WPS ActiveX Controls on macOS: Introduction

WPS ActiveX Controls is an interactive control feature in WPS Writer on macOS; it includes 4 core tasks, with 4 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	4	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	4	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index

About This Feature

Overview

ActiveX Controls let you insert interactive objects into a document, such as command buttons, check boxes, list boxes, combo boxes, labels, and spin buttons, so you can build forms, collect input, and respond to click events.

In WPS Writer on macOS, this feature mainly covers these tasks:

Insert ActiveX controls into a document.
Review common control types for different form needs.
Set control properties.
Write code for control events.

It is suitable for registration forms, approval templates, interactive document templates, and business documents that require user input.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A macOS environment that can run WPS Office for Mac normally
App version	It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office so the Developer Tools entry is available
Network	No mandatory network connection is required for inserting and configuring local controls; network access is needed for download, updates, and account-related actions
Other	Before writing code for controls, make sure your current environment allows macro-related features and that you have permission to edit the document

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Installation	Download WPS Office for Mac, complete the installation flow, and then open WPS Writer
Post-install check	Open a document and confirm that the Developer Tools tab and the ActiveX Controls entry are visible

Source: WPS download page

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	Lets you insert interactive controls such as buttons, check boxes, list boxes, and combo boxes in a document, then set properties and write event code.	Word supports adding ActiveX controls to documents, including text-layer and drawing-layer controls, and supports event procedures for controls.	Google Forms provides online forms with multiple question types, sharing, response collection, and analysis, but it is not a document-embedded ActiveX control workflow.	Notion Forms lets users create forms connected to databases, with question settings and response management, but it does not use document-embedded ActiveX controls.	Acrobat forms support buttons, check boxes, combo boxes, list boxes, radio buttons, text fields, and digital signature fields, and JavaScript can extend form behavior.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: You can place interactive controls directly inside a writer document. Distinct: It combines control insertion, property editing, and event-code entry in one document workflow.	Compared with WPS: Word also supports document-level ActiveX controls and events, while Microsoft documentation also highlights view-mode behavior and security settings around ActiveX.	Compared with WPS: Google focuses on standalone online forms and response analysis rather than editing ActiveX controls inside a document page.	Compared with WPS: Notion focuses on database-connected forms and sharing workflows on desktop and web, not document-level ActiveX control editing.	Compared with WPS: Adobe focuses on PDF form fields and JavaScript-driven PDF workflows rather than interactive controls inside a word-processing document.
Official Source	—	Using ActiveX Controls on Word Documents	Google Forms	Forms	Using JavaScript in Forms

Overall Conclusion
If you need interactive controls directly inside a writer document, WPS ActiveX Controls fits document-based form scenarios well. If your priority is web form distribution and response collection, Google Forms or Notion may be more suitable. If your workflow centers on PDF forms and scripted PDF fields, Adobe Acrobat is a closer match.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable for	Main challenge	How this feature helps
1	Registration forms	Administrative staff, reception teams, school staff	Many fields must be filled in consistently	Insert text boxes, check boxes, and list boxes to standardize input
2	Approval templates	Team leads, project managers	Approval options and statuses are hard to standardize	Use option buttons, check boxes, and command buttons to organize approval items
3	Interactive instruction documents	Trainers, internal operations teams	Static documents do not provide enough interaction	Add buttons and toggle-style controls to guide actions inside the document
4	Data entry templates	Finance, HR, operations staff	Repeated fields are easy to miss	Configure control properties and combine them with event code for input handling
5	Prototype documents	Product, implementation, presales teams	A quick way to demonstrate form interaction is needed	Insert multiple control types directly in the document for demos

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

The feature content indicates that ActiveX Controls has no membership restriction. The pricing page shows that paid plans mainly add broader PDF, template, cloud storage, and advanced office benefits.

Capability	Free users	WPS Premium
ActiveX control insertion and basic use	✅ Available	✅ Available
Template downloads	Limited	More template benefits
Cloud storage	1 GB	Higher cloud storage
Advanced PDF tools	Basic features	More advanced features

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Scenario	Recommended plan	Why
You only need to insert and test ActiveX controls in documents	Free	The feature is available without membership, which is suitable for everyday form building and testing
You also need more templates, cloud storage, or advanced PDF tools	WPS Premium	This is suitable when your work goes beyond document editing and needs broader office benefits

WPS membership center: Subscribe now