EtherCalc vs LibreOffice Calc (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, EtherCalc grades higher than LibreOffice Calc: 3.2 against 3.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
EtherCalc grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
LibreOffice Calc
Free, open-source spreadsheet for Windows, macOS and Linux
Free
Which one is for you
Pick EtherCalc if
- Fits if you need a quick shared sheet for a meeting without making accounts
- Works for developers who want to host a shared sheet on their own server
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if the data is private, as anyone who knows a sheet's URL can read and write it unless a key is set
- Skip it if you want a full spreadsheet, since it is a basic shared grid
- Watch out: self-hosting on the internet needs a reverse proxy for TLS and rate limits
- Watch out: the docs list only Safari, Chrome and Firefox as tested, and there are no phone or desktop apps
Pick LibreOffice Calc if
- Fits if you want a full desktop spreadsheet without paying for one
- Works for people moving between Windows, macOS and Linux who want the same app on each
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if several of you need to edit one sheet live, as shared mode only merges changes on save
- Not for you if you want your spreadsheets in a browser, because there's no hosted version and none is planned
- Too light for working on a phone, where all you get is an Android viewer with experimental editing
- Watch out: some commands are unavailable while a sheet is shared, and the listing names no integrations or API
- Watch out: the Mac App Store copy costs $8.99 and the Microsoft Store one is paid; the website download is free
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAEtherCalcVery good | 3.0GPALibreOffice CalcVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree at ethercalc.net with no account, and free to self-host. Nobody charges for it, so it is free and substantial. | AIt costs nothing from libreoffice.org, in a category whose middle plan is $9.99 a month and whose lowest quarter starts at $5.40. Only the app store copies carry a charge: the Mac App Store version is $8.99 and the Microsoft Store one is paid too. |
| Free plan and trial | ANo plan and no cap on record: open a sheet and start. Self-hosting is optional. | AThe whole LibreOffice suite, Calc included, is a free download for Windows, macOS and Linux, with no cap and nothing held back for an upgrade, because there's no paid tier to upgrade to. |
| Features | CShared editing by URL and a REST API. It is a basic shared sheet, and the listing shows no apps and nothing beyond the grid. | CAs a desktop spreadsheet it has statistical and banking functions with a Function Wizard, pivot tables, named scenarios, Multiple Operations for what-if sums and charts that update with the data. The listing names the gap, a big one now: no hosted version, and shared mode merges edits on save, not live. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. Open a page and type; there is nothing to set up on the hosted site. | BNo rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: download it, install it, open your Excel files. The Function Wizard walks you through building a formula step by step. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with a documented REST API and a Drupal link. No desktop or phone app is listed. | CComputers only: Windows, macOS and Linux. On Android there's a viewer with experimental editing, and The Document Foundation points at Collabora's apps for editing on a phone. No web version, and the listing names no integrations and no API. |
| Best for | a spreadsheet you share by link with no sign-up | a full desktop spreadsheet that costs nothing |
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: EtherCalc and LibreOffice Calc. How we grade
Price against what you get
EtherCalc has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. LibreOffice Calc has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
EtherCalc scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other spreadsheet and database tools on the chart, none scores higher than EtherCalc for less, and none scores higher than LibreOffice Calc 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
- EtherCalc is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- LibreOffice Calc is open source, according to its own site.
In commonFree planSpreadsheets
At a glance
| EtherCalc | LibreOffice Calc | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | No plans or prices are published; the hosted site describes itself as needing no sign-up and no install. | The whole LibreOffice suite, Calc included, is a free download from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS and Linux. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | audreyt | The Document Foundation |
| Price read from | github.com | libreoffice.org |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
EtherCalc
- Access is anonymous by design: anyone who knows a sheet's URL can read and write unless a key is configured.
- Internet-facing self-hosting needs a reverse proxy for TLS and rate limits, per the README.
- The documentation lists browsers tested as Safari, Chrome and Firefox only.
- It has no desktop or mobile apps.
LibreOffice Calc
- There is no hosted cloud version; The Document Foundation says it does not plan a service like those from Google and Microsoft.
- Shared mode merges each user's edits when they save the file, and some commands are unavailable while a spreadsheet is shared.
- On Android the foundation offers only a viewer with experimental editing, and it points to Collabora's apps for editing documents on mobile.
- 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
EtherCalc
- Shared editing by URL
- Anyone with a sheet's address can edit at the same time as others, per the site title.
- No account needed
- The repository describes it as a web spreadsheet with no sign-up and no install.
- REST API
- A documented API creates and reads sheets over HTTP.
- Self-hosting
- Runs with docker compose or an npm install, with no Cloudflare account required.
LibreOffice Calc
- Functions and the Function Wizard
- Built-in functions, including statistical and banking functions, are combined into formulas for complex calculations, and the Function Wizard helps assemble them step by step.
- Pivot tables
- A pivot table combines, compares and analyzes large amounts of data. Its fields can be rearranged to view different summaries of the same source data.
- Scenarios and what-if tools
- Named scenarios hold alternative sets of cell values that can be switched to compare results, and the Multiple Operations command calculates a formula across a range of inputs.
- Dynamic charts
- Spreadsheet data can be presented in charts that update automatically whenever the underlying data changes.
- Excel compatibility
- Imports and modifies Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, and filters open and save a variety of other formats in addition to the native OpenDocument format.
- Shared spreadsheets
- In shared mode several users can open the same spreadsheet file for writing at once. Changes merge when each person saves, with a dialog to settle conflicting edits.
Plans
EtherCalc
Free$0
Hosted at ethercalc.net with no account, or self-hosted with Docker or npm.
LibreOffice Calc
LibreOffice$0
The full office suite, including Calc, downloaded free from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS or Linux.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, EtherCalc or LibreOffice Calc?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both EtherCalc and LibreOffice Calc are free to use.
Which has a free plan, EtherCalc or LibreOffice Calc?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both EtherCalc and LibreOffice Calc have a free plan.
Which platforms do EtherCalc and LibreOffice Calc run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only EtherCalc lists a web app and only LibreOffice Calc lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.