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LibreOffice

LibreOffice

Overview

What is LibreOffice?

LibreOffice is a free and open-source Office Suite from The Document Foundation, presented as the successor to OpenOffice.org. The suite includes Writer (word processing), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw (vector graphics and flowcharts), Base (databases), and Math (formula editing).

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

LibreOffice has gained popularity among users and organizations as a cost-effective alternative to Microsoft Office. Its functional …
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A Viable Alternative

9 out of 10
January 31, 2019
Incentivized
I have used LibreOffice (and its code predecessors, StarOffice and OpenOffice) since 2000. Compatibility with MS Office has improved over …
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Awards

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Pricing

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What is LibreOffice?

LibreOffice is a free and open-source Office Suite from The Document Foundation, presented as the successor to OpenOffice.org. The suite includes Writer (word processing), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw (vector graphics and flowcharts), Base (databases), and Math (formula…

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.libreoffice.org/download/do…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Product Demos

libreoffice calc insert pictures

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LibreOffice Online short development demo

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fuzzing LibreOffice input events with american fuzzy lop

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Converting 0/1 values to TRUE/FALSE in LibreOffice Calc

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Demo: Creating CMS Content in LibreOffice

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libreoffice calc simple table format

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Product Details

What is LibreOffice?

LibreOffice is a free and open-source Office Productivity Suite from The Document Foundation, presented as the successor to OpenOffice.org. LibreOffice is compatible with a wide range of document formats such as Microsoft® Word (.doc, .docx), Excel (.xls, .xlsx), PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx) and Publisher. LibreOffice also provides native support for the open standard, the Open Document Format (ODF). Work can also be exported in many different formats, including PDF.

The suite includes Writer (word processing), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw (vector graphics and flowcharts), Base (databases), and Math (formula editing). It is available in an installed edition (available in Windows, Mac OS, and Linux versions), through mobile apps for Android and iOS.

LibreOffice Applications


LibreOffice Writer - Word Processor
Writer's features are aimed at presenting an open source alternative to Microsoft Word of the Microsoft 365 Office Suite. It is a word processor and desktop publishing solution. It is described by its developers and power users as able to support the creation of a book with diagrams, indexes, and illustrated content. Writer also includes typical word processor features such as various fonts, page layout and editing tools, and an autocorrect library. Writer also can be extended with templates, and comes with Wizards to help the user through more advanced workflows (e.g. mail merges). Common complex documents are supported with templates by default, and more niche forms may have templates available through extensions created by the supporter community.

LibreOffice Calc - Spreadsheet
A free spreadsheet program designed to be easy to use but able to support more advanced calculations , with wizards to guide the user through some commonly needed advanced number crunching and report generation. Calc includes a Scenario Manager to perform "what if..." analyses, and a solver component that enables the user to find optimum value of a particular spreadsheet given constraints appearing in other cells. Also, its "DataPilot" features lets Calc pull raw data from exogenous data sources, and also integrate real-time data streams.

LibreOffice Impress - Presentations
Impress lets users create slides, similar to PowerPoint, presenting a free alternative to the popular presentation tool. Impress can also be used for diagramming, or for creating and displaying drawings. Its Fontworks tool also lets users create and insert 2D and 3D images into presentations. Impress supports working with multiple monitors, and users can share slide notes, operate a presentation slider, etc.

LibreOffice Draw - Graphics
The LibreOffice suite also includes a graphics and diagramming tool. Draw also is designed to be relatively simple to use for quick sketches but also is able to support more advanced technical drawings, or brochures and the like that might be used to support marketing activities. Users can also work with existing graphical objects, using LibreOffice Draw as an editing tool with cropping, grouping, etc.

LibreOffice Base - Database
Base is designed to meet a range of enterprise DB requirements, and natively includes drivers for popular used database engines, such as MySQL, MS Access, and PostgreSQL. It includes JDBC- and ODBC- built-in support, to extend its versatility and enable Base to be connected to virtually any database. Wizards are present for help with database design, and it includes pre-defined tables for common use cases (e.g. sales orders, asset tracking, etc.).

LibreOffice Math - Formula Editor
Math is a standalone formula editor that can be used to generate formulae for presentations, spreadsheets, and word processors. Users can work with a range of elements with a pure focus on the math.

LibreOffice Charts - Charts & Visualizations
Similar to Math, LibreOffice also allows the user to work with charts in a freeform way, focusing on style, color, size, etc. across a variety of pie charts, bar charts, trend graphs, or 3D charts, so that the user can focus on perfecting its style before putting the chart on display in whatever presentation, drawing, or document its destined for.


LibreOffice is supported by an active community, FAQ, and documentation from The Document Foundation. Also, LibreOffice tutorials are plentiful and found online in video format. While The Document Foundation does not provide commercial support directly for enterprises, they do maintain a certification program for trainers, developers, and professional consultancies that do wish to provide premium support for LibreOffice implementations and on-going supports. Also, while LibreOffice is an installed option, a cloud-based service based on LibreOffice is available through Collabora Online, a SaaS based on the LibreOffice Office Suite that is available in a browser.

LibreOffice Videos

LibreOffice is a free, fully-featured and open source office suite used by millions of people around the world. Download it from https://www.libreoffice.org Support us: https://www.libreoffice.org/donate/ Background music: Energy, Bensound, http://www.bensound.com Office sof...
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How to create a budget in LibreOffice Calc
How to automatically update a time sheet in LibreOffice Calc
How to create a Vlookup and Hlookup formula in Libreoffice Calc

LibreOffice Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise
Operating SystemsWindows, Linux, Mac
Mobile ApplicationApple iOS, Android

Frequently Asked Questions

LibreOffice is a free and open-source Office Suite from The Document Foundation, presented as the successor to OpenOffice.org. The suite includes Writer (word processing), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw (vector graphics and flowcharts), Base (databases), and Math (formula editing).

LibreOffice starts at $0.

Microsoft 365, ONLYOFFICE Docs, and Google Workspace are common alternatives for LibreOffice.

Reviewers rate Support Rating highest, with a score of 7.3.

The most common users of LibreOffice are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(129)

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!

LibreOffice has gained popularity among users and organizations as a cost-effective alternative to Microsoft Office. Its functional compatibility with Microsoft Office allows users to seamlessly open and export files, making the transition smooth. With its simple and user-friendly interface, average users find it easy to navigate and access its features. Many reviewers have used LibreOffice for various tasks such as writing manuscripts, solving complex calculations, and creating high-quality presentations.

LibreOffice is particularly useful in mixed Windows/Mac/Linux environments for internal collaboration and document management. Users appreciate that it is free to download, eliminating the need for costly upgrades and version compatibility. The software is commonly used for word processing, spreadsheet creation, and even database functions. It has been relied upon by individuals, students, and organizations for over a decade, demonstrating its reliability and longevity.

The compatibility of LibreOffice with various file formats is highly valued by users, allowing for easy document sharing and collaboration. It is also praised for its ability to handle tasks such as data tracking, inventory management, and creating signs in retail stores. Whether in business or personal settings, LibreOffice has become a default tool for document creation. Reviewers appreciate the considerable cost savings provided by LibreOffice compared to commercial document creation software.

With its support of the open-source community and compatibility across different platforms, many users choose LibreOffice over proprietary office suites like Microsoft Office. Its stability, reliability, and versatility make it suitable for producing various types of documents. Businesses and individuals who don't require the full Microsoft Office suite can benefit from using LibreOffice. Reviewers express their commitment to continue using and supporting LibreOffice through donations.

Clear and well-defined styles: Users have stated that Writer, the word processing software in LibreOffice, is very good at defining styles for paragraphs, characters, tables, pages, etc. This concept is clearer than in MS Office, making it easier to write documents with well-defined styles. This feature has been beneficial for future changes to the document.

High-quality typographical features: Many reviewers appreciate the typographical features of Writer when using supported OpenType fonts. They feel that these features make it easier to produce high-quality documents that are almost desktop publishing quality. Features such as kerning and ligatures enhance the overall appearance of the documents.

Convenient PDF export feature: A significant number of users have highlighted the embedded PDF export feature in Writer. They find it complemented by a lot of useful features and makes it convenient to export documents as PDFs without the need for additional tools. This simplifies sharing and ensures compatibility across different devices and platforms.

Consolidated Macro Recording in Calc: Several users have found the Macro recording feature in Calc lacking compared to MS Excel, making it difficult to use and limiting their ability to automate tasks effectively.

Compatibility Challenges and Complex Syntax in Basic: Users have experienced incompatibility and a more difficult syntax of Basic in Calc compared to Excel, resulting in frustration and decreased productivity.

Lack of Comprehensive Tutorials for Calc: Many reviewers have noted that tutorials for achieving various tasks are written for Excel only and cannot be reused for Calc. This lack of resources makes it challenging for users to find appropriate guidance, hindering their proficiency with the software.

Users highly recommend using LibreOffice as a free alternative to Microsoft Office, particularly for small ventures or businesses. They praise its compatibility across different operating systems and consider it a great substitution for other office suites. LibreOffice's word processing and spreadsheet functionalities are highly recommended for creating documents and PDF publishing, while users suggest exploring alternatives for database management. Despite concerns about support and community, LibreOffice is highly recommended for users in various domains, be it professional, academic, or personal.

Users particularly favor LibreOffice for companies or startups with limited budgets who cannot afford expensive office suites. While they recommend sticking to Microsoft Office if feasible, they see LibreOffice as a low-cost and relatively effective option. However, they caution about minor compatibility issues but recommend using LibreOffice for reading, writing, saving, and opening MS Word documents, as well as for college students and editing documents. Writer, the word processor in LibreOffice, is considered style-based and easier to use than Word. For office tasks beyond database management, LibreOffice is deemed perfect. However, it may not fulfill all needs when creating PowerPoint presentations.

Users recommend utilizing LibreOffice when working with Linux-based operating systems. While it may not have all the features of Microsoft Office, it is still regarded as a great free alternative. Some caution that it may lack user-friendliness compared to paid options. As a cost-effective alternative to proprietary licenses, especially for business tasks, LibreOffice receives high recommendations from users. Its ease of use caters to both non-technical and new users alike.

Users highly recommend giving LibreOffice a try to save money but advise planning accordingly because while it is free and powerful, certain limitations should be taken into account. Overall, users see LibreOffice as an excellent open-source alternative to Microsoft Office that won't disappoint if given a chance. It is recommended for various office tasks unless group presentations require PowerPoint or preferred software by teammates. Users find it surprisingly efficient with almost all the same options as Word and suggest comparing it with OpenOffice for desired features. In conclusion, users recommend using LibreOffice and believe it will be well-liked.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 29)
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Rene Agredano | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I only have experience with calc and writer. It's perfect for my own line of work, which is writing and project management. Where it is less appropriate is for people who need to collaborate heavily with others in the cloud. I'm pretty sure there isn't an online version of it right? But even if there was I love having some control over keeping LO on my desktop.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
LibreOffice works perfectly for the type of situation it was designed for: desktop, offline office tools. It should be noted that it does not specifically do things the way MS 365 or Google Docs does: it does not utilize the internet and make things available like that to others who are collaborating. I think the whole store-and-edit-on-the-internet ideology is overrated and more gimmicky than having a shared folder and users who can edit documents. I see GDocs and 365 as security breaches at best and nefarious at worst.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
LibreOffice is a great option if you don't have access to a free copy of Microsoft Office. It includes all of the basic functionality of MS Office for the price of free. But if you need some of the more advanced features and if the rest of your colleagues tend to use MS Office, then it's not worth struggling against the tide.
Karambir Singh Khalsa | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
The fact that it is free of charge for desktop use sets LibreOffice at the top of my list. Given our low software budget, and its feature set which is for all intents and purposes equivalent to big name brands, it is more than appropriate for our needs. I have noticed in some situations that exporting a spreadsheet in a particular format on my machine and then sharing it with someone who is using say Microsoft Excel results in unexpected behavior (i.e., formatting issues or unreadable data).
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
LibreOffice is a good alternative to MS Office. I like it better than Google Docs. It's compatible with MS Office applications.

However, many of the features or functions are difficult to find even when utilizing the help menu. The website isn't too helpful either. My greatest disappointment is that I paid for the premium version a year ago but never received the features that were supposed to be available with a premium subscription. The upper right-hand corner of the app shows the subscription type and date of expiration of the subscription. I have premium yet every time I try to access a premium feature it requests me to pay. I have contacted LibreOffice several times over the year and they never responded or provided a refund. I can only recommend the free version because even with a premium subscription, which mine is supposed to expire on 10/22/21 (the date of this review is 08/04/21), I have yet to be able to utilize the premium features I paid for last year. I would not use this as my primary app for Word processing which is where I am experiencing the majority of the blocked features issues. Even with a paid premium subscription, I am unable to create labels. It's asking me to pay again. I think LibreOffice has greater potential but a user must get the features they paid for. I hesitate to call the company a scam but I can say I have contacted LibreOffice numerous times over the past year about the ongoing issues and have not received a response at least once. Along with the features and subscriptions issues that needed to be addressed, another area of improvement is their website. It is very difficult to locate information. Even when using the search field the instructions often do not match the app. I am not sure how often they update their online guides but I have never found it to be helpful. I have also found it very difficult to impossible to download templates. I usually get weird links with garbled codes and no template when trying to download a template. I'm not sure if it's an issue with their site or not but since they don't respond to inquiries I cannot determine a possible cause for the problem.

Robert Gephart | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It is well suited to someone who is looking for software to replace MS Office without a subscription or fee. As long as you are not a heavy user or someone who constantly interfaces with a large organization that uses Microsoft products, LibreOffice is a great product.
Jacob Wall | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
For business usage, it is most appropriate to use as I've described - filling holes left by the main/purchased Office suite - e.g. on seldom used laptops, on servers, etc. This is not due to any flaws, but mostly impression.

It's also very useful for working at home if you need to edit documents on your own machine, but not often enough to merit purchasing an Office suite.

It would be less appropriate as a full-time Office suite used often each day in a professional environment, or where online collaboration is needed.
November 09, 2019

LibreOffice, the best.

Mauricio E Gleizer | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
LibreOffice is ideal for organizations and people who don't want and/or can't pay for MS Office. Even in environments where the use of the Microsoft tool is well established, the familiar interface and ease of importing/exporting files from all commonly used applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) efficiently helps a lot during the transition period.
Therefore, it is only in situations where the official MS Office license has already been purchased (purchased or donated) that exclusive use of LibreOffice would not be recommended, but as licenses do not last forever, this situation may change.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Anyone who needs word processing and basic spreadsheet functionality is much better off with LibreOffice. If you need to create docs that are importable into a database like SQL, Tomcat, etc. there's no issue. If you are tired of the licensing with office 365, this is a great choice. Some areas where it might be less appropriate are with personnel that have used MS Office for a very long time and have difficulty with making that switch, or when you are collaborating with people using MS Office and working with some of the more advanced Excel features.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I can't think of any scenario when LibreOffice isn't appropriate. Once it's a case of document creation, LibreOffice will and can help you there. Libre Office is great for any business application or any academic environment.
Md Shahinuzzaman | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
LibreOffice is well suited where you do not need in-depth functionality of the software. As a beginner, If you want to do simple things like making demo presentations and noting down key points, then it is a very good software use. On the other hand, the functionality, ease of use are major problems in LibreOffice. However, by using LibreOffice, you will gain more knowledge and can be an expert in the future.
January 31, 2019

A Viable Alternative

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
LibreOffice is well suited to be the main office suite for internal company use and for generating PDF documents from the source docs. The environment is close enough to other office suites that users will find it easy to adopt.

If you interact heavily with outside organizations that rely on MS Office for native documents, you might find LibreOffice ill suited.
Javier Schwersensky | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
If you have basic or intermediate use of word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software, LibreOffice is a free alternative to other more expensive programs. The features and documentation are more than adequate and you will be supporting open software, which, depending on your line of work, may also align with corporate and institutional values.

If your organization is more cloud-based or is using online collaboration, then LibreOffice offers fewer features and it is by far a lot less user-friendly than its proprietary competitors such as Office 365 or Google Docs.
Christopher Boyd | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
If you are working in a Linux environment, then LibreOffice is an excellent choice for you, if not the best choice.

If you don't need to collaborate with people often or the documents you are working on don't need to adhere to strict style guidelines, then you really can't beat the quality for the price (free) of LibreOffice.

However, don't expect the fluidity or integration choices you have with Microsoft Office or Google Docs. LibreOffice is built as standalone software, and whereas tools, apps, and workarounds exist, if you are used to the bells and whistles of the other office suites out there, then LibreOffice will require some patience and extra work.
Jerry Janes | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
As mentioned, for cost-effectiveness and Linux users, it is a staple suite of apps. As also mentioned, it is less appropriate for sharing former PPT presentations with clients or anyone else where quality is paramount.
Laura Gatius | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It is a good free software that has several programs very similar to MS Office. The text editor offers all the basic features needed to write, edit, and print text files. It allows you to save it in different formats as the word does. The archives of different softwares are also compatible, such as Word's .docx. It has no extension limitations and this makes your life much easier when it comes to editing documents. Other programs are also good, such as the spreadsheet. The only negative aspect that I find is that it is not visually pleasing and it is a bit more difficult to understand the menus and the options. But other than that, it's pretty good editing software.
October 29, 2018

Best open Office suite

Miguel Useche | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It's a great suite for organization where they can't spend a lot of money on licenses. I recommend it when employees have multiple operating systems and want to use a single office suite. I don't recomend it if all your bussiness platform is managed by Microsoft software.
Igor Neumann | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Very well suited to edit CSV files, its text editor and spreadsheet editor are top notch, less appropriate if you use/need cloud integration to share (or edit) a document between many users, also its presentation program is really lacking, so it's a great suite for the "usual" office user, with text editor and spreadsheets as its main programs, but wouldn't recommend it as a presentation software nor for shared documents, you can have way better options on the cloud (Google? Microsoft? Zoho?) and also some specific presentation programs (Focusky, Prezi).
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I always recommend LibreOffice for data cleaning practices since Excel tends to have some hiccups that can really hurt your data cleanliness. I do not recommend LibreOffice for standard reporting/charting in corporate environments where Excel is king since there is not 100% support of all features. I find LibreOffice to be more suited for the IT/Web crowd instead of Finance/Supply Chain.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
LibreOffice is your best bet if you appreciate working on documents offline and want to keep storing them locally. It is perfect for students. For Linux systems it's one of the best native offerings you'll get, short of spinning up a Windows virtual machine and paying for a MS Office suite license. A bit more effort will be required if you want to create Word documents or presentations that look slick, professional, and modern - so if presentation and time are important to you, go for other office suites instead. LibreOffice is free, so there's no harm in trying it out and seeing if it's sufficient for your needs.
Linda Sasenick | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
LibreOffice is by far, from my experience, the best, budget-friendly (free!) office suite out there, well-suited for any business with "average" written communication, presentation and data management needs (again, a working grammar check function is something that needs improvement). If your work requires highly individualized or specialized functions -- such as custom fonts -- or if you commonly download or exchange complex and customized documents with others, I'd stick to whatever software is in common use for that application.
Glen Mehn | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
If it works people like it. It's very well suited for fairly straightforward collaboration - if you need advanced features you'll need to either map macros or spend a lot of time hunting. In some cases it's handier than the MS version.

It's less well suited for going back and forth between MS and Office docs - particularly things like version control and it hasn't handled .docx/.xslx/.pptx files as well as the older alternatives (though that is getting better). Also doesn't handle SmartArt from Word.

It's *much* more stable particularly with BIG spreadsheets and documents (having known an author who lost ~120K words of a novel to Word and refuses to use it ever again)
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