# Apache OpenOffice Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Apache OpenOffice the right Productivity solution for you? Explore 499 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/160717/Apache-OpenOffice/reviews --- Apache OpenOffice 4.4 (499) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/160717/Apache-OpenOffice/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Apache OpenOffice Ease of use 4.4 Customer Service 3.9 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews AS Alisha S EditorTranslation and Localization, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I think it's amazing that this is available for those who can't afford Microsoft Word.“ May 31, 2025 SS Steven S OwnerFarming, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I've spent over 30 minutes today re-entering data when OpenOffice randomly decides to crash, and I'd already have been better off using my paper, pen, and calculator.“ February 4, 2026 AS Alisha S EditorTranslation and Localization, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I enjoyed using it for years for personal use before I upgraded later.“ May 31, 2025 SS Steven S OwnerFarming, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Great for casual uses, but I'm getting tired of losing data to program crashes.“ February 4, 2026 JH Justin H WarehouseAutomotive, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “OpenOffice is Free, Functional, and has tons of Extensions“ June 12, 2024 SS Steven S OwnerFarming, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Free is NOT worth the current headache I'm dealing with after crash number 2.“ February 4, 2026 JH Justin H WarehouseAutomotive, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It is a great alternative to Microsoft's Office Suite.“ June 12, 2024 CC Christopher C DirerctorRetail, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Doesn't support later versions of Microsoft“ January 10, 2025 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 499 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Shaunak P. Cloud & Infrastructure Engineer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Free and opensource software that gives you quality management" June 10, 2022 5.0 I strongly recommend this software just because it is freely available for use and extension. My company has been using this software since I joined them. I was new to any software like this. But the assimilation was excellent. From academics to my professional career, Apache OpenOffice is so easy to use that the actual understanding takes no time. No formal training was required by me. Pros I love the point that this whole suite of project management is available for free. This feature-loaded software can compete with any paid software. New startups do not have big requirements, for them, this is a good start. Instead of paying extra for other software, We can use all the apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. for free with it. I also marked that unlike other products it does not require much RAM space. Cons The design of this software is amazing and robust but the UI is very verbose and dull. Even with other skins, the UI is not much appealing. Users coming from Microsoft Office will face some problems with mouse gestures. Also, cloud-based editing is missing here. Switched from [Dynamics 365](https://www.capterra.com/p/157279/Dynamics-365/) Apache OpenOffice provides the same software for free. Why to pay for task which does not bring revenue to us, Review Source CC Christopher C. Direrctor Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "OpenOffice a Great License Free Choice" January 10, 2025 4.0 Good. Its been stable and supports multi platforms Pros License Free and quite flexible and supports multi OS Cons Doesn't support later versions of Microsoft Review Source SS Steven S. Owner Farming Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Unstable programs ruin productivity" February 4, 2026 1.0 Great for casual uses, but I'm getting tired of losing data to program crashes. I've spent over 30 minutes today re-entering data when OpenOffice randomly decides to crash, and I'd already have been better off using my paper, pen, and calculator. Pros Don't have to pay to use it. I hate big corps and OpenOffice sticks it to the microsoft man who seeks to profit from your every keystroke. Cons Frequent CRASHES and LOST DATA! I use OpenOffice Spreadsheet annually to calculate tax expenses, and have lost sooo much data today when it crashed twice. I had to re-renter 4 months of medical expenses and 3 months of farm sales.... and I haven't even started farm expenses. Free is NOT worth the current headache I'm dealing with after crash number 2. I will be doing Farm expenses by hand next.... Switched from [Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/) I thought Apache OpenOffice would be better......., it was NOT! Review Source JeanMarie M. Software Developer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "OpenOffice is a professional and Free option for Office Suite Software" October 14, 2022 5.0 I first started using OpenOffice when working for a cash strapped non-for-profit. I recommended this as an alternative to the licensed software. I have never looked back. The only time I use licensed software (The big M) is when the organization I'm working for has purchased an enterprise license. I have used OpenOffice professionally for over 10 years! Pros OpenOffice is free and available to anyone. I can collaborate with someone that does not have access to licensed software or someone that does. This software can read, edit and store in their own file formats or the format of a very well known licensed software. I have used this software personally and in a work environment. Cons Every once in a while, some macros or PowerPoint features will not translate well. It has been a few years since I've encountered any translation issues, but some may still exist. Alternatives considered [Google Workspace](https://www.capterra.com/p/247901/Google-Workspace/)[Microsoft 365](https://www.capterra.com/p/227157/Microsoft-365/) Reason for choosing Apache OpenOffice We chose OpenOffice over Microsoft for the cost. We chose OpenOffice over Google Docs because it was easier to bring on collaborators from different enviroments. Not everyone is on Google. Switched from [Microsoft 365](https://www.capterra.com/p/227157/Microsoft-365/) When Microsoft made the switch to licensing vs owning the software, I started looking for alternatives. Then when at a non-profit, they needed a cost effective solution. OpenOffice was the solution. Review Source Federico A. CFO Banking Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The best alternative to Microsoft Office" August 18, 2022 4.0 For normal operations and regular tasks, Open Office works perfectly. We are enjoying how much money we are saving. Pros OpenOffice is fully compatible with Excel, Word, Powerpoint and Access solutions. Since this is a free solution, we are saving years of subscription costs for each employee. We also liked that Open Office is a light program. Cons We found issues with using the design in the following documents; DOCx, XLSx and PPTx. In addition, some VBA codes cannot be executed for certain APIs. Performance have some problems when uploading or working with elaborated Excel documents. Alternatives considered [Zoho Sheet](https://www.capterra.com/p/227461/Zoho-Sheet/)[Numbers](https://www.capterra.com/p/170166/Numbers/)[LibreOffice](https://www.capterra.com/p/158981/LibreOffice/)[Calligra Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/178288/Karbon/) Reason for choosing Apache OpenOffice Open Office has the best compatibility with Microsoft Office and performs better on big data. Switched from [Google Sheets](https://www.capterra.com/p/169718/Google-Sheets/) It was better to deal with a centralized office solution than use Google for certain parts of the operation. Review Source Imi C. CIO Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A good offer for the low budget productivity group that can sacrifice real time collobration" July 12, 2022 3.0 Challenging with end user changing over from the popular and well know and enshrined system into a new system will be the greatest challenge in this experience. It may last as much as 2 year .... Change management is key. Pros It is open source, low cost and highly capable! Open Office meets the requirement for any business team that wished to adopt document management software - Document generation, Spreadsheets, Presentation and even Database management - available for free or close to free, with no strings attached. This package delivers value to any team and has several similar feature to populate and leading packages eg. MS Office. Additional benefits includes the easy of obtain this software online, downloading and installing is easy both on Windows and MAC/Apple. The system works excellent, and file formats are compatible with Google docs and MS Office, providing useful ways for working. Cons Main drawback is based on lack of real time sharing in the software. This will be a big requirement but today such drawback will be seen by many as a no no. However, in my case, team member uses the popular drop box for sharing and collaboration and this work great for sharing files across the organization and having an organized form of file collaboration, via web or desktop. So with an investment into a sharing platform eg. GDrive or Dropbox, one can have some good collaboration for open office files. Reason for choosing Apache OpenOffice Cast and consistency with the package. Generally 75% of the staff used the very basic features of these systems... create a document, or maintain a spreadsheet. Thus having a low cost and not a forever changing interface is very helpful in large environment. Switched from [Microsoft PowerPoint](https://www.capterra.com/p/141633/PowerPoint/)[Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/) Cost factor and the expensive with the main brand and the constant changes has cause my team to relook those decision. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Senior Lecturer Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Forget about using OpenOffice!" October 18, 2022 1.0 I've been really happy with it (some concerns with some specific version, but nothing that couldn't be resolved downgrading to the previous one. The lack of support and the creation of LibreOffice made it a deprecated solution, unless you are already a user who doesn't feel confortable with changes (but you would feel much happier with LibreOffice from minute 1). Pros I have been a daily user of OpenOffice since its earliest versions. It has been THE alternative to Microsoft Suite for many years, and at no cost. Its vast number of developers around the world made it easy to find solutions to your problems in any language, and to install flawlessly a wide number of plugins. But the situation changed in 2010 when concerns arose around the management of the project. Actually Apache is the owner of the project, and also if it is still free, I wouldn't recommend to spend a second on it. Cons Its development has not been updated in the last years, if not for minor updates, and community support is falling down. Also if a strong community is still existing, it has majorly moved to LibreOffice project, a suite which is the choice if you are looking for an (inexpensive) alternative to Microsoft. Having to chose between OpenOffice and LibreOffice (both based on the original OpenOffice experience), there is very little to discuss: the second one is the only alternative you should consider. Switched from [Microsoft Word](https://www.capterra.com/p/227146/Microsoft-Word/) Looking for an open source alternative to Microsoft Suite. Review Source Mary Jesamae T. High School Social Studies Teacher Education Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Review for Apache OpenOffice" July 2, 2022 5.0 Saved a lot since it is free and it can still do the same thing as MS Office. It will be hard to use it at the start but once you get used to the layout, it is just the same as using MS Office. Pros It is free to use and it is the best alternative for MS Office. Cons Even with saving the files in compatible formats there are still formatting issues when opening MS Office files to Apache OpenOffice and vise-versa like spacing and fonts. Switched from [Microsoft PowerPoint](https://www.capterra.com/p/141633/PowerPoint/)[Microsoft Word](https://www.capterra.com/p/227146/Microsoft-Word/)[Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/) There are no subscription fees with Apache OpenOffice. Review Source Reece S. Web Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Office Software" February 4, 2021 5.0 Very reliable. Always works with any document from any office software. You will always be able to open a document from your colleague. Pros This is by far the best free office software. Being open source, it is built by passionate individuals who all want the same thing. No bloatware, no malware. Pure productivity goodness! Cons Sometimes feels a little unrefined compared to commercial options. The design is a little dated too. Switched from [Microsoft 365](https://www.capterra.com/p/227157/Microsoft-365/) Completely free and solid experience. No reason not to switch. Review Source AS Alisha S. Editor Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Amazing free program!" May 31, 2025 5.0 I enjoyed using it for years for personal use before I upgraded later. I used it almost daily and it helped me create many useful documents. Pros That fact that it is free. I think it's amazing that this is available for those who can't afford Microsoft Word. Cons The simplicity of the program. It is very functional, but at the same time certain features are lacking. But it still does the job. Review Source DN Devin N. Affiliate Marketer Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Why do I prefer Apache OpenOffice" July 20, 2022 5.0 I have not ran into problems. Apache allows you to save in many formats and reads many formats. I have not ran into files it won't read. My main concern was .doc, .docx, .xls or their newer .xlsx. It reads and saves if you need those extensions. Pros It reads everything, it's fast, and fewer errors than others. I have a legal MS Office copy but I prefer to stay with Apache. It does everything I need. I am going to write my next book on Apache. Cons I believe the cons are always space on the drive. But the space others require are larger or more entangled in the drive. So I would say I do not have any other problems except publishers of books needing MS Word documents. My last book was .odt. That was a problem for formatting but you can convert .odt to .docx. Review Source RL Ryan L. Director of Content Development Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 2+ years ### "OpenOffice is a great free alternative to MS Office" December 6, 2021 5.0 Overall, it's great! In a nutshell, this is a free version of Microsoft Office, for most practical applications. Pros The best thing is the price, as it's free to download and use the full suite of functionality! However, that wouldn't matter if the software was poor. The good news is that it's not, and OpenOffice gives me virtually every feature from MS Office that I regularly use. I don't doubt that MS Office has a leg-up in certain areas if you need deeper, more obscure features, but for day-to-day document creation, Open Office is great. Cons Two things: 1) I can't seem to find a way to save a document as a .docx. That might be proprietary to MS Word. 2) I'd like to be able to see more than just the last 10 documents I opened. It'd be nice to be able to choose an item at the bottom of the list such as "Show more" that would open up expanded document history. Switched from [Microsoft 365](https://www.capterra.com/p/227157/Microsoft-365/) Because OpenOffice is free. Review Source Halimatun Z. IT Manager Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Free office suite" October 28, 2021 5.0 Pros It is free and open-source, and it can accomplish some of the duties that other sophisticated software in its field can. Still, if you want stability and better performance, I would recommend using something else. I primarily use these for document creation and editor. However, it has more features in it. The document processing and spreadsheet modules can be easily converted to Microsoft Office products. OpenOffice can read Microsoft Word and Excel documents, which is very convenient. We've saved a lot of time because of this function. Cons You'll mostly run into issues on particular platforms, which might lead you to loose or disrupt your work. Other concerns with working in an open workplace might also influence your coworkers. To some, it may be adaptive, while to others, it may be a complete nightmare. If you are accustomed to Microsoft Office, don't expect to be able to transition simply; in fact, switching can be a significant challenge. Review Source SN Sharon N. Writer Writing and Editing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "If you can't afford MS Office..." August 1, 2019 4.0 I've used it on numerous occasions to rescue and reformat corrupted files (particularly in its Word version), earning major kudos from students and clients in full panic mode that the CV or project they've put their heart into has been lost forever. Not so! Open Office rescued it. It loads quickly, can save in many different formats (more than MS Office) and is more adaptable. The portable copy has proved a lifesaver when out and about. I can plug it into any Windows computer and get to work immediately. Pros Open Office reminds me of the old MS Office, with a similar layout and ease of use. It's not as big a resource hog as MS Office and for basic use it's excellent. Being free certainly doesn't hurt! While I do have MS Office as well, I write first drafts in Open Office and then copy it across. Seeing the subtly different layout allows me to see errors that I missed before and since Open Office can be got as a portable app, I can take it anywhere on a memory stick, plug it in and get going. It saves to MS Office formats as well as its own proprietary ones, and you can set it to default to MS Office format if you want. It can often open files MS Office struggles with, allowing you to rescue corrupted documents and put them back into a format MS Office can read, so even if you have the expensive software having this as a backup is worth it for when things go wrong. Cons Doesn't have all the bells and whistles of MS Office and sometimes you want to do something that in MS Office would be a breeze (like inserting page numbers) and in Open Office is a little more tricky, but there are tons of searchable help files and advice pages which means you can usually find a way. Review Source JH Justin H. Warehouse Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Amazing Alternative to High Priced Options" June 12, 2024 4.0 I have been using OpenOffice for years. It is a great alternative to Microsoft's Office Suite. Pros OpenOffice is Free, Functional, and has tons of Extensions Cons The User Manual can be a little difficult to use at times. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Customer Service Representative Consumer Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Small business or penny-pinching private user, the best affordable alternative to Microsoft Office." October 26, 2018 5.0 Pros For those that love Microsoft Office and its indispensable status as the required software suite for business, but hate having to pay an outrageous price tag. I've been using OpenOffice since back when it was OpenOffice.org, and it was and still is mind blowing how a software suite that basically did nearly everything Microsoft Office could do could also be free of charge. Cons Compatibility issues are the biggest concern. If you originally created a document in Microsoft Word or Excel and then try to open it in the equivalent software within OpenOffice, you may get a red flag that not everything will transfer correctly. Likewise, those that are used to Microsoft Office and its features may occasionally find that OpenOffice doesn't do EVERYTHING Microsoft Office does, at least for now. For instance, the ability to freeze panes in Excel was a useful feature that OpenOffice Writer didn't replicate until later on. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Independent consultant under contract Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Microsoft Office Word and PowerPoint, Open Source Alternative" September 6, 2018 5.0 The product is easy to use, economical and a great resource for a company short on immediate funds for a paid license(s) to similar software. Pros The price for OpenOffice is unbeatable at free. My first favorite component of this suite is OpenOffice Writer. It carries enough features to enable a user to write and maintain an immense document, such as a novel, easily. In order to make an OpenOffice Writer document compatible with Word, simply save the .odt file as .doc. OpenOffice Impress is my second favorite software in the bundle and can be used to create very nice presentations. It is also a bit easier for a tech newbie to work with vs PowerPoint. Cons OpenOffice Math has a con. Simply because it is not something I would need or use often. Saying this, if I did need to use it rarely, it is a bit time consuming to justify learning for a use greater than once or twice use every two - three years. Review Source Eduin C. ANALISTA III Used the software for: 2+ years ### "It is a good program that is very manageable in data processing, in addition to being a free option." April 13, 2018 5.0 Pros The best thing about the OpenOffice program is that it can be downloaded and used completely free of charge without paying licenses, it is released under a license. This means that any commercial, educational, and public administration project can be installed on as many computers as possible. since you can make copies and distribute them without any expense, it is easy to install and very manageable, OpenOffice is completely accessible for beginners, it is simpler than updating to Microsoft Office 2007. Since OpenOffice is a unique and complete software program, everything works articulately between the different applications. Even the help system is the same for everything. You do not need to know which application has been used to create a document, it will always be used correctly. So simple that with a single download from the Internet or installing it from a CD you will have a multipurpose tool in your home or office. Cons It can be said that he lost the rhythm of the updates, and no progress has been seen in his evolution, likewise he makes greater use of memory and CPU since it is heavier and wider than other programs and this has the consequence that work slower. Review Source Ed P. Writer Writing and Editing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Indispensable suite" January 12, 2019 5.0 I have used it for years for all word processing and spreadsheet needs, without dependence on purchasing Microsoft. It makes life a lot less complicated! Pros it's free, reliable, serves perfectly as word processor and spreadsheet (I've never really got into the database or other features) and I can save documents however people need them -- for one publisher, I simply send the OpenOffice document; others need Word so I write in OpenOffice, then save as Word no problem. Spreadsheet works perfectly so I use that a great deal as well. There's a privately created Android app that allows me to use OpenOffice docs on my phone, such as my password-protected list of passwords! Cons Same thing I like least about Microsoft Word -- you can't search and replace formatting characters (I have to actually go back to Microsoft Works 1995 to do this!) but otherwise no complaints. Review Source ICH Ivis Coromoto H. Analista de Planificaciòn, Presupuesto y Organizaciòn Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I use it in my office every work day to write information or do calculations among other things" May 2, 2018 4.0 There are many benefits among which we can mention that it is a free software that can be downloaded directly from the Internet, it can be installed in other operating systems that are not Linux, it takes few resources from the team in terms of memory and space in disk unlike other programs that exist in the market, it is easily installed and has the same structure as Microsoft Office. Pros I installed it on my home computer when I started using it to learn it and I was amazed that it was too fast to run, since this computer has very low performance and when loading other similar applications it takes a long time. What I like the most is that you do not need a large capacity to run in addition to being able to download it for free because it is not licensed. Cons What I do not like is that it does not have all the advantages of functionality as far as tools are concerned and that it is not 100 percent compatible with Microsoft Office, which is a limitation when exchanging information between both programs. For example, with open office calc and excel lack many tools so that office calc is a hundred percent compatible with the case of macros that are made in excel. If a document made with macros in Microsoft excel is tried to load in open office would not be compatible. Review Source Estefanie Arlet M. Analista de Personal Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "With Apache OpenOffice I have everything I need in a single software for free." May 23, 2018 5.0 Apache OpenOffice has become a great alternative to other brands and since its creation has improved significantly. When I discovered it I suggested it to my work team and I constantly receive congratulations for the good choice we made with the implementation of this software. Apache OpenOffice has everything you need in an office. Pros Apache OpenOffice has many advantages, among which are its gratuity and the possibility it offers to make extensions and modifications to the software. In my office, the free software proposal has been interesting and we have progressively migrated to Apache OpenOffice for multiple reasons. It is a very interesting program that I want to recommend because of the great experience we have had with it. Cons Among the few disadvantages that I find in Apache OpenOffice, there is the compatibility problem that sometimes occurs with other office packages that causes the margins not to be in the same place or the tabulations to move. Review Source CH Chris H. CEO Entertainment Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Review of OpenOffice" March 2, 2022 4.0 Apache OpenOffice is very comparable to Microsoft Office and it is free. I can do any task in OpenOffice that I can do in Microsoft Office. Its a great product for my business. Pros Apache OpenOffice is a free suite of software that is compared to Microsoft. It will open all the same documents and has the same features. It is a great product and easy to use. There are some advanced features of course, but all in all, I am pleased with Apache OpenOffice. Cons Apache Openoffice is no longer being updated from what I hear. Review Source TH Tom H. Board Treasurer Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best FREE alternative to MS Office / MS 365" April 18, 2023 5.0 Fantastic! Pros FREE and the fact that Mac and Windows files are interchangable Cons Sometimes crashes, but recovery of files helps get those files back Review Source Libio L. Analista de Sistemas Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Office solution in one place." April 21, 2018 5.0 I can install it on low-level computers and I do not have to pay expensive licenses. Pros Excellent set of programs that allows me to work any file related to office automation (Spreadsheets, Word Processor, Design of presentations, Generation of flow charts and flowcharts, Home database, etc.) very easy to install and use. It can be installed in any operating system (Window, Linuz or Mac) Cons There is very little to say about weaknesses, as many benefits are obtained with this suite. But there is a detail that must be solved, such as the loss of format of files from other similar programs. Sometimes you have to redo them, since they distort a lot. Review Source Gabriel F. Integrated Security Systems Manager Computer & Network Security Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Credible alternative" July 4, 2022 4.0 Pros Apache is a great alternative if you need an easy-to-use tool that offers a user-friendly workspace and state-of-the-art programming and automation features. Cons Apache Openoffice is certainly less functional, but clearly fulfills its purpose through the services it offers. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.