Best Ubuntu Office Tools: LibreOffice vs WPS, PDF Editors, Screenshot Apps, Linux IM

1. Office Suites: LibreOffice vs WPS

LibreOffice (pre‑installed) : Fully open‑source, adheres to ODF standards, and can read Microsoft Office formats. Its interface resembles Office 2003 and offers powerful features, though users may need time to adapt. It suits plain‑text editing and scenarios where strict format compatibility is not critical.

WPS Office for Linux (strongly recommended) : Officially released by Kingsoft, native Linux version. The UI mirrors the Windows edition and provides excellent compatibility with .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx files, plus cloud‑document features. Install via the .deb package from the WPS website; after installation you may see a "system missing fonts" warning, which can be fixed by installing Windows fonts as described in the previous chapter. If you frequently exchange .docx/.pptx files with Windows users, WPS is preferable; for long‑term archival or academic writing, LibreOffice remains a stable choice.

2. PDF Reading and Editing

Document Viewer (Evince) : Built‑in, launches quickly, suitable for simple viewing.

Master PDF Editor : Powerful editor that can modify text, add signatures, and annotate; the free version adds a watermark, with a paid license available.

WPS PDF : Comes with the WPS suite and provides adequate functionality for most tasks.

For basic operations such as merging, splitting, rotating, or compressing PDFs, web‑based tools can suffice, but for privacy‑sensitive or contractual documents a local application is recommended.

3. Screenshot and Screen Recording

GNOME built‑in tool : Press PrtSc for a modern interface that supports region, window, and full‑screen capture, as well as screen recording via a toggle in the lower‑right corner.

Flameshot (strongly recommended) : Offers annotation features comparable to QQ/WeChat screenshots, including arrows, mosaics, text, and numbering. Install with: sudo apt install flameshot After installation, bind the PrtSc shortcut to the flameshot gui command in the system settings for quick access.

4. Instant Messaging (IM)

Linux historically struggled with IM, but the situation has improved.

WeChat : Native Linux client released by Tencent; basic chat and file transfer functions are sufficient and energy‑efficient. The Wine/Deepin versions provide fuller features (Moments, mini‑programs) at the cost of higher resource usage.

QQ : Tencent's Electron‑based Linux client offers a modern UI and near‑feature parity with the Windows version, including voice/video calls, screenshots, and group management.

Telegram / Discord / Slack : All have excellent native Linux clients available from the App Center.

Recommendation: Prefer native or official channel installations; use Wine only when necessary, keeping in mind potential drawbacks in power consumption, stability, and responsiveness.

5. Email Clients

Thunderbird : Mozilla’s pre‑installed client, feature‑rich, extensible via add‑ons, suitable for power users.

Mailspring : Visually modern, supports read‑receipt tracking.

Combining these tools enables Ubuntu to handle everyday document creation, spreadsheet work, and team communication. The most significant factors affecting the experience are font availability and format compatibility, which are addressed in the preceding chapter.