Best alternative for Pages?

I would recommend Microsoft Office for Mac 2016 (in spite of what you have read), but another option that is free and very good is https://www.libreoffice.org/

You may want to provide more information about features that are important to you (e.g., Microsoft Word compatibility, iOS app compatibility, other features).

VikingOSX wrote:

Rachel is a professional writer, and Bean is neither up to that task in capabilities, nor is it an actively developed and maintained application. It was retired once already by the developer.

Note I posted before Rachel422 had made any stipulations as to use.

rachel422 wrote:

I need the usual word processing functions… I also have to be able to convert to PDF.

What do you consider "the usual word processing functions"?

By definition that would be type on the keyboard and have editable letters appear on the screen.

All Mac software prints to PDF, it is part of the Print dialog.

Have a look at Nisus Writer Express and Pro.

Scrivener, Ulysses and Storyist are word processors with specific features for writers and worth checking out.

Peter

Ulysses has transitioned to a subscription model.

The real acid test for Rachel is MS Word content conformity during document interchange with other Word users. She must be able to receive, process, and return document content that conforms to the expectations of those who share Word documents with her. Many of the word processing applications that we eagerly name drop in these threads may struggle, if not outright fail in this document conformity mission.

I for one, am not interesting in creating more work, or anxiety for Rachel. In the end, she must choose the best application for her learning curve, and workflow requirements.

Yes I read that Viking but I'm not going to make decisions on behalf of the O.P. She hasn't told us enough to advise what is best.

If that bothers her she can reject Ulysses.

Nisus Writer basically works in RTF as well, but it has features which may make that irrelevant.

The trouble with measuring everything with a MsWord ruler is that means you are stuck with MsWord and the Mac version of that still falls short of the Windows version.

If everything is a Macdonald's cheeseburger you will suffer the consequences and so will everyone else from the trail of rubbish you produce.

Writing has a purpose beyond what tools you use to create it.

Peter

Here are my comments (for continuity) in your other recent post regarding the matter of an alternative word processing solution.

If you want something small and fast but with modest features look at Bean.

If Word compatibility is a key criteria then it would be Microsoft Office for Mac 2016. LibreOffice also does a pretty good job with that too.

I haven't used it. I remember negative discussions about its ability to convert to Word format but from a long time ago and I don't know how factual they were even at the time.

Rachel is a professional writer, and Bean is neither up to that task in capabilities, nor is it an actively developed and maintained application. It was retired once already by the developer.