These open source office suites have a lot in common, but there are some key differences between the two.
When it comes to free office software, there are two main choices: LibreOffice and OpenOffice (or, to give it its proper name, Apache OpenOffice). The two are remarkably similar, so how can you choose the right one for you?
First, it’s worth thinking carefully about whether you need desktop office software at all. Provided you have an internet connection, Google Docs, Sheets and Slides might offer everything you need, without the need to install anything, and with the extra bonus that everything you create will be automatically saved to the cloud. No more lost documents, or having to email work to yourself.
However, if you write, create spreadsheets or make presentations regularly, you might find that you need some of the more advanced features that you only get in desktop software. If you’re in that camp LibreOffice and OpenOffice are two of the best options around. They’re both free to download and use, even professionally, and they’re open source, which means their code is publicly available.
Indeed, they’re so similar that you might have a hard time choosing between them, but there are some key differences.
LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice share a common ancestor: OpenOffice.
