The LibreOffice Writer Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about LibreOffice Writer in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
LibreOffice Writer
The Insider’s Guide
Free, open-source word processor for Windows, macOS and Linux
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among writing tools, read from LibreOffice Writer’s own pages.
Made by The Document Foundation · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from LibreOffice Writer’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on LibreOffice Writer’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 64 of the 69 other writing tools we grade
LibreOffice Writer is the word processor in LibreOffice, a free and open-source office suite from The Document Foundation. It handles everything from quick notes to book-length documents, reads and writes Microsoft Word files alongside its native OpenDocument format, and exports to PDF. It runs as a desktop app on Windows, macOS and Linux.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about LibreOffice Writer, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Android gets a viewer with experimental editing only, iPhone users are pointed to another app, and no integrations are listed.
- 1
Best for a full word processor for free
It isn't a cloud app: there's no hosted version to share a document in, and the foundation doesn't plan one.
- 2
It is free
LibreOffice Writer has no paid plan at all. The whole LibreOffice suite, Writer included, is a free download from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS and Linux.
- 3
It runs on 3 platforms
Windows, macOS and Linux.
- 4
Writing aids
A spellchecker, thesaurus, AutoCorrect and hyphenation are built in, along with templates for documents such as letters, memos, resumes and mail merges.
- 5
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.
- 6
Microsoft Word compatibility
Opens and saves Microsoft Word .doc and .docx files in addition to its native OpenDocument format.
- 7
A 3.2 GPA, above 64 of 69
That is against the other writing tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
LibreOffice Writer is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
LibreOffice Writer at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- The Document Foundation, since 2010
- Category
- Writing Tools
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for a full word processor for free
LibreOffice Writer is a free, open-source word processor for Windows, macOS and Linux, with styles, templates, mail merge and Word file support. It isn't a cloud app: there's no hosted version to share a document in, and the foundation doesn't plan one. Android gets a viewer with experimental editing only, iPhone users are pointed to another app, and no integrations are listed.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | The 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. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free outright, with no plan to upgrade to and no cap to hit. It's open source, from The Document Foundation. |
| Features | B | It 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. |
| Ease of use | B | No 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Windows, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who LibreOffice Writer is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- 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
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
LibreOffice Writer is free to use.
Free outright, with no plan to upgrade to and no cap to hit.
LibreOffice
$0
The full office suite, including Writer, downloaded free from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS or Linux.
The free plan
The whole LibreOffice suite, Writer included, is a free download from libreoffice.org for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Read from libreoffice.org on Oct 5, 2026.
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for the app, against $8.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $11.99 | $8.43 | 6% less |
| Philippines | ₱ 599.00 | $9.54 | 6% more |
| Indonesia | Rp 179ribu | $10.01 | 11% more |
| Turkey | ₺499,99 | $10.17 | 13% more |
| Germany | 9,99 € | $11.19 | 25% more |
| United Kingdom | £8.99 | $11.89 | 32% more |
| Brazil | R$ 59,90 | $11.97 | 33% more |
| South Africa | R199.99 | $12.10 | 35% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: macOS, Windows and Linux
Free, open-source word processor for Windows, macOS and Linux. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, templates, documents, long-form writing.
What it doesn't do is anything its rivals don't, which is what an A would need.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Who makes LibreOffice Writer
LibreOffice Writer is part of the LibreOffice suite, a project of The Document Foundation, a charitable foundation under German law based in Berlin. The software is free and licensed under copyleft licences; the foundation lives on donations and on support from the companies on its Advisory Board.
- Founded
- 2010libreoffice.org
- Based
- Berlin, Germanylibreoffice.org
- Ownership
- Nonprofit. The imprint says The Document Foundation is a charitable foundation under German law (gemeinnützige rechtsfähige Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts), overseen by the Berlin senate's foundation authority. Its timeline says it was announced in 2010 and incorporated in Berlin in 2012.libreoffice.org
- Funding
- No investors: as a German charitable foundation it is paid for by donations and by organisations that give financial or other support through its Advisory Board. It publishes annual reports and accounting ledgers on its Financials and Reports page.documentfoundation.orgdocumentfoundation.org
- Team
- The foundation gives no headcount. Its team page names the paid staff and their jobs: developers, QA, release engineering, infrastructure, UX, documentation and marketing.documentfoundation.org
- Founders and leaders
- Florian Effenberger, Executive Directordocumentfoundation.org
- Eliane Domingos de Sousa, Chairperson of the Boardlibreoffice.org
- Simon Phipps, Deputy Chairperson of the Boarddocumentfoundation.org
- Sophie Gautier, Board member and Foundation Coordinatordocumentfoundation.org
- Hiring
- No careers page. Job openings go in the Tenders section of its blog; the most recent is a full-time remote Marketing and Communication Professional, posted in July 2026.blog.documentfoundation.org
- Lately
Read on Oct 18, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
64/69
Other writing tools it is graded above
LibreOffice Writer's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 64 of the 69 other writing tools we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 58 of 69) and worst on platforms and integrations (C, above 3).
LibreOffice Writer has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 70 writing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. LibreOffice Writer’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 44 of 69
- AFree plan and trialAbove 58 of 69
- BFeaturesAbove 36 of 69
- BEase of useAbove 32 of 69
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 3 of 69
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 53 writing tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. LibreOffice Writer is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
LibreOffice Writer is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 64 of the 69 other writing tools we grade.
What you could make
- Documents, long-form writing and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. LibreOffice Writer’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Microsoft Word, WPS Writer, Mellel, ONLYOFFICE and Google Docs
The 5 tools LibreOffice Writer is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.4GPA
Microsoft Word
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Word processor sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser.
- Only LibreOffice Writer lists a Linux app.
- Only Microsoft Word lists a web app.
- Only Microsoft Word lists iOS and Android apps.
- 3.2GPA
WPS Writer
Free plan · from $5.83/mo
Word-compatible word processor in the WPS Office suite.
- Only WPS Writer lists a web app.
- Only WPS Writer lists iOS and Android apps.
- LibreOffice Writer is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
Mellel
Free trial · from $69.99 one-time
Mac word processor for long academic and technical documents.
- LibreOffice Writer has a free plan. Mellel does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only LibreOffice Writer lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Mellel lists an iOS app.
- 3.4GPA
ONLYOFFICE
Free plan · from $20/mo
Open-source office suite for documents, sheets, slides and PDFs.
- Only ONLYOFFICE lists a web app.
- Only ONLYOFFICE lists iOS and Android apps.
- ONLYOFFICE is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.4GPA
Google Docs
Free plan · from $7/mo
Browser-based word processor, free with a Google Account.
- Only LibreOffice Writer lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Google Docs lists a web app.
- Only Google Docs lists iOS and Android apps.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is LibreOffice Writer free?
Yes. LibreOffice Writer is free to use.
How much does LibreOffice Writer cost?
LibreOffice Writer lists one plan. LibreOffice: $0.
What platforms does LibreOffice Writer work on?
LibreOffice Writer is available on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does LibreOffice Writer have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. LibreOffice Writer is listed for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does LibreOffice Writer have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. LibreOffice Writer is listed for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Is LibreOffice Writer open source?
Yes. LibreOffice Writer is open source, according to its own site.
Who makes LibreOffice Writer?
LibreOffice Writer is made by The Document Foundation. The imprint says The Document Foundation is a charitable foundation under German law (gemeinnützige rechtsfähige Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts), overseen by the Berlin senate's foundation authority.
What are the alternatives to LibreOffice Writer?
The closest alternatives to LibreOffice Writer in our directory are Microsoft Word, WPS Writer, Mellel, ONLYOFFICE and Google Docs.
How does LibreOffice Writer compare with other writing tools?
LibreOffice Writer's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 64 of the 69 other writing tools we grade, and level with 4.
Is LibreOffice Writer good value for money?
ToolGPA grades LibreOffice Writer A for value for money. LibreOffice Writer has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of LibreOffice Writer?
LibreOffice Writer is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from LibreOffice Writer’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from LibreOffice's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-09-26.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by The Document Foundation. Prices change, so check libreoffice.org before you buy.
- libreoffice.org/download-other/
- libreoffice.org
- libreoffice.org/download/
- libreoffice.org/system-requirements/
- libreoffice.org/who-are-we/
- libreoffice.org/libreoffice-timeline/
- help.libreoffice.org/latest/en-US/text/swriter/main0503.html
- books.libreoffice.org/en/
- apps.apple.com/us/app/libreoffice/id1630474372
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- LibreOffice Writer, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/libreoffice-writer
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "LibreOffice Writer: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/libreoffice-writer
Know someone choosing between writing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/libreoffice-writer/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded writing tools after LibreOffice Writer, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Writing Tools Insider's GuideEvery one of the 70 writing tools we grade, compared
- Microsoft Word Insider's GuideWord processor sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser3.4 GPA
- Beat Insider's GuideFree, open-source Fountain screenwriting app for Mac and iOS3.2 GPA
- JotterPad Insider's GuideMarkdown and Fountain editor for books, papers and screenplays3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what LibreOffice Writer’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. LibreOffice Writer is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by The Document Foundation. Prices and plans change: check libreoffice.org before you buy.