Apache OpenOffice vs ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors

Apache OpenOffice: what it's good at

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.

• Full word processor, spreadsheet and presentation apps
• Opens legacy OpenOffice and Microsoft formats
• Apache Software Foundation project
• Free for commercial use

ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors: what it's good at

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. The interface is also the closest to modern Microsoft Office.

• Native .docx, .xlsx and .pptx handling
• Ribbon interface familiar to Office users
• Works offline; optional cloud collaboration
• Open source

Which should you choose?

Both are free, so the honest answer is that you can install either and decide for yourself — that is the advantage of free software over a paid trial.

Both run on Windows, macOS, Linux. Both are open source, so neither locks you in.

We deliberately do not publish a star rating for either. We have no way to verify a rating that would be honest at scale, and an invented one would be worse than none — so we give you the facts and let you decide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Apache OpenOffice better than ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors?

Neither is universally better. Apache OpenOffice the original open-source office suite, while ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors the office suite with the closest Microsoft Office compatibility. The right pick depends on your platform and workflow.

Are both really free?

Apache OpenOffice is open source and ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors is open source. Both can be downloaded without paying.

Can I install both?

Yes. Since neither costs anything, installing both and comparing them on your own files is usually the fastest way to decide.