Ashampoo Office 27 Review: Is This Office Suite Purchase Worth It?

Quick verdict: Ashampoo Office 27 is a solid pick for Windows users who want Word, Excel and PowerPoint-style tools without a subscription. It opens and saves DOCX, XLSX and PPTX files, and it has a free sibling and a 30-day trial. It is not the right fit for Mac users, anyone who needs real-time co-authoring, or anyone who relies on heavy macros.

Best for: home users, students, freelancers and small offices on Windows.
Skip it if: you work on a Mac, or your team edits the same file together online.

If you’ve ever winced at a Microsoft 365 renewal email, you already know why office suites like this exist. Ashampoo Office 27 is the latest version of a German-made suite that bundles a word processor, a spreadsheet app, and a presentation tool. It sells them as a one-time purchase instead of a subscription.

This review covers what you get, what’s new in version 27, how well it handles Microsoft files, what it costs, and where it falls short. It also compares it with LibreOffice, SoftMaker, and Microsoft’s own options, so you can decide before spending anything.

What Is Ashampoo Office?

Ashampoo Office is a Windows office suite with a word processor (Write), a spreadsheet app (Calculate), and a presentation tool (Presentations). It is sold as a one-time purchase and works with Microsoft Office file formats.

Ashampoo GmbH & Co. KG, the company behind it, says it has more than 25 years of experience and over 22 million users worldwide. Version 27 is the current release. Ashampoo also offers a free edition, Ashampoo Office Free, covered below.

The SoftMaker connection (worth knowing)

This affects how you should shop. Ashampoo Office has long been built on SoftMaker’s office engine, a separate German suite. A 2010 PCWorld review found that the TextMaker and PlanMaker programs in both suites were identical, and Ashampoo’s help file referred to SoftMaker Office in several places.

The main differences back then were that Ashampoo’s edition cost less and left out SoftMaker’s BasicMaker programming add-on.

The 2026 feature list on Ashampoo’s site still uses the TextMaker and PlanMaker names for some features. That is not a flaw. It means you’re getting a mature, long-developed engine rather than a new product.

It also means SoftMaker Office is the closest direct competitor, and it’s worth comparing prices (see the comparison table below).

What’s New in Ashampoo Office 27?

According to Ashampoo, version 27 focuses on a more modern interface and better Microsoft compatibility. The main additions are:

• Improved DOCX compatibility in Write, including replying to comments and marking discussions as resolved
• Drag-and-drop outline view for moving headings and their sublevels in long documents
• Markdown import and export in Write
• Dynamic arrays in Calculate, so one formula can fill a whole result range and update when data changes
• Newer Excel-style functions such as XLOOKUP, XMATCH, FILTER and SORT, plus new PivotCharts
• PDFs insertable as vector graphics in all three apps, so they stay sharp when enlarged
• New color themes in Presentations, with automatic text fitting into existing frames
• QR code generation, a redesigned ribbon and a darker Dark Mode

If you’re still on an older version, Ashampoo lists an upgrade price of $40 at the time of writing.

Ashampoo Office 27 at a Glance

Note: One caution about that rating. It comes from Ashampoo’s own store, so treat it as a useful signal, not an independent test.

The Three Apps, Up Close

Write (the Word alternative)

Write handles letters, reports, résumés and long documents. The 27 update adds the drag-and-drop outline, comment replies, Markdown support and better DOCX handling.

The wider feature list also includes cross-references, footnotes and endnotes, a table of contents with clickable entries, version management that lets you revert to earlier saves, PDF forms and PDF/A for long-term archiving.

Where to be careful: if you exchange documents with Word users who use tracked changes heavily, run a real sample file through the trial first.

Calculate (the Excel alternative)

This is where version 27 improves most. Dynamic arrays and functions like XLOOKUP and FILTER close a gap that used to push people back to Excel.

The suite lists more than 350 calculation functions, over 80 chart types and pivot tables, and the Excel-style conditional formatting and custom number formats most people use day to day.

Where to be careful: if your spreadsheets depend on VBA macros or Excel add-ins, test them first. Ashampoo’s feature list doesn’t promise macro compatibility, and the older PCWorld comparison noted that Ashampoo’s edition omitted SoftMaker’s scripting add-on.

Presentations (the PowerPoint alternative)

Presentations covers slide masters, presenter view, PowerPoint-compatible transitions, 2D and 3D charts, and self-contained slideshows that play on other PCs without extra software. Version 27 adds color themes and automatic text fitting.

Where to be careful: complex animations and embedded media are the usual trouble spots in any PowerPoint alternative. Check your most important deck before committing.

How Well Does It Work With Microsoft Office Files?

Ashampoo says its suite is compatible with Microsoft Office, including Office 365 and Office 2019, and it opens and saves DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX files directly.

Third-party software directories describe the compatibility as strong but also list occasional format issues and no cloud storage among the downsides, and note that there is no real-time cloud collaboration.

In practice, simple and medium documents usually convert cleanly. Problems tend to show up with:

• Fonts that aren’t installed on your PC, which shift line breaks and page counts
• Tracked changes and complex comments from multiple reviewers
• Macros and add-ins
• Advanced animations and embedded video
• Heavily formatted layouts with text boxes, floating objects, and columns

The 10-minute compatibility test

Before you buy (or during the 30-day trial):

1. Open your three most complicated real files, not sample files.
2. Compare page counts and page breaks against the originals.
3. Check fonts, tables, footnotes, and images.
4. Save as DOCX, XLSX, or PPTX and reopen it in Microsoft Office or on another PC.
5. If you use tracked changes, send one file to a colleague and ask them to mark it up.

If all five pass, you’re probably fine.

Ashampoo Office Pricing and Licensing

Prices are in USD. Ashampoo runs frequent promotions, and your regional store may show prices in your local currency, so check the current price before buying.

What “one-time purchase” really means.

You pay once for that version. When a new major version comes out (27 today, a later one eventually), you’ll pay an upgrade fee if you want it.

Your current version keeps working, but the license is checked online at intervals, so a PC that never connects to the internet may run into activation problems.

Ashampoo Office Free: is it enough?

For many people, yes. Ashampoo describes Office Free as a permanent free edition with the same three-app lineup, and you can install it on a USB drive to run on the go.

If your needs are letters, simple budgets, and basic slideshows, try Free first and upgrade only if you hit a limit.

Carrying documents between a home PC, an office PC, and a library computer? A small USB flash drive lets you install the free edition once and run it anywhere, and many people pick up a compact one such as a SanDisk Ultra (available on Amazon) for exactly this.

System Requirements and Activation

• Operating system: Windows 11 or Windows 10
• Hardware: any device that runs those versions of Windows
• Internet: required to activate; the license is re-verified from time to time
• Permissions: full administrator rights are needed to use the program
• Installation: Ashampoo’s own app is used to install it

No macOS or Linux version is listed. If you’re on a Mac, see our guide to running Windows programs on a Mac, though a native Mac suite will usually be less hassle.

If you’re reviving an older PC with Linux, the free LibreOffice is the more practical choice. Our guide to installing Linux on old PCs can help.

Windows 10 reached end of support in October 2025. If your PC is stuck on it, check our Windows 11 system requirements guide and what to do if you can’t upgrade to Windows 11.

How to Get Started With Ashampoo Office (Step by Step)

1. Download the trial or the free edition from Ashampoo’s official site. Avoid third-party download portals that bundle extras.
2. Install using the Ashampoo App, which Ashampoo requires for installation. Run it with administrator rights.
3. Activate with your license key or account, with an internet connection.
4. Open a real file from your own work and run the compatibility test above.
5. Set your default save format to DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX so the files you share open cleanly everywhere. (Menu names can differ slightly between versions.)
6. Back up your documents before moving a large archive over. A portable SSD is a cheap safety net, and something like a Samsung T7 or SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD (both are available on Amazon) is a popular choice. If a drive ever acts up, our guide explains what you’d be facing.

Pros and Cons

What it does well

• One-time purchase with no subscription for the version you buy
• Opens and saves DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX natively
• Useful 27 upgrades: dynamic arrays, XLOOKUP, FILTER, PivotCharts
• Light on resources, so it suits older PCs
• Free edition, 30-day trial and 30-day refund
• One license covers up to 5 devices

Where it falls short

• Windows only
• No real-time cloud co-authoring and no built-in cloud storage
• Occasional formatting differences with complex Microsoft files
• Needs internet activation and periodic license checks
• Macro and add-in users may hit walls
• The ratings we cite come from Ashampoo’s own store

Myth vs. Fact

Ashampoo Office vs. the Alternatives

A few notes on those rivals:

• LibreOffice is the best-known free option. Version 26.8 arrived in late August 2026 for Windows, macOS, and Linux, with refinements to typography and Microsoft document exchange. It’s powerful, though some people find its interface less polished than a ribbon-style suite.
• SoftMaker FreeOffice is SoftMaker’s free edition. It can open and save DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX files directly. It’s worth trying alongside Ashampoo Office Free since the two share a lineage.
• Microsoft Office Home 2024 is the safest route if perfect file fidelity matters most. If you’d rather own it than rent it, it’s available as a one-time purchase on Amazon, and it’s worth comparing against Microsoft’s own store price.

Who Should Buy Ashampoo Office (and Who Shouldn’t)

Buy it if you:

• Use Windows 10 or 11 and want to avoid subscriptions
• Mostly write letters, reports, simple spreadsheets, and slideshows
• Share files with Word and Excel users but don’t co-edit in real time
• Want something lighter than Microsoft 365 on an older PC

Choose something else if you:

• Use a Mac or Linux → LibreOffice or SoftMaker Office
• Need live co-authoring or cloud storage → Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace
• Rely on VBA macros or Excel add-ins → Microsoft Office
• Want the cheapest possible option → Ashampoo Office Free or LibreOffice

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Buying before testing with your own files
• Downloading from random sites instead of Ashampoo’s official page (see our Malwarebytes vs Bitdefender comparison if you want a second layer of protection)
• Ignoring fonts, which cause most “my layout broke” complaints
• Saving only in the native format and then wondering why a colleague can’t open the file
• Storing license keys carelessly (a good password manager keeps keys and accounts together)

Quick Troubleshooting

• Won’t activate: check your internet connection, run the installer as administrator, and confirm your key and account details.
• Layout shifts after opening a Word file: install the missing fonts or substitute a similar one, then re-check page breaks.
• Slow performance on an old PC: close background apps, and consider an inexpensive basic hardware upgrade.
• Spreadsheet formulas return errors: check whether the function exists in Calculate, and re-test any macros.

Tip: If you build budgets or ledgers on a laptop, a compact USB numeric keypad (available on Amazon) speeds up entry in Calculate considerably.

How We Evaluated Ashampoo Office

This review draws on Ashampoo’s official product, pricing, and requirements pages, verified customer ratings on Ashampoo’s store, third-party software directories, and independent reviews of the underlying software.

Where a claim comes from a vendor, we say so. Prices change often, so confirm the current price on Ashampoo’s site before buying.

Final Verdict

Ashampoo Office 27 does a specific job well. It gives Windows users a familiar, light, subscription-free suite that handles Microsoft formats in most everyday situations, and version 27’s dynamic arrays and better DOCX support close real gaps.

The free edition and 30-day trial make it easy to try, and the limits are clear: Windows only, no real-time collaboration, and some risk with complex files and macros.

Our recommendation: start with Ashampoo Office Free or the 30-day trial, run your hardest files through it, and buy only if they pass. If they don’t, LibreOffice (free) or Microsoft Office 2024 (paid) are your next stops.

Frequently Asked Questions