Apache OpenOffice vs LibreOffice Writer (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Apache OpenOffice and LibreOffice Writer share a 3.2 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Apache OpenOffice
Free open-source office suite with the Writer word processor
Free
LibreOffice Writer
Free, open-source word processor for Windows, macOS and Linux
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Apache OpenOffice if
- Fits if you want a desktop word processor for $0 and don't need online co-editing
- Works for old PCs and offline work, where an installer is all you need
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a web or phone version, since the download page lists neither
- Not for you if you want a paid helpdesk, because support is volunteers
- Too light for shared editing, with no cloud storage or live co-editing listed
- Watch out: the Windows installer listed is 32-bit and Macs below 10.7 need a separate download
Pick LibreOffice Writer if
- Fits if you want a full desktop word processor and don't want to pay for one
- Works for a mix of Windows, macOS and Linux computers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to write with other people in a browser, as there's no hosted cloud version
- Not for you if you edit on a phone or tablet: Android gets a viewer with experimental editing, and iOS is pointed to Collabora Office
- Watch out: the Mac App Store copy costs $8.99 and the Microsoft Store one also charges, while the website download is free
- Watch out: no integrations or API are listed
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAApache OpenOfficeVery good | 3.2GPALibreOffice WriterVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$0 for the whole suite with no licence fee, commercial use included. Against a category with $9.75 in the middle, that's as cheap as it gets. | AThe whole LibreOffice suite, Writer included, is a free download from libreoffice.org, with nothing held back for a paid tier, against $8.33 a month in the middle of this category. One catch: the Mac App Store copy costs $8.99, so use the website. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree to download and use on as many PCs as you like, with no caps listed. | AFree outright, with no plan to upgrade to and no cap to hit. It's open source, from The Document Foundation. |
| Features | BWriter with contents tables, references, AutoCorrect, margin comments, and PDF, HTML and MediaWiki export, plus Calc, Impress, Draw, Base and Math. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. | BIt covers the whole job of a word processor: styles for paragraphs and pages, a Navigator for long documents, spellcheck and thesaurus, multi-column layouts, calculations inside tables, Word .doc and .docx in and out, and PDF export. What it doesn't do is anything its rivals don't, which is what an A would need. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but you download, install and start typing with nothing to set up. | BNo store rating on record, so we go on the listing: you download it and start typing, with templates for letters, memos and resumes waiting, and nothing to connect or configure first. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux installers only: a program for computers alone. | CWindows, macOS and Linux, and that's it: a desktop program on three operating systems is still only computers. There's no hosted cloud version and the foundation says it doesn't plan one, Android gets a viewer with experimental editing only, and the listing names no integrations or API. |
| Best for | a no-cost office suite on a desktop | a full word processor for free |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Apache OpenOffice and LibreOffice Writer. How we grade
Price against what you get
Apache OpenOffice has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. LibreOffice Writer has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other writing tools on the chart, none scores higher than Apache OpenOffice for less, and none scores higher than LibreOffice Writer for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Apache OpenOffice also covers spreadsheets and presentations.
- LibreOffice Writer also covers long-form writing.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceTemplatesDocuments
At a glance
| Apache OpenOffice | LibreOffice Writer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole suite is free to download and use for any purpose, private or commercial, on as many PCs as you like. | The whole LibreOffice suite, Writer included, is a free download from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS and Linux. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | The Apache Software Foundation | The Document Foundation |
| Price read from | openoffice.org | libreoffice.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Apache OpenOffice
- The download page lists only Windows, Linux and macOS installers; no web version or mobile app is listed.
- The Windows installer listed is 32-bit, and macOS versions below 10.7 have a separate download.
- Support comes from a volunteer community rather than a paid helpdesk.
LibreOffice Writer
- There is no hosted cloud version; The Document Foundation says it does not plan a service like those from Google and Microsoft.
- On Android the foundation offers a viewer with experimental editing only, and it points to Collabora Office for editing on Android and iOS.
- The Mac App Store version costs $8.99 and the Microsoft Store version also carries a charge; downloads from the website are free.
Key features
Apache OpenOffice
- Writer word processor
- Handles anything from a short memo to a book, with styles, text frames, mail-merge wizards and multi-page display while editing.
- Tables of contents and references
- Generates tables of contents, indexes, bibliographic references and lists of illustrations or tables for long documents.
- AutoCorrect and AutoComplete
- Corrects typing mistakes and checks spelling as you type, supports several languages in one document, and suggests common words and phrases.
- PDF, HTML and MediaWiki export
- Exports to PDF, HTML and MediaWiki format; the PDF export offers a large set of formatting and security settings.
- Comments in the margin
- Notes show beside the text, with different colors for different users and the date and time of each edit.
- Extensions and templates
- A public library of user-made extensions, dictionaries and templates adds functions and starting layouts.
LibreOffice Writer
- Writing aids
- A spellchecker, thesaurus, AutoCorrect and hyphenation are built in, along with templates for documents such as letters, memos, resumes and mail merges.
- Styles and Navigator
- Styles for paragraphs, characters, frames and pages can be created, assigned and modified, and the Navigator shows a document's outline for moving around it quickly.
- Microsoft Word compatibility
- Opens and saves Microsoft Word .doc and .docx files in addition to its native OpenDocument format.
- PDF and HTML export
- Documents can be exported to PDF and saved as HTML as well as in OpenDocument and Word formats.
- Desktop publishing layout
- Multi-column layouts, frames, graphics and tables support documents such as brochures and newsletters, and a drawing tool creates graphics inside a document.
- Calculations in tables
- An integrated calculation function runs calculations and logical links inside the tables of a text document.
Plans
Apache OpenOffice
Apache OpenOffice$0
Full suite (Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, Math) with no license fee; the project accepts donations.
LibreOffice Writer
LibreOffice$0
The full office suite, including Writer, downloaded free from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS or Linux.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Apache OpenOffice or LibreOffice Writer?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Apache OpenOffice and LibreOffice Writer are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Apache OpenOffice or LibreOffice Writer?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Apache OpenOffice and LibreOffice Writer have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.