FocusWriter vs LibreOffice Writer
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
LibreOffice Writer
Free, open-source word processor for Windows, macOS and Linux
Free
Where they differ
- FocusWriter is free. LibreOffice Writer is free.
- Only LibreOffice Writer lists a macOS app.
- LibreOffice Writer also covers templates and long-form writing.
In commonFree planWindowsLinuxOpen sourceDocuments
At a glance
| FocusWriter | LibreOffice Writer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole program is free and released under the GPL version 3. The developer accepts optional tips of $5, $10, $20 or another amount. | 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 | Gott Code (Graeme Gott) | The Document Foundation |
| Price read from | gottcode.org | libreoffice.org |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
FocusWriter
- Writers who want a full-screen page with nothing else on it
- People who set themselves a daily writing target
- Windows and Linux users who want a free, open-source editor
LibreOffice Writer
- People who want a full desktop word processor at no cost
- Anyone who needs the same word processor on Windows, macOS and Linux
- Users who prefer open-source software and the OpenDocument format
Worth knowing
FocusWriter
- The download page for the current version lists Linux, Windows 10 x64 and source code only; it offers no macOS build.
- The version archive shows macOS builds only up to a release from April 2020.
- No mobile or web version is listed.
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
FocusWriter
- Hide-away interface
- Menus, toolbars and other controls stay out of sight until the mouse moves to the edges of the screen, leaving only the text visible while writing.
- Themes
- A theme controls the font, the colors and a background image, and writers can create their own to set the mood of the writing space.
- Statistics and daily goals
- Statistics update as you type, and a daily goal tracks progress toward a target for each day's writing.
- Sessions that resume
- Several documents can be open at once, and on launch the program reloads the work in progress and returns to the last position in it.
- Spell-checking
- Spelling is checked with the bundled hunspell library, and the project page links to LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice dictionaries.
- Portable mode
- A portable Windows build is offered, and creating a Data folder beside the program keeps settings and themes with it on a USB drive.
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
FocusWriter
Free$0
The full word processor for Windows 10 x64 and Linux, including a portable Windows build, with optional tips to the developer.
LibreOffice Writer
LibreOffice$0
The full office suite, including Writer, downloaded free from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS or Linux.
