SoftMaker Office 2024

What is included in SoftMaker Office 2024?

Four programs – Word processor, spreadsheet, slides and macros.
Microsoft formats – Opens and saves DOCX, XLSX and PPTX.
Cross-platform license – One licence covers Windows, macOS and Linux.
PDF export – Direct PDF and PDF/A archiving built in.
Core Capacity – 430+ functions and one million spreadsheet rows.
Important – No built-in email or database application included.

What are the main benefits of SoftMaker Office 2024?

SoftMaker Office 2024 is a one-time-purchase office suite for Windows, macOS and Linux that uses Microsoft's DOCX, XLSX and PPTX as its native file formats. It comes in a Standard and a Professional edition, with Professional adding research dictionaries, EPUB export and the German Duden Korrektor.

No subscription – One-time purchase with no recurring fees.
Native compatibility – Edits Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly.
Five installations – Covers up to five household computers.
Familiar interface – Switch between ribbons and classic menus.
Portable use – Runs from a USB stick without installation.
Professional edition – Adds Zotero, EPUB export and research tools.

What does SoftMaker Office 2024 do?

SoftMaker Office 2024 is a desktop office suite that covers the core tasks of Microsoft Office with four programs: TextMaker for documents, PlanMaker for spreadsheets, Presentations for slides and BasicMaker for macros. It uses DOCX, XLSX and PPTX as its default formats, so files are saved in Microsoft's formats without a separate import or export step. The suite runs natively on Windows, macOS and Linux from a single licence. This makes it a practical fit for anyone who exchanges documents with Word and Excel users but does not want to run Microsoft Office itself.

Can SoftMaker Office open and save Microsoft Office files?

Yes. TextMaker, PlanMaker and Presentations open and save the current DOCX, XLSX and PPTX formats as well as the older DOC, XLS and PPT files, and PlanMaker also reads XLSM macro-enabled sheets. Because these Microsoft formats are the program defaults, a document edited in TextMaker stays a real DOCX file that a Word user can open without conversion. PlanMaker supports up to one million rows per sheet plus pivot tables and more than 430 calculation functions, so most Excel workbooks transfer without losing their structure. Very complex Word macros or heavily scripted Excel automations may still need checking, since BasicMaker is VBA-compatible but not identical to Microsoft VBA.

What is the difference between SoftMaker Office 2024 Standard and Professional?

Both editions include the same four core programs and the same Microsoft-format compatibility; Professional adds tools aimed at academic and heavy document work. The Professional edition adds an online research function covering hundreds of professional dictionaries and encyclopedias, Zotero citation integration, EPUB e-book export, QR-code and barcode insertion, the German Duden Korrektor for spelling and grammar, and more than 220 group-policy objects for managed deployment. If you mainly write letters, reports and spreadsheets, Standard is enough; if you produce e-books, cite sources or roll the suite out across managed machines, Professional is the edition to choose. The table below shows the split.

Does SoftMaker Office 2024 include the AI, translation and mobile apps?

No. The one-time-purchase SoftMaker Office 2024 does not include the ChatGPT text assistant, the DeepL document translation, the LanguageTool grammar checker or the iOS and Android apps that SoftMaker advertises. Those belong to the separate SoftMaker Office NX product, which is the subscription line and is licensed differently. The perpetual 2024 Standard and Professional editions cover the desktop suite on Windows, macOS and Linux only. If AI writing help, automatic translation or phone and tablet editing matter to you, check whether you actually need SoftMaker Office NX rather than the perpetual version.

Who is SoftMaker Office 2024 best suited for?

It fits users leaving a Microsoft 365 subscription who still need to exchange DOCX and XLSX files with colleagues but want a one-time purchase instead of a recurring fee. Because there is a native Linux build, it also solves a concrete problem for Linux users who otherwise have no offline, Microsoft-compatible office suite. The USB-portable option suits technicians and people working on shared or locked-down machines where installing software is not permitted. It is less suited to teams that depend on live co-authoring or an Outlook-style mail and calendar client, since SoftMaker Office provides neither.

Can SoftMaker Office 2024 be used commercially?

Yes, commercial use is covered; SoftMaker sells the suite for business and personal use. A single perpetual licence covers up to five computers in one private household, or one workstation per user inside a company or organization. Documents can be exported to PDF/A, the long-term archiving format, which is useful for invoices, contracts and records that must stay readable for years. This keeps SoftMaker Office 2024 a workable choice for small businesses and self-employed users who want a licensed, Microsoft-compatible suite without an ongoing subscription.

Frequently asked questions about SoftMaker Office 2024

Does SoftMaker Office 2024 support macros and automation?

Yes. BasicMaker is the included scripting environment, and its scripts run directly inside TextMaker and PlanMaker. The language is VBA-compatible, so many existing Word and Excel macros can be adapted rather than rewritten, though complex Microsoft VBA projects may still need adjustment.

Can SoftMaker Office 2024 open older Word and Excel files?

Yes. It reads and writes the legacy DOC, XLS and PPT formats alongside the modern DOCX, XLSX and PPTX formats, plus template formats such as XLTX and POTX. This makes it a practical way to keep working with archived documents created in much older Office versions.

Does SoftMaker Office 2024 run on Windows Server?

Yes. Alongside Windows 7 through 11, the suite is listed as compatible with Windows Server 2008 R2 and newer, as well as macOS 10.14 or later and Linux. This lets administrators run it in server-based or terminal environments where a Microsoft-compatible editor is needed.