, contain richer tools for things like inserting complex objects. Although Office Online is certainly a full-featured online productivity suite, no online-only platform generally offers the same capability as a locally installed program. There's presently no online version of Access or Publisher. Thoughts on Microsoft Office OnlineIf you're familiar with Office on your desktop, using the online version is a breeze, as the menus and functions are similar, if not the exact same. Common file formats are allowed and every single format that Office supports is supported in the online version. However, there is a major difference in the way Office Online uses these files compared to the desktop version. Say you're working with someone else on a DOC file that was created in a program like SSuite Office. If you load this DOC file into Office Online and attempt to make any edits, the file is automatically converted to DOCX. This means when you save it and return it to the SSuite user, edits can't be made because that office suite doesn't allow DOCX files to be opened. Visit Microsoft Office Online Thanks for letting us know! Microsoft offers several different ways to run the various Office programs—as desktop apps, as mobile apps for Android or iPhone/iPad, and online in a web browser. As you might imagine, the online and mobile app versions aren’t as robust as the desktop version, but you might still find them useful. And for some of you, they might be all you need. Here’s the breakdown. The Different Versions of Microsoft OfficeMicrosoft’s offerings can sometimes be a little, shall we say, perplexing. Office is no exception. You can buy or subscribe to the full desktop version. The subscription option also offers access to their mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, and (in turn) Chromebooks. And you can use an online version for free in your browser. Office 365 (or Office 2016) Desktop The desktop version of Office is the full featured version you’re most likely familiar with from years past. These are the full desktop apps that you install on your Windows PC or Mac. You can buy this version in one of two ways: RELATED: What's the Difference Between Office 365 and Office 2016?
We’ve covered the difference between Office 365 and Office 2016 in detail before, so if you want to learn more about which version may be better for you, we suggest giving that guide a read. Office 365 Mobile Apps (for iPhone, Android, and Chromebooks)RELATED: The Best Android Apps You Should be Using On Your Chromebook The Office 365 Mobile Apps include versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook for the iOS and Android platforms. You can also use most of the Office Mobile Apps for Android on a Chromebook, assuming you have a Chromebook that supports Android apps (though a few don’t support PowerPoint). To use the mobile apps, you’ll need to have a paid Office 365 subscription. That subscription gives you access to both the desktop and mobile apps—you don’t need a separate subscription. The mobile apps offer a more limited feature set than their full desktop counterparts (more on that in a moment), but the look and feel is largely the same. The mobile apps also offer offline access, meaning you can view and edit documents even when you’re not connected to the Internet. Office 365 OnlineOffice 365 Online lets you view and edit Office documents for free in your web browser (like Google Docs, but from Microsoft). All the same apps—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote—are available. You do not need a subscription to use the online apps, although you will need to sign in with a free Microsoft account. The Office 365 Online apps offer pretty much the same set of features you’d find in the mobile apps. The big difference (aside from being free) is that Office 365 Online does not offer offline access; you must be connected to the Internet to view and edit documents. All three versions (desktop, mobile apps, and online) offer seamless integration with OneDrive, so keeping track of documents is easy when you move between platforms. Are the Non-Desktop Versions Good Enough?Let’s be clear up front: the non-desktop versions of Office are no replacement for the full desktop version. Office 365 Online and the Office 365 Mobile Apps both offer a feature set similar to what you’d find in their Google Docs counterparts. They’re great if you just need the basic features, or if you occasionally need to view or make minor edits to documents (without the compatibility issues you’d run into using Google Docs, LibreOffice, or another suite of programs). For example, some of the major features you’ll find missing in the online and mobile apps include:
And there are a lot more, somewhat minor, features you won’t be able to take advantage of in the online or mobile app versions of Office, as well. For a complete list, check out the Office Online Service Description on Microsoft TechNet. While that list specifically talks about the Office 365 Online experience, most of the same exclusions apply to the mobile apps, too. NOTE: Some of these features we mentioned are viewable in the online and mobile app versions of Office; you just can’t create them there. For example, you cannot create a table of contents form in the online or mobile app versions, but you will be able to view one that was created in the desktop version. Which Version of Office Should You Use?What version of Office is best for you depends on your needs. If you need the full desktop version, decide whether you want to go with the standalone Office 2016 or the subscription-based Office 365. Note that if you also want to use the mobile apps, you’ll need that Office 365 subscription, anyway. When it comes to using Office 365 Online or the Office 365 Mobile Apps, we find that they really are good enough if you only need access to basic features, or if you mostly need to view (and maybe perform minor edits to) documents created with the full desktop version. If you already have an Office 365 subscription, we recommend using the mobile apps primarily because they offer the ability to work offline. You can use them just fine on Android, iPhone or iPad, or even on the Chromebook. If you don’t already have a Office 365 subscription and don’t really care about offline access, we recommend sticking with the free online app—it’ll let you at least do the basics, for free, with nothing but a web browser. READ NEXT
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