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Apache OpenOffice

Apache OpenOffice

Overview

What is Apache OpenOffice?

Apache OpenOffice is a free open source office suite that includes six applications: Writer (word processor), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw (diagramming and graphics), Base (database), and Math (formulas).

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Recent Reviews

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OpenOffice has gained popularity among various professionals and organizations for its versatility and cost-effectiveness. One of its key …
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Free MS Office replacement

10 out of 10
June 27, 2023
I use OpenOffice instead of MS Office. I contains everything I need from MS Office and the price is right - FREE.
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Product Demos

Εμφανίστε ένα οποιοδήποτε θέμα στη βοήθεια του OpenOffice.org. Φροντίστε η Βοήθεια να...

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Από τις ανοιχτές εφαρμογές του OpenOffice κλείστε μόνο το Writer

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Από τις ανοιχτές εφαρμογές του Open Office κλείστε μόνο το OpenOffice.org Impess

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Ανοίξτε το OpenOffice.org Writer

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Ανοίξτε την εφαρμογή OpenOffice.org Writer

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Ανοίξτε την εφαρμογή OpenOffice.org Base. (Εάν εμφανιστεί ο πιλότος αφήστε το ως έχει)

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Product Details

What is Apache OpenOffice?

Apache OpenOffice is a free open source office suite that includes six applications: Writer (word processor), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw (diagramming and graphics), Base (database), and Math (formulas).

Apache OpenOffice Videos

When you need to write a document, crunch numbers on a spreadsheet, or work up a presentation - office suite software is your solution. Apache OpenOffice offers free word processing, spreadsheet, or any other office needs and here we compare it to Microsoft Office 365 and it's Word, Excel, and more.
Apache OpenOffice is a free open source office suite that includes six applications: Writer (word processor), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw (diagramming and graphics), Base (database), and Math (formulas).

Apache OpenOffice Technical Details

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Mobile ApplicationNo
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(106)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

OpenOffice has gained popularity among various professionals and organizations for its versatility and cost-effectiveness. One of its key use cases is in consulting firms, where it allows professionals to open and work on different file types received from clients. This not only helps maintain a professional image but also eliminates the need to request alternative file formats. According to users, OpenOffice provides unique capabilities, such as direct editing of .dbx files in Calc, which keeps consulting firms ahead of the curve.

Another use case for OpenOffice is as a potential replacement for Microsoft Office in organizations aiming to reduce costs while still meeting their current needs. By evaluating OpenOffice as an alternative, these organizations can significantly cut down on subscription expenses without compromising the functionalities provided by Microsoft Office.

OpenOffice is also being embraced by individual users across various industries. For example, secretarial staff in offices have been convinced to use OpenOffice for general writing and calculating activities. Likewise, web developers and account managers find it valuable for creating and editing documents and presentations for customers. It offers a lightweight and smooth alternative to the resource-heavy Microsoft Office suite.

Furthermore, OpenOffice finds utility in niche professions. A professional freelance photographer relies on OpenOffice for all word processing tasks related to their business, such as creating invoices, receipts, and quotes. Users appreciate how this cost-effective solution does not compromise functionality.

Academic institutions are also recognizing the benefits of OpenOffice as an alternative to Microsoft Office 365. Apache OpenOffice is recommended as the default office suite software in a technical institute, allowing them to reduce subscription costs to zero while providing all the necessary features comparable to Microsoft Office.

Overall, OpenOffice proves useful across diverse fields and contexts. Its appeal lies not only in its affordability but also in its ability to address specific needs, provide unique capabilities, and offer a seamless user experience.

Users highly recommend OpenOffice as an affordable and compatible alternative to Microsoft Office. They specifically highlight its compatibility with different operating systems, making it a versatile choice. Users suggest trying OpenOffice before investing in a more expensive brand, as they find it offers more functionality than the limited 'free' MS Word. OpenOffice is praised for its ability to meet basic office document software needs and create essential office documents for free. It is also recommended for smaller offices or those requiring flexibility and the ability to work with multiple file types. Overall, users find that OpenOffice has most of the capabilities expected from office suite applications, making it an excellent option for personal use.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-7 of 7)
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Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use it as a cost-effective alternative to Microsoft Office 365 on common computers for users who do not have a dedicated license. The Apache OpenOffice suite allows us to do everything that the more polished but subscription-necessary MS O365.
  • Low resource footprint.
  • Works on older computers with outdated OS(s).
  • Similar in looks to the more widely used MS Office, it makes uptake easier.
  • Requires Java. Another piece of software that needs to be up-to-date.
  • The user interface is a bit clunky.
  • Limited suite compared to the main competitor in O365.
It is free to use, and where we have temp or volunteer workers, we can use this without worrying about subscription costs while providing a platform for work to still get done.
Abdul Wahab Khan | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
At Softronic Systems in their pharma services division, I along with my team are using Apache OpenOffice for our daily needs of composing documents, composing news articles, making spreadsheets, and preparing presentations. It is not being used by whole organization but the pharma services division is effectively using it. Previously we were paying to use Microsoft Office.
  • Supports a variety of formats
  • Open source and free
  • Small download package
  • Does not support the latest Microsoft Office formats
  • Layout doesn't appear exactly the same as in Microsoft Office
  • Theme of the application is not eye-catching
I strongly recommend for my friends and colleagues to use Apache OpenOffice for drafting their documents, making spreadsheets, and preparing presentations because it is free, it is lighter in terms of application size, it supports a variety of file formats, it is available on almost all kinds of device and operating system, like Android, Windows, Linux, and many others.
Pulkit Agrawal | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
At our University, we previously used Microsoft Office for all our documents work. Our students were also using the same software. But as a Technical institute, using open source softwares is a plus point. We recommend Apache OpenOffice as the default office suite software. It helped us in reducing the subscription costs to 0.
  • Low size, Apache Open office weighs only 200MB with the full capabilities as that of a 2GB Microsoft office. This saves some space on your system and your internet bandwidth.
  • It's Free. That's one of the benefit of open source softwares, they don't cost anything. We can use it on as many systems as we want without any subscription.
  • It's cross platform, unlike Microsoft office which is only available on Microsoft Windows, OpenOffice is available on Windows as well as Linux which is used my most of the students pursuing a computer science degree.
  • The available file formats are a bit unconventional in OpenOffice. By default it saves the document in .odt format which may work with almost any other word processor but with a chance of formatting issues.
  • UI is not as polished as other mainstream products like Microsoft Office so a new user may need some time to get familiar to it.
  • No cloud save option available. For saving files online you have to save the document locally and upload it on you favourite cloud drive. And for accessing it on other device you have to download the file from your drive and open it. This is not a very long task tbh but it's still an extra step which may be considered as a minus point to a business user.
It is well suited if - 1. The user just bought a new device and needs an office suite for his basic office needs. 2. The user has a very limited or a slow speed internet. 3. The user is using a very low capacity storage device. It is less appropriate if - 1. The user needs cloud backup. 2. The user has more business focused needs and wants multiple device support at once.
Riva Schwartz | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 4 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Part of the work we do requires use of a MS Excel template. Since we use WordPerfect, we tried to open and use this form in QuattroPro, however, for some weird reason, it wouldn't convert properly. We do not use MS Office, so we needed an "MS-friendly" alternative. This fit the bill!
  • Converts .XLT files perfectly.
  • Easy to use.
  • There seem to be issues using this app in Windows 10. It worked fine when we used it on Windows 7, but after we upgraded the network with NEW Win 10 computers, it takes a very long time to process commands.
  • It will not allow any upgrades.
Well-suited: It converts XLT files flawlessly.

Not well-suited: It is not behaving well on Windows 10 - see previous comments - Processing time is very long. It freezes after many commands like "save."
.Kim Murphy | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Our web developers and account managers use OpenOffice to create and edit documents and presentations for our customers. The program is lightweight on our computers' resources and runs very smooth most of the time, with minimal technical glitches. It loads up fast and does not have many of the same challenges as the Microsoft Office suite. Although it's not as good for large complex documents, it is all we need for most documents most of the time.
  • Lightweight on our computer's resources
  • Loads and runs fast
  • Runs smoothly without technical errors
  • OpenOffice makes it very easy to create and edit documents fast
  • Not the best solution for larger or complex documents.
  • Doesn't integrate well with third-party software and applications.
  • Not as good as MS Office for document sharing and collaboration.
If you have no budget for office software OpenOffice might be all you need, it's fast lightweight and doesn't use a lot of your computer's resources. However, if your business thrives on complex presentations and documents that use Adobe and Microsoft it might not be as well suited. It is very easy to install and does not have a lot of technical glitches like Microsoft.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I have been a user of OpenOffice off and on from when it was Star OfficeSuite; at the time it was the only Office Suite for Linux systems, and today is cross-platform and highly compatible and indeed equivalent with Microsoft Office.

While not being used across my current place of employment, in a previous career it was the sole office suite utilized by the business entity, selected because of its price and compatibility. With it I was able to send documents to other (larger) businesses who utilized current versions of Microsoft Office, and they were able to see the issued documents with high compatibility and no display issues.
  • Price: the version I used was free.
  • Compatibility: With exception of specific tabling in the word processor and macros in the spreadsheet tool, there was perfect compatibility.
  • System compatibility: I was able to access and use it with fairly old systems, and did not need a new or current PC to install and operate.
  • The system is fairly bloated. The amount of space the office suite takes up is increasingly larger and larger with each iteration.
  • Macro support is weak.
  • Greater XLSX and DOCX extension compatibility without required "conversions" would be good.
OOO is excellent for personal use or small businesses which cannot afford a Microsoft Office license. With it, you can expect high compatibility between MSO and other office suites, as well as an intuitive menu system that borrows many attributes from more widely-known office suites (particularly MS-Office).

It is a large installation, and leans heavily on JRE (Java Runtime Environment), which explains its high compatibility. Unfortunately that also means it is not optimized for the devices on which it runs, and you will find slower load/save/document conversion/export times compared to other office suites.

But the price wins. You can't compare it to others.
Liz Wade | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I am a professional freelance photographer, so within my business, I handle all matters that require a word processor. I use OpenOffice, an open-source office productivity suite, to create any and all business-related documents: invoices, receipts, quotes, etc. I do not have the need to create more complicated documents or presentations, so I can move through the administrative part of my day with ease and no cost.

  • OpenOffice is free and fully functional. When I bought my first Macbook, I did not want to pay additionally for Microsoft Word or any other processing software. I found OpenOffice as a free alternative that met all of my needs.
  • It is easy for beginners to learn. Omitting some of the bells of whistles of Microsoft Word (for example), leaves it super user friendly but still powerful enough to get your work done.
  • Because it is open sourced, OpenOffice is well-policed software. Anyone can suggest improvements, propose bug fixes, read about future plans, and avoid the hype of commercial software.
  • Though not often, the software can occasionally act glitchy: it can lag a little bit or crash altogether, though this is rare in my experience.
  • The primary document format in OpenOffice is ODF, rather than DOC. I sometimes experience incompatibility when opening files from Microsoft DOC in OpenOffice, such as formatting errors.
  • OpenOffice does not have a built-in grammar check tool. This can be remedied by downloading an extension, but I'd like to see it built-in.
If you're looking for a free word processor and you do not need all the bells and whistles of Microsoft Office, then OpenOffice is the program for you. The software can sometimes be laggy and the design options are not quite at Microsoft level, but it is compatible with Microsoft Office file formats and there's only a small learning curve to it. If you're coming from Microsoft Office, you should be able to jump right into OpenOffice.
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