LibreOffice Writer vs Typst
We give LibreOffice Writer and Typst the same GPA: 3.6 out of 4.0. They get the same grade on all five counts.
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
Typst
Markup-based typesetting system with a collaborative web app
Free plan · from $7.99/mo
How we grade them
| 3.6GPALibreOffice WriterExcellent | 3.6GPATypstExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe whole LibreOffice suite, Writer included, is a free download from libreoffice.org. One thing to know: the Mac App Store version costs $8.99 and the Microsoft Store one carries a charge too, so get it from the website. | APro is $7.99 a month, or $79.99 for the year, which is under where paid writing tools typically start. And you may not need it at all: the compiler is free, and so is co-editing in the web app. |
| Free plan and trial | AEverything is free, with no paid tier and nothing locked away. It's open source, from The Document Foundation. | AThe web app's Free plan lets you create, share and co-edit projects with community templates, 200 MB of storage and up to 100 files per project. The compiler itself is a free download. Most people could stay here. Comments, folders and Zotero sync are Pro. |
| Features | AA spellchecker, thesaurus and AutoCorrect, styles for paragraphs and pages, a Navigator for getting around long documents, multi-column layouts for newsletters, and calculations inside tables. It opens and saves Word .doc and .docx files and exports to PDF. | AMarkup that lays itself out into a PDF, with math built in, tables filled from CSV or JSON, and citations formatted automatically. Loops and functions in the language can turn a JSON file into a batch of invoices. The web app adds shared editing, autocomplete and a live preview. |
| Ease of use | BThere's no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. It's a desktop app you install, with templates for letters, memos and resumes to start from. | BThere's no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. The web app needs no install, helps with autocomplete and a live preview, and converts files from LaTeX, Word and Markdown. You do have to learn Typst's own markup, and the free compiler alone is command line. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, macOS and Linux on the desktop. There's no hosted cloud version, and the foundation says it doesn't plan one. On Android it offers a viewer with experimental editing only, and it points to Collabora Office for editing on Android and iOS. | BA web app, plus a compiler for Windows, macOS and Linux, with Zotero, Mendeley, GitHub and GitLab sync on Pro. The Git sync is labelled experimental, and the listing shows no phone apps. |
| Best for | a full word processor for free | typesetting papers without 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 Typst. How we grade
Where they differ
- LibreOffice Writer is free. Typst starts at $7.99 per month, billed monthly ($79.99 billed yearly).
- Only Typst lists a web app.
- Typst is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- LibreOffice Writer also covers documents.
- Typst also covers citations and presentations.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceTemplatesLong-form writing
At a glance
| LibreOffice Writer | Typst | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $7.99 per month, billed monthly ($79.99 billed yearly) |
| Free plan | The whole LibreOffice suite, Writer included, is a free download from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS and Linux. | Free web app plan: create, share and co-edit projects, community packages and templates, and file conversion, with 200 MB of storage and up to 100 files per project. The compiler itself is free. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | The Document Foundation | Typst GmbH |
| Price read from | libreoffice.org | typst.app |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Typst
- Students and researchers who want an alternative to LaTeX
- Co-authors editing a technical document together in a browser
- Teams that generate reports or invoices from data
- Organizations that need the editor hosted on their own servers
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.
Typst
- The Free plan is limited to 200 MB of storage and 100 files per project, and leaves out comments, folders and reference-manager sync.
- Only the compiler is open source; the web app is closed source, and hosting it yourself needs the custom-priced On-Premises plan.
- Documents use Typst's own markup language. The web app converts files from LaTeX, Word and Markdown.
- GitHub and GitLab sync and private packages are labeled experimental on the pricing page.
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.
Typst
- Markup with automatic formatting
- Documents are written as structured markup and laid out automatically, then exported as a PDF, an image or, in preview, a website.
- Collaborative web app
- The browser editor adds shared editing, autocomplete and a live preview. Sharing and collaboration are part of the Free plan; comment threads need Pro.
- Templates and packages
- Projects can start from community templates and import community packages. Pro adds private packages and templates limited to a workspace.
- Math, tables and bibliographies
- Equations are built into the markup, tables can be filled from CSV or JSON, and citations are formatted automatically, with Zotero and Mendeley sync on Pro.
- Scripting and data loading
- Conditionals, loops and functions are embedded in the language, so a document or a batch of invoices can be generated from a JSON file.
- Open-source compiler
- The command-line compiler is a free download for Windows, macOS and Linux, can run on a server, and can be embedded in other apps as a library.
Plans
LibreOffice Writer
LibreOffice$0
The full office suite, including Writer, downloaded free from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS or Linux.
Typst
Free$0
Create, share and collaborate on projects with community packages and templates, 200 MB of storage and up to 100 files per project.
Pro$7.99
per month, billed monthly; $79.99 per year billed yearly
Adds comments, private packages and templates, GitHub and GitLab sync, Zotero and Mendeley sync, slide presenting, folders and 2 GB of storage.
On-PremisesCustom
The web app run in your own data center with LDAP access control and priority support. Starts at 5 organization members.
Ways to pay less
LibreOffice Writer
No public discounts listed.
Typst
- Annual discount
Lower price with yearly payment
The pricing page marks yearly payment as 14% off. In US dollars Pro is $79.99 for a year against $7.99 a month, which is $95.88 over twelve months.
