Your free Polaris account comes with 60MB monthly data transfer, 1GB cloud storage, and can be used across three devices (one desktop and two mobile). This is necessary because Polaris Office is a cloud-based service. You’ll then need to sign in with Facebook or Google, or create an account. You can decline all of these – just keep an eye out. Take care if you choose to install Windows version, you’ll see various additional pieces of bundled software, which could potentially include a browser extension from McAfee called WebAdvisor, a market research tool called PremierOpinion, and antivirus software (opens in new tab).

It’s compatible with all Microsoft document formats, and offers a slick ribbon-based interface with some basic customization options. This cross-platform free office software is available for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, and comes pre-installed on some Samsung handsets.

If you own a Samsung phone, you might already be familiar with the mobile version of Polaris Office. However, there's no one-click set up or access, and instead you have to go through a sign up process that begins by providing details of an existing business domain. If you want to signup for the free version of Zoho Workplace you need to search the pricing page for the 'Forever free' plan. Some are on the simplistic side, so they'll likely not replace anything you might already have in place, but if you're starting out as a small business Zoho is probably a good jumping-off point. They're just the tip of the iceberg, however – Zoho Workplace includes a powerful site creation tool, a file management solution and many collaborative tools. Zoho's new-look word processor (which ditches the classic Word-style interface in favor of a formatting sidebar) is very well-presented and capable of producing professional-looking docs, and it has a sterling spreadsheet and reasonable presentation package alongside it. It's certainly closer to a desktop office package, and it's strong enough to have attracted businesses like the BBC and Nike as regular users. Zoho Workplace is very good in its own right.

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