Google Docs, Sheets and Slides

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IF YOU WORK collaboratively, or switch between a PC and a Mac, Google Docs, Sheets and Slides should be your first port of call.

For anyone who’s already deep into the Android/Google ecosystem, this suite will be a natural choice. The three key tools run happily in any web browser, and are available as mobile apps for Apple and Android devices.

Google’s free office suite doesn’t offer the advanced tools you’ll find in desktop software like LibreOffice (there are no pivot tables, for example, and there’s no database tool) but everything is laid out in a clear, logical way and all your files will be saved and synced automatically so you don’t have to worry about transfers and backups.

One of the best features of Docs, Sheets and Slides is being able to work collaboratively on a document with friends and colleagues, without fear of the document being overridden with double-ups, or having a corrupted save. It can be a little weird at first, seeing an entire paragraph you’re working on shift around, but the software neatly sorts it out.

The chief disadvantage of Docs, Sheets and Slides is that opening files created using other office software is a cumbersome process and files aren’t always converted perfectly.

This is partly because Google’s office tools use web fonts rather than ones stored locally on your device, and partly because Microsoft documents sometimes contain features not supported by Google. Opt for the basic paid business package for $5 per month and you get 30GB of storage, compared to 15GB with the free version.