LibreOffice Writer vs LyX (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, LibreOffice Writer grades higher than LyX: 3.2 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
LibreOffice Writer grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
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
Which one is for you
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
Pick LyX if
- Fits if you write papers with lots of equations
- Works for people who already use LaTeX and want a friendlier editor
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you don't want to install a TeX system before it works
- Skip it if you want people editing live, because it has no collaboration
- Watch out: recent Macs don't ship Python, which the download page says LyX needs
- Watch out: Gatekeeper may block the first launch on a Mac
How we grade them
| 3.2GPALibreOffice WriterVery good | 2.6GPALyXGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AFree and open source. Writing tools charge $5.83 to $12.50 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no plan to upgrade to and no cap to hit. It's open source, from The Document Foundation. | AThe whole program is free, and the Donate page is optional. |
| Features | 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. | CAn equation editor, structured documents, document classes, tables, languages and revision tracking. No web version or real-time collaboration. |
| Ease of use | 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. | DOn Windows and macOS you install a TeX system first, such as MiKTeX or MacTeX, and recent Macs need Python too. That's setup work. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | CWindows, Mac and Linux, which is computers only, with links to BibTeX, Maple, Maxima, Octave and Mathematica. |
| Best for | a full word processor for free | documents with math and structure, on LaTeX |
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 Writer and LyX. How we grade
Price against what you get
LibreOffice Writer has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. LyX has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
LibreOffice Writer scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other writing tools on the chart, none scores higher than LibreOffice Writer for less, and none scores higher than LyX 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
- LibreOffice Writer also covers templates and long-form writing.
- LyX also covers citations.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceDocuments
At a glance
| LibreOffice Writer | LyX | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole LibreOffice suite, Writer included, is a free download from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS and Linux. | LyX is free software under a free and open source license. The site has a Donate page but nothing is required to use it. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | The Document Foundation | The LyX Team |
| Price read from | libreoffice.org | lyx.org |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
LyX
- A TeX system such as MiKTeX or MacTeX must be installed before LyX works for output on Windows and macOS.
- Recent macOS releases do not ship Python, which the download page says LyX needs.
- Mac Gatekeeper may block the first launch, and the download page explains the workaround.
- The site lists no web version and no real-time collaboration.
Key features
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.
LyX
- Equation editor
- Formulas are entered by point-and-click or LaTeX commands and show rendered on screen as you type.
- Structured documents
- Labels, cross-references, index and bibliography are built in, including BibTeX support, along with an outliner for moving whole chapters.
- Document classes
- Text classes cover letters, articles, books, slides and movie scripts, plus classes for AMS, APS and IEEE and some journals.
- Graphics and tables
- Many image formats are supported, with cropping, rotation and scaling, floating figures and interactive tables.
- Languages
- Right-to-left scripts and CJK are supported, and a document can mix several languages through Unicode.
- Revision tracking and spellchecking
- It offers track changes, a thesaurus and spellchecking through aspell or hunspell.
Plans
LibreOffice Writer
LibreOffice$0
The full office suite, including Writer, downloaded free from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS or Linux.
LyX
Free$0
The full document processor for Windows, macOS and Linux. A TeX distribution is installed separately.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, LibreOffice Writer or LyX?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both LibreOffice Writer and LyX are free to use.
Which has a free plan, LibreOffice Writer or LyX?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both LibreOffice Writer and LyX 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.