LibreOffice
Open Sourceby The Document Foundation
The leading free office suite — a genuine Microsoft Office alternative.
- Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base and Math
- Reads and writes .docx, .xlsx and .pptx
- No subscription, no account, no ads
Free alternatives to Apache OpenOffice
5 office & productivity programs worth considering instead of — or alongside — Apache OpenOffice.
Alternatives to Apache OpenOffice
ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors
Open Sourceby Ascensio System SIA
The office suite with the closest Microsoft Office compatibility.
- Native .docx, .xlsx and .pptx handling
- Ribbon interface familiar to Office users
- Works offline; optional cloud collaboration
WPS Office
Free tierby Kingsoft
Polished, lightweight office suite with a strong mobile version.
- Writer, Spreadsheets and Presentation
- Strong Microsoft Office compatibility
- Excellent Android and iOS apps
Obsidian
Freeby Obsidian
Linked note-taking over plain Markdown files you own.
- Plain Markdown files stored locally
- Bidirectional links and graph view
- Large community plugin ecosystem
Joplin
Open Sourceby Joplin
Open-source encrypted notebook with flexible sync.
- End-to-end encrypted synchronisation
- Sync via Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud or WebDAV
- Markdown notes with attachments
About Apache OpenOffice
Apache OpenOffice is the long-running open-source office suite from which LibreOffice was forked. It remains a familiar, stable option, though most users now find LibreOffice the more actively developed of the two.
It is open source and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Below are 5 office & productivity programs that cover the same ground — some open-source, some cross-platform, each free to use.
Apache OpenOffice alternatives compared
| Program | Licence | Platforms | Best known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| LibreOffice | Open Source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base and Math |
| ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors | Open Source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Native .docx, .xlsx and .pptx handling |
| WPS Office | Free tier | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Writer, Spreadsheets and Presentation |
| Obsidian | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Plain Markdown files stored locally |
| Joplin | Open Source | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | End-to-end encrypted synchronisation |
The alternatives in detail
LibreOffice Open Source
LibreOffice is a complete office suite with a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, database and drawing application. Notable for writer, calc, impress, draw, base and math and reads and writes .docx, .xlsx and .pptx. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors Open Source
ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors are built around the Office Open XML formats natively, which typically gives the most faithful rendering of complex .docx and .xlsx files of any free suite. Notable for native .docx, .xlsx and .pptx handling and ribbon interface familiar to office users. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
WPS Office Free tier
WPS Office offers a well-designed, fast office suite with excellent Microsoft format compatibility and one of the best mobile document editors available. Notable for writer, spreadsheets and presentation and strong microsoft office compatibility. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS.
Obsidian Free
Obsidian stores your notes as ordinary Markdown files in a folder on your own disk, then layers linking, backlinks, graph views and a large plugin ecosystem on top. Notable for plain markdown files stored locally and bidirectional links and graph view. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS.
Joplin Open Source
Joplin is an open-source note and to-do application with end-to-end encryption and the freedom to sync through whichever backend you prefer, including Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud or WebDAV. Notable for end-to-end encrypted synchronisation and sync via dropbox, onedrive, nextcloud or webdav. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS.
How to choose
3 are fully open source (LibreOffice, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors, Joplin) — pick one of these if you value auditable code you can self-host. For the widest platform coverage, LibreOffice, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors, WPS Office run on three or more operating systems.
All 5 are free to download from the publisher's own website, so installing two or three and testing them on your own files is the fastest way to decide — it costs nothing but a few minutes.