Key Takeaways
- WPS Office is a free alternative to Microsoft 365 for iPad users who do not have or do not want a Microsoft 365 subscription.
- Without a Microsoft 365 subscription, full Office functionality on iPads larger than 10 inches is not available — WPS Office fills that gap.
- WPS Office handles Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files in a single app, functioning as a versatile all-in-one office suite.
- A recent update introduced proper Files app integration on iPad: tapping the iCloud label inside WPS Office now opens the familiar iOS Files picker.
- The Files app (formerly called the iCloud app) acts like a universal file manager on iPad, connecting OneDrive, Dropbox, network drives via File Browser Professional, and more.
- WPS Office allows switching between slide view and whiteboard view inside PowerPoint files — a feature not natively available in Microsoft PowerPoint for iPad.
- WPS Office has been thoroughly evaluated by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and is reportedly used across German ministries on Android devices.
- The free version of WPS Office covers most everyday needs; paid subscriptions (VIP individual at €32.99/year, family at €44.99/year) cost significantly less than Microsoft 365.
- The recommended storage strategy on iPad is to connect cloud or network storage once through the Files app (e.g., via File Browser Professional), rather than re-connecting it separately in every app.
- PDF Expert is mentioned as an even more powerful PDF tool alongside WPS Office for users who need advanced PDF editing.
WPS Office vs. Microsoft Office: Quick Comparison
Short verdict: For most everyday work, WPS Office is a genuine, low-cost alternative to Microsoft Office. It opens and edits Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files and now integrates cleanly with the iPad’s Files app. Microsoft 365 still wins when you depend on advanced real-time collaboration or deep enterprise features.
| Criterion | WPS Office | Microsoft Office / 365 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free version available; low-cost premium | Paid subscription (Microsoft 365) |
| Word, Excel & PowerPoint files | Opens & edits all common formats | Native |
| PDF editing | Built in | Limited (needs extra tools) |
| iPad Files app integration | Works smoothly (recently improved) | Native |
| Offline use | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time co-authoring | Basic | Advanced |
| Best for | Individuals & small teams wanting a free, capable suite | Organisations needing deep collaboration & enterprise tools |
Introduction
Nice to have you with us again for another episode of Digital4Productivity and another small but nice tip.
As you know, we always alternate between interview episodes, topics on digitalization, small tips and, of course, the latest news from Apple. We'll be reporting on that again. Today we're talking about one topic, Office. An alternative to Microsoft Office, which I'm sure you've heard of a few times. It's called WPS Office. But what's so exciting that I'm making a new episode on the subject of WPS Office?
What's new is an improved integration into the file manager, i.e. the iPad's Files app. What does that mean? Firstly, before we look at this, perhaps another question, why not Microsoft Office, why WP Office?
WPS Office can handle Excel, Word, PowerPoint and even PDF
WPS Office is an alternative to Microsoft Office and is recommended for those of you who do not have a Microsoft 365 subscription or do not want to take out one. Only with a Microsoft 365 subscription can you use the complete Microsoft Office version on an iPad larger than 10 inches. If you don't have this, you won't be able to use this version of Microsoft Office. Then there is a good alternative with WPS Office.
WPS Office can handle Excel, PowerPoint and even PDF. It is therefore a Swiss army knife with many functions. Personally, I find PDF Expert even more powerful, which is why I always use it in addition. But for World, Excel and PowerPoint I have to say that WPS is great. Sometimes it's even more compatible than the original. And it no longer has this swapping of tabs and menu commands. In the past, the tabs in different Excel files, for example, were at the top and the commands were at the bottom. WPS Office has now reversed this, so it's been a bit longer that it's been aligned. It is also very compatible. This means that you can also display Word files, Excel files and PowerPoint files very well, and for those who have perhaps used it before, you can switch between the slide view and a whiteboard view in PowerPoint very easily. And that's an advantage over PowerPoint, because PowerPoint doesn't have this integrated. You would always have to switch to Thoughts - the Thinking App, for example. That's the application I always recommend for this. But switching back and forth quickly within an app is sometimes easier.
WPS Office as a secure alternative to Microsoft Office
But for me, one of the greatest enhancements that has recently been introduced is that if you use WPS Office, you can now also say that the Cloud area does not have the direct designation Files, but rather iCloud. Now you're going to say wait a minute, we're a bank now, we're a tax consultancy, I'm not allowed to use the cloud. You're right, the cloud is currently not GDPR-compliant and cannot be used for the corporate sector. However, and this is also a tip that I would like to pass on to you in general, if you see iCloud in a file in an application, then it is sometimes worth tapping on it, because then the Files app usually opens. The Files app used to be called the iCloud app and the iCloud app was only connected to the file manager or Apple's file cloud storage service, iCloud Drive. And this files application was extended for others. That's why at some point it was even renamed from iCloud to the Files app, which corresponds pretty much exactly to the functionality of your File Manager or Explorer from the Windows world or your Finder in the music world. And the idea is that you always have the corresponding storage services up there. And whenever you have installed an application that allows you to store data, such as One Drive, you also have this as a storage location, just as you would on your PC. Or if you use Dropbox, for example, or set up access to your own network drives via the File Browser Professional. And the nice thing is, just as it is now on the PC. And on the Mac, say open file and then the file manager opens, i.e. Explorer or Finder, which is exactly how it works in many applications on the iPad.
The connection of WPS Office
And WPS Office was an exception until recently. You always had to connect a WebDAV server via the Cloud area, for example, or you could also connect Dropbox or One Drive there, for example. But you had to connect it again and that's always stupid, so the file integration is always better and you can now find this file integration in many applications. You can find it in the Microsoft Office applications anyway. But you can also find it in PDF Expert. Funnily enough, it also says, now I just have to see what the current status is. Just a moment. Let me check what the current (...) is. Files times says iCloud, I'll just have a look. PDF Expert now also says Files, so many applications now also say Files. This is less confusing than when it says iCloud. WPS Office currently says iCloud, but the moment you tap on it, the familiar window opens, where you can practically see the Files app in a slightly reduced form, where you can go to Recently used, go to the storage locations, to the favorites and of course to the tags that you can use there, where you can quickly set up things for self-organization, for quick access.
As I said, WPS Office has always been a good alternative for me. Now it's been great again. And if you have previously integrated One Drive or a WebDAV server there separately, then I would rather recommend that you integrate your own server via the File Browser Professional, cloud services, via the corresponding cloud applications and then have this in the Files app accordingly and then go in via the Files integration.
For once, you can really think like on a PC, where you also have a file manager and do not integrate the storage services in every single program and WPS Office also makes this possible.
Conclusion
Yes, to conclude, perhaps a word about where WPS Office comes from. And some of you will say hey, wait a minute, that's a Chinese software company that offers it. Yes, that's right. And here, too, a differentiated view is required, and this is software that has been evaluated very intensively by the BSI. You may be familiar with the famous Merkel phone from SEKU Smart, which was developed there for highly secure communication.
And not only for Dr. Merkel and now for Olaf Scholz as her successor in the Federal Chancellery, but also for many ministries. As a rule, Android rather than iOS is used here, for various reasons. And the Office version that is generally used in this area, and this is where the circle closes, is WPS Office, because this Office package is also available for Android and has been put through its paces very intensively in terms of security. So against this backdrop, this is another example of the fact that when it comes to security, we should take a more differentiated look behind the blanket statements behind it. And WPS Office is definitely a solution that I can highly recommend for security reasons and, above all, now because it has even better integration into the Files app. You have certainly also seen that this application offers a subscription service in the area of in-app purchases. You see, you have an annual subscription there, with a maximum family subscription of €44.99 for VIP and €32.99 for an individual subscription, which is significantly less than the license fees you pay for Microsoft 365. And as always, you start with the free version. Most of my customers get along wonderfully with the free version. You have relatively few restrictions. You can also view and present wonderfully with the free version. I worked with the free version for a long time. You should definitely start with it first.
Yes, on that note, thank you for joining us again and I look forward to seeing you back next week. And next week we'll take a look at a topic, whether it has to be the AppleWatch Ultra or whether the smallest SE isn't even enough. I look forward to having you back for the next episode. See you then.
Yours, Thorsten Jekel
Frequently Asked Questions
What is WPS Office and what file formats does it support?
WPS Office is a cross-platform office suite that serves as an alternative to Microsoft Office. It supports Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files in a single application, making it a versatile choice for everyday productivity tasks on iPad.
Why would someone choose WPS Office instead of Microsoft Office on iPad?
A Microsoft 365 subscription is required to use the full version of Microsoft Office on iPads larger than 10 inches. Users who do not have or do not want such a subscription can use WPS Office as a fully capable free alternative.
What is the key improvement in WPS Office's recent update?
WPS Office recently improved its integration with the iPad's Files app. When you tap the iCloud label in WPS Office's file browser, the standard iOS Files picker now opens, giving access to all connected storage locations just as in other apps.
How does the iPad Files app work as a file manager?
The iPad Files app (formerly called the iCloud app) functions similarly to Windows Explorer or macOS Finder. It aggregates all connected storage services — such as iCloud Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and network drives — into one unified file manager.
How should I connect cloud or network storage on iPad for the best experience?
The recommended approach is to connect storage services once through the Files app rather than inside each individual application. For example, network drives can be connected via File Browser Professional, and cloud services like OneDrive or Dropbox via their own apps, making them available everywhere through the Files integration.
Can WPS Office be used in environments where cloud storage is not GDPR-compliant?
The transcript notes that iCloud is currently not GDPR-compliant for corporate use. However, the Files app integration in WPS Office lets you connect on-premises or self-hosted storage (such as a WebDAV server or network drive via File Browser Professional) instead of relying on iCloud.
What presentation feature does WPS Office offer that Microsoft PowerPoint for iPad lacks?
WPS Office allows users to switch quickly between a slide view and a whiteboard view within the same app. Microsoft PowerPoint for iPad does not have this integrated, so users would need a separate app such as Thoughts (the Thinking App) for whiteboard functionality.
Is WPS Office considered secure enough for professional or government use?
According to the transcript, WPS Office has been evaluated very intensively by the BSI (Germany's Federal Office for Information Security) and is reportedly used across German federal ministries. The same security-focused company (SEKU Smart) is also known for producing the secure phone used in the German Federal Chancellery.
How much does WPS Office cost and is there a free version?
WPS Office offers a free version that covers most everyday needs with relatively few restrictions. The paid VIP subscription costs €32.99 per year for an individual or €44.99 per year for a family plan — both significantly cheaper than Microsoft 365 licensing fees.
Which app is recommended for advanced PDF editing alongside WPS Office?
PDF Expert is recommended for advanced PDF editing as it is described as even more powerful than the PDF functionality built into WPS Office. The two apps complement each other: WPS Office for Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, and PDF Expert for complex PDF work.
Tools & Resources Mentioned
- WPS Office – Free Microsoft Office alternative for iPad supporting Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF
- Microsoft 365 – Microsoft's subscription-based Office suite; required for full Office on iPads larger than 10 inches
- PDF Expert – Powerful PDF editing app for iPad, recommended for advanced PDF tasks
- Thoughts (Thinking App) – Whiteboard/thinking app recommended when a whiteboard view is needed alongside PowerPoint
- File Browser Professional – App for connecting network drives and WebDAV servers to the iPad Files app
- OneDrive – Microsoft cloud storage, connectable via the iPad Files app
- Dropbox – Cloud storage service, connectable via the iPad Files app
- iCloud Drive – Apple's cloud storage, the original basis of the iOS Files app
- BSI (Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik) – German Federal Office for Information Security, cited for having evaluated WPS Office
