LibreOffice Calc vs Proton Sheets
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
Proton Sheets
End-to-end encrypted online spreadsheets inside Proton Drive
Where they differ
- LibreOffice Calc is free. Proton Sheets starts at $3.99 per month, billed yearly (Drive Plus).
- Only LibreOffice Calc lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Proton Sheets lists a web app.
- Only Proton Sheets lists iOS and Android apps.
- LibreOffice Calc is open source, according to its own site.
- Proton Sheets is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
At a glance
| LibreOffice Calc | Proton Sheets | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $3.99 per month, billed yearly (Drive Plus) |
| Free plan | The whole LibreOffice suite, Calc included, is a free download from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS and Linux. | Proton Free: 5 GB of end-to-end encrypted storage with the online document and spreadsheet editor. Anyone with a Proton Drive account can use Sheets at no charge. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | The Document Foundation | Proton AG |
| Price read from | libreoffice.org | proton.me |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
LibreOffice Calc
- People who want a full desktop spreadsheet at no cost
- Anyone who needs the same spreadsheet app on Windows, macOS and Linux
- Users who prefer open-source software and the OpenDocument format
Proton Sheets
- People who want spreadsheets the provider itself cannot read
- Teams handling client or financial data under privacy requirements
- Existing Proton Drive users who want a spreadsheet in the same account
Worth knowing
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.
Proton Sheets
- There is no standalone Sheets plan; it is part of Proton Drive, and the paid plans differ in storage and bundled Proton services.
- In the Windows and macOS Drive apps a spreadsheet is only a placeholder file that opens in the browser at docs.proton.me.
- People invited by email need a Proton Account to open a shared spreadsheet; public links do not require one.
- The free plan's 5 GB of storage is shared with files, photos and documents kept in Proton Drive.
Key features
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.
Proton Sheets
- End-to-end encryption by default
- Spreadsheets are encrypted on the device before upload, including metadata such as file names, so no one but the owner and invited collaborators can read them, not even Proton.
- Real-time collaboration
- Edits from other people appear as they type, each collaborator has a named cursor, and notes can be attached to cells. Changes sync without a save step.
- Sharing controls
- Share with specific people as Editor or Viewer, or create a public link with an optional password and expiration date. Access can be changed or revoked at any time.
- Formulas, charts and data tools
- Built-in functions such as SUM and IF, bar, line and pie charts, conditional formatting, data validation and multiple tabs in one spreadsheet.
- Import and export
- Imports CSV, TSV and XLSX files into a new or existing sheet and downloads spreadsheets as XLSX, CSV or TSV. ODS import and export were added in beta in February 2026.
Plans
LibreOffice Calc
LibreOffice$0
The full office suite, including Calc, downloaded free from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS or Linux.
Proton Sheets
Proton Free$0
5 GB of storage for files, photos and documents, with the online document and spreadsheet editor.
Drive Plus$3.99
per month, billed yearly at $47.88 ($4.99 billed monthly)
Proton Drive with Sheets, 200 GB of storage and 10 years to recover previous file versions.
Drive Professional$7.99
per user / month, billed yearly ($9.99 billed monthly)
Team plan for Proton Drive with Sheets: 1 TB per user, user access management and sync across devices and users.
Proton Unlimited$9.99
per month, billed yearly at $119.88 ($12.99 billed monthly)
500 GB of storage plus Proton VPN, Proton Mail, Proton Calendar and Proton Pass alongside Drive and Sheets.
Proton Duo$14.99
per month, billed yearly at $179.88 ($19.99 billed monthly)
Everything in Unlimited for up to 2 users, with 2 TB of storage and advanced account protection.
Proton Family$23.99
per month, billed yearly ($29.99 billed monthly)
3 TB of storage for up to 6 users, with the Proton premium products that are included in Duo.
Ways to pay less
LibreOffice Calc
No public discounts listed.
Proton Sheets
- Annual discount
20% to 25% off with yearly billing
Billed yearly, Drive Plus is $3.99 a month instead of $4.99 (20% off), Proton Unlimited is $9.99 instead of $12.99 (23% off) and Proton Duo is $14.99 instead of $19.99 (25% off).
