The average user might not see too many differences between these open-source office suites. This is where it gets both interesting and confusing. The LibreOffice releases tend to bring new features and changes at tiny increments, whereas Apache OpenOffice updates (due to the infrequency of releases) tend to be more dramatic. On the other, it could more readily introduce bugs (bug that are, in turn, patched quickly). Is that good or bad? On one hand, it means that you're getting fixes and new features faster. LibreOffice makes available the latest iteration much more rapidly and frequently than Apache OpenOffice. At the moment, Apache OpenOffice is at release 4.1.1 and LibreOffice is at release 4.3.1. To make this perfectly clear, Apache OpenOffice is behind LibreOffice in release.

Both include everything you need to get your productivity done - word processor, spreadsheets, database, formulas, and drawing tools. I also want it to be known that, in my opinion, both tools are outstanding replacements for the costlier proprietary solutions that are available. What I do want is to lay out what sets each tool apart, so you can decide which office suite best fits your needs. why would you choose one over the other? I don't want to stand and take sides for this argument. All of these software titles (, Apache OpenOffice, LibreOffice, NeoOffice, and more) all stem from the original StarOffice (which was actually a proprietary office suite).īoth tools (LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice) are free, cross-platform office suites that do an outstanding job of getting your work done. This was the same software that was once owned by Oracle and then relinquished to Apache. The OpenOffice of which I now speak is officially Apache OpenOffice. It descends from and IBM Lotus Symphony, and it's a close cousin of LibreOffice.įirst, we must get the names out of the way. OpenOffice: Apache OpenOffice (AOO) is an open-source office productivity software suite.LibreOffice: LibreOffice is a free and open-source office suite, developed by The Document Foundation.When you see each description, the variances are minimal. To the end user, this is a very legitimate question.

Recently, I've had a number of readers ask me about the differences between the two foremost open-source office suites.

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