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 Obsidian
5 office & productivity programs worth considering instead of — or alongside — Obsidian.
Alternatives to Obsidian
Apache OpenOffice
Open Sourceby Apache Software Foundation
The original open-source office suite.
- Full word processor, spreadsheet and presentation apps
- Opens legacy OpenOffice and Microsoft formats
- Apache Software Foundation project
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
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 Obsidian
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. Free for personal use, with no lock-in — your notes remain readable in any text editor.
It is free and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS. Below are 5 office & productivity programs that cover the same ground — some open-source, some cross-platform, each free to use.
Obsidian alternatives compared
| Program | Licence | Platforms | Best known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| LibreOffice | Open Source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base and Math |
| Apache OpenOffice | Open Source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Full word processor, spreadsheet and presentation apps |
| 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 |
| 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.
Apache OpenOffice Open Source
Apache OpenOffice is the long-running open-source office suite from which LibreOffice was forked. Notable for full word processor, spreadsheet and presentation apps and opens legacy openoffice and microsoft formats. 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.
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
4 are fully open source (LibreOffice, Apache OpenOffice, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors, Joplin) — pick one of these if you value auditable code you can self-host. For the widest platform coverage, LibreOffice, Apache OpenOffice, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors 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.