LibreOffice – Why I Still Use It

Introduction

For many people, Microsoft Office is the obvious choice for creating documents and spreadsheets. I’ve taken a different path.
I’ve been using LibreOffice for many years, both for everyday documents and for more complex spreadsheet projects. During that time I’ve occasionally looked at alternatives, but I always seem to come back to LibreOffice.
Here’s why.

What I Use It For

Over the years I’ve used LibreOffice for a wide variety of tasks, including:

• Writing letters and reports
• Managing household accounts
• Developing spreadsheet applications
• Creating presentations
• Database work
• Developing and maintaining macros
• Importing and exporting Microsoft Office documents

It has become one of those pieces of software that I install almost immediately on a new computer because I know it can handle virtually everything I ask of it.

A Complete Office Suite

One of LibreOffice’s greatest strengths is that it’s completely free and open source. There are no subscriptions, no feature restrictions, and no pressure to keep paying simply to edit your own documents.
The suite includes everything most people are likely to need:

• Writer – Word processing
• Calc – Spreadsheets
• Impress – Presentations
• Draw – Diagrams and illustrations
• Base – Database management
• Math – Mathematical formula editor

For many home users, students and small businesses, that’s an impressive collection of software available at no cost.

Microsoft Office Compatibility

Compatibility with Microsoft Office formats has improved enormously over the years. While very complex documents can still reveal the occasional formatting issue, I find that for everyday use LibreOffice handles DOCX, XLSX and PPTX files remarkably well.
If you’re exchanging ordinary documents with Microsoft Office users, you’ll probably encounter few problems. However, organisations that rely heavily on advanced Office-specific features may still find Microsoft’s own suite offers the best compatibility.

Macros and Automation

One of the reasons I continue to use LibreOffice is the amount of control it gives the user.
It supports macros, extensions and scripting, making it suitable not only for writing documents or balancing household accounts, but also for automating repetitive tasks.
I’ve used LibreOffice for everything from simple letters to fairly sophisticated spreadsheet applications.
One area where I’ve spent quite a lot of time is macro development. LibreOffice can import and run some Microsoft VBA macros, but compatibility is far from complete. If you’ve built a complex Microsoft Office application, you should expect to rewrite at least part of the code.
LibreOffice’s own macro language is powerful, but it has a noticeably steeper learning curve than VBA, particularly for users coming from Microsoft Office. More recently I’ve also experimented with Python macros, which provide another powerful way of extending LibreOffice, although they introduce their own learning curve.
For users prepared to invest the time, LibreOffice offers a remarkable amount of flexibility.

Things I’d Like to See Improved

No software is perfect, and LibreOffice is no exception.
Areas I’d still like to see improved include:

• Better compatibility with Microsoft VBA macros.
• A simpler learning path for macro and script development.
• A more modern and polished user interface.
• More comprehensive documentation for advanced scripting.
• Continued improvements in Microsoft Office file compatibility.

None of these issues is a deal-breaker for me, but they are worth considering if you’re deciding whether LibreOffice is the right choice

What I Like

After many years of use, these are the things I appreciate most:

• Completely free and open source.
• No subscriptions or vendor lock-in.
• Available for Windows, Linux and macOS.
• Excellent range of integrated applications.
• Powerful macro and scripting capabilities.
• Regular updates from an active development community

Who Should Look Elsewhere?

LibreOffice isn’t the right choice for everyone.
If your work depends on complex VBA applications, perfect compatibility with advanced Microsoft Office documents, or close integration with Microsoft 365 services, Microsoft Office will probably remain the better option.
For everyone else, LibreOffice deserves serious consideration.

My Verdict

If you’re looking for an office suite that is powerful, free and doesn’t lock you into a subscription, LibreOffice is well worth trying.
Is it perfect? No.
Does it do absolutely everything Microsoft Office does? Not quite.

“Whenever I set up a new Windows or Linux computer, LibreOffice is one of the very first applications I install.”