I upgraded to Microsoft 365 with this free plan, and I’m happy with the switch
It took some convincing, but earlier this year, I ended a multi-year relationship with Microsoft 365. I would like to say that I abandoned the office space for some mysterious reason, as if I didn’t want to. Microsoft’s AI Assistant Copilot because I find it annoying and unhelpful, but really, I just wanted to save money. And LibreOffice is a free one that has everything I need.
LibreOffice has roots dating back to 1985, with the release of the word processing program Star-Writer I. In 2010, the independent German non-profit Document Foundation officially launched the free, open source software suite LibreOffice. Since then, the foundation said government offices around the world have saved money by moving to the office.
In addition to being free and open source, LibreOffice offers other advantages, such as more document privacy than Microsoft 365 or Google Docs, but there are also some drawbacks, such as lack of cloud access to those documents. Here’s what you should know about LibreOffice if you’re thinking about switching from Microsoft 365 or Google Docs, like I did.
LibreOffice has the same programs you already use
LibreOffice includes six applications, and many of them will feel familiar to anyone who has used Microsoft 365 or the Google suite of office applications such as Docs and Sheets.
Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw and Base are analogs of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio (for creating flowcharts and diagrams) and Access (or designing business applications and templates), respectively. LibreOffice also has a math program called Math that lets you create and edit formulas for use in other LibreOffice programs.
You can easily edit PDFs and other file types in LibreOffice.
LibreOffice works on a variety of devices
You can install LibreOffice on Windows, MacOS and Linux devices. So you can download this from a MacBooka Microsoft Surface laptop and many other desktops or laptops. But there is no mobile app.
LibreOffice also offers a portable operating system, which means you can save an independent copy of the productivity program on a flash drive that you can use between your different computers. You don’t even need LibreOffice installed on the device to run it, as long as you have it installed on a flash drive.
LibreOffice offers great value at no cost
LibreOffice has some advantages over other office suites, including its non-existent price tag. Here are some of the benefits of LibreOffice.
You get some privacy and security benefits
Because LibreOffice is open source, anyone with enough technical understanding can check the source code for vulnerabilities or bugs. And if you know enough, you can fix the problem yourself and provide a patch for others to use. Additionally, some features of LibreOffice can make it more private and secure than other office suite.
LibreOffice says it does not collect or share your user data without your consent. The organization also says it does not create user profiles or track how you interact with documents.
By comparison, Microsoft 365 collects two different types of data: what it calls necessary and optional. Most of the data collected by Microsoft 365 is hardware- and software-related, which can be used for basic fingerprinting – such as understanding the hardware and software being used. But it may also collect client IP addresses. Yours public IP address it’s like a home address because it gives a general sense of where you are, as well as information about your internet provider. Although the information collected by Microsoft 365 may not be a big threat if it is leaked as personal data like passwords and usernames, it has more information than what is collected by LibreOffice, which organizes private peace of mind. And you can always use a VPN to hide your public IP address and other information.
LibreOffice saves documents locally on your device — not in the cloud or with a third party — and lets you assign a password or encrypt a file using the GNU Privacy Guard key. So even if your device is stolen or someone gains remote access to it, there are steps in place to keep your files secure.
Overall, LibreOffice is a great alternative to similar products from major technologies that don’t collect unnecessary data.
LibreOffice has several privacy benefits that you may enjoy.
LibreOffice is compatible with many file types
LibreOffice is compatible with many documents, including Microsoft Word, Excel and Apple Pages files. You may run into compatibility issues with other font types, such as multi-color fonts, when rendering in LibreOffice.
One Reddit user also discovered that you may encounter problems when exchanging complex documents multiple times between LibreOffice and other offices, such as Microsoft 365. If you use LibreOffice and exchange a document with someone who uses Microsoft 365, you may need to change the file type so that the document can be read in your chosen office environment. This can cause some problems with the document, but to avoid this, you can save the file in a normal format, like .doc.
If you don’t plan to send LibreOffice files to others, however, you shouldn’t have a problem. I don’t plan to use LibreOffice for anything beyond budgeting and personal writing, and I don’t want anyone outside of my family to see any of that stuff. But if you plan to use LibreOffice for work documents or other high-stakes files, maybe keep backups in multiple file formats, just in case.
LibreOffice’s Calc has the same functionality as Microsoft Excel.
It is highly customizable
LibreOffice lets you customize the functionality of its programs with a wide collection of extensions and templates in the LibreOffice Extension Center. Here you can find free plugins and extensions, such as MLA format templates that allow you to easily add citations, cross-language spell checkers and the Snake game. Because who doesn’t want to add a Snake game to a spreadsheet?
Did I mention it’s free?
LibreOffice is completely free, and there is no registration fee. This was a big draw for my family as we looked to cut unnecessary expenses in our home. We couldn’t justify the price of Microsoft 365 with how little we use it.
Google also offers office productivity apps, such as Docs and Sheets, for free, but unlike LibreOffice, it requires a Google account to use it, which means you’re giving away personal data.
While LibreOffice is free and therefore attractive, it has some disadvantages
There are compelling reasons to use LibreOffice over its competitors, but it has some disadvantages compared to other applications, such as Microsoft 365 or Google Docs.
It may not be as user friendly as other programs
Some people may feel that LibreOffice is more complicated than other similar offices. Google Docs, for example, is a straightforward word processor that almost anyone can jump into and use. LibreOffice’s interface may feel intimidating to new users compared to other offices.
For example, LibreOffice Writer’s interface felt cluttered to me as options, such as inserting footnotes and basic formatting, put a ring around my blank document. It was a lot to take in at once, but I noticed that some of these options were present in the Microsoft Word document under tabs like Insert and Layout. Having all those options on one screen was a bit overwhelming, but it didn’t take me long to get used to the busy looking workspace.
No cloud integration
LibreOffice doesn’t offer native cloud support or integration, which can be disappointing if you want to work on text from multiple devices. This also means that you cannot share a document in real time with another person if you are not in the same location or using the same computer.
If you wanted to work on a document on multiple devices, you could upload the file to a flash drive, sync the files using cloud storage service like Dropbox or e-mail yourself the file, but that requires extra steps and equipment.
LibreOffice has limited mobile device support
There are no mobile versions of LibreOffice available at this time — only desktop apps.
“The Document Foundation has limited resources and is focused on the LibreOffice desktop application,” the organization wrote online.
There is a read-only app available for Android devices with what the organization calls “exploratory programming support.” Due to its experimental nature, I would not advise you to rely on this mobile application to edit documents, as it may be buggy.
Customer support is non-existent
The Document Foundation does not provide technical support for individual LibreOffice users. So if you need customer support, you can file a bug report or contact the LibreOffice community help page. Conversely, if you use another office suite, such as Microsoft 365, you should be able to contact customer support easily.
Should you switch to LibreOffice?
That depends. I’m a simple guy and I like that LibreOffice is free without losing the basic functionality of a word processor – which is all I need. But the options to customize LibreOffice with new, free templates and extensions that can add more functionality make it feel like I’m getting good money. Some users on Reddit find LibreOffice as good as Microsoft Word, appreciate how customizable it is or appreciate how open it is.
So if you want customization with useful extensions, want more privacy for your documents and enjoy free stuff, try LibreOffice. If you’re looking for an office suite that’s easy to collaborate with, want a mobile app or just don’t feel like learning a new program, then LibreOffice might not be for you.
To find out more, check out how to find out Microsoft 365 for freei the best free VPNs as well as free antivirus software.
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