LibreOffice Calc vs Pyspread (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, LibreOffice Calc grades higher than Pyspread: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
LibreOffice Calc grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
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
Pyspread
Free open-source spreadsheet where every cell holds Python code
Free
Which one is for you
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
Pick Pyspread if
- Fits if you know Python and want formulas that are real code
- Works for people who need a free desktop sheet on Linux
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac, as macOS is currently unsupported
- Not for you if you don't write Python, since every cell is code
- Too light for heavy number-crunching, as long-running cells can lock it up
- Tight if you want an easy install, since it needs Python and PyQt6
How we grade them
| 3.0GPALibreOffice CalcVery good | 2.6GPAPyspreadGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AFree under GPL v3 for anyone to download and run, with no paid plan. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | AFree outright, with no cap and no paid tier. |
| Features | 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. | CPython in cells, modules, charts, images and import and export. Long-running cells can lock the app, and it isn't built for heavy computation. |
| Ease of use | 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. | DYou install it with pip or a system package and it needs Python and PyQt6. The project warns that cell code is a steep climb for non-programmers. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | CA program for computers only, on Linux and Windows. macOS is listed as unsupported, with links to NumPy, Matplotlib and R. |
| Best for | a full desktop spreadsheet that costs nothing | a free spreadsheet where every cell holds Python |
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: LibreOffice Calc and Pyspread. How we grade
Price against what you get
LibreOffice Calc has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Pyspread has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
LibreOffice Calc scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other spreadsheet and database tools on the chart, none scores higher than LibreOffice Calc for less, and none scores higher than Pyspread 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
In commonFree planWindowsLinuxOpen sourceSpreadsheets
At a glance
| LibreOffice Calc | Pyspread | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole LibreOffice suite, Calc included, is a free download from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS and Linux. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | The Document Foundation | Martin Manns and the pyspread team |
| Price read from | libreoffice.org | pyspread.gitlab.io |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
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.
Pyspread
- The project says people without Python experience may find the learning curve for code in cells too steep.
- It is not built to parallelize heavy computation, and long-running cells can lock up the app.
- The install page lists Linux, POSIX platforms and Windows, and says macOS is currently unsupported.
- It needs Python and PyQt6, and is installed with pip or a system package.
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.
Pyspread
- Python in cells
- Cells accept Python expressions, so no separate spreadsheet formula language is needed.
- Python modules available
- Cells can use modules such as NumPy, and a macro panel can import your own modules.
- Charts and images
- Cells can show text, markup, images, dates or charts; Matplotlib and R charts are supported, some through optional dependencies.
- Import and export
- Imports CSV, SVG and XLSX, and exports CSV, SVG and PDF; XLSX import needs optional dependencies and PDF is made by printing to file.
- Signed save files
- The pysu save format works with git, and blake2b signatures are meant to stop foreign code from running.
Plans
LibreOffice Calc
LibreOffice$0
The full office suite, including Calc, downloaded free from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS or Linux.
Pyspread
Free$0
Free software under the GPL v3 licence; no paid plans.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, LibreOffice Calc or Pyspread?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both LibreOffice Calc and Pyspread are free to use.
Which has a free plan, LibreOffice Calc or Pyspread?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both LibreOffice Calc and Pyspread have a free plan.
Which platforms do LibreOffice Calc and Pyspread run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only LibreOffice Calc lists a macOS app. Both list 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.