Neither LibreOffice nor OpenOffice have interfaces that are too unfamiliar or difficult to use. User interface and ease of use screenshot

However, be careful when downloading or using these unofficial ports and distributions.

One notable port is AndrOpen Office, which is the Android port of OpenOffice. The OpenOffice website provides links to additional third-party ports and distributions that are not endorsed or maintained by the Apache Software Foundation. OpenOffice, however, has a slight edge over LibreOffice.

Both are comparable alternatives to Microsoft’s premium Office suite but without the associated cost.įor platform availability, both are available on Windows, Linux, and MacOS. LibreOffice and OpenOffice are both free to download and use. Let’s get the pricing info out of the way first. Platform availability and price screenshot Technically, the latest released version of LibreOffice is 7.0.3, but this version hasn’t been tested as long as version 6.4.7 has and is generally for early adopters. Note: The following comparisons are based on the latest versions of LibreOffice and OpenOffice: LibreOffice 6.4.7 and OpenOffice 4.1.8. Give it a try and you might never pay for office software again. There are also plugins to add features like advanced grammar tools, extra language packs, improved accessibility options (such as export for braille embossers), and plugins for other programs like mind-mapping tool Freemind. LibreOffice's selection of templates might seem a little limited compared to Microsoft's, but this is easily remedied by the huge collection of downloadable options available in the project's online repository (opens in new tab). The open source suite lacks Office's built-in cloud storage option, but that's easily remedied by installing the Dropbox desktop software (opens in new tab), which gives you instant access to your account as though it was a folder on your PC. Both have their advantages the NotebookBar will make switching from Microsoft Office more natural, while the old-school layout means everything is visible at a glance, and you can navigate easily using a keyboard rather than a mouse if you prefer.īeyond that, there's little difference between Microsoft's productivity toolkit and LibreOffice. LibreOffice offers a choice of interface styles: a traditional system of icons and toolbars, and an optional NotebookBar (similar to the ribbon used in Microsoft Office since 2007). One that makes it very hard to justify paying a lot of money for the competitor. That makes it not so much a free alternative to Microsoft Office, but an actual rival.

Libreoffice for mac review