# Apache OpenOffice Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Apache OpenOffice the right Productivity solution for you? Explore 500 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 (500) [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 Flexible open-source office suite 98% positive reviews out of 54 Reviewers appreciate open source status, highlighting free access, ongoing community improvements, and broad compatibility. Outdated interface and infrequent updates 72% negative reviews out of 43 Most reviewers indicate updates are rare, leading to dated visuals, unresolved bugs, and slow security patching. Comprehensive office suite tools 97% positive reviews out of 37 Most reviewers describe presentation and spreadsheet features as versatile, supporting document, data, and slideshow creation. Sluggish performance and slow loading 71% negative reviews out of 35 Most reviewers find performance and speed lag behind competitors, especially with large files or complex tasks. Cost-effective Microsoft Office substitute 100% positive reviews out of 30 Most reviewers indicate alternative offers a free, reliable replacement for Microsoft Office’s core functionalities. Frequent instability and data loss 85% negative reviews out of 33 Most reviewers report crashes cause lost work, unreliable performance, and difficulty recovering unsaved or corrupted files. ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 500 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 AP Andrew P. NOC Engineer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great O365 alternitive" May 25, 2026 4.0 Great software rock solid. It does take a little fiddling to get setup to really be ready to usebut and amazing open source option Pros Great free and open source alternitive to Office 365. Once setup it works incredibly well at home or in the work palce Cons Some settings need to be changed during setup to make it more freindly to playing nice with those that use Office 365. 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 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 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 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 Amanda N. Character Artist Graphic Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A good budget option for Office utilities" December 8, 2018 4.0 It has been a lifesaver when other options are not at hand (no internet, or no budget to spend on fancier programs). I really like being able to search for templates online, and it was really helpful when making CVs that looked really professional. Pros OpenOffice is a free open-source software that can be installed and used in just minutes. Its similarities to other softwares make it easy for users to adapt and learn how to use it quickly, so it becomes a great otion for low-budget situations. It has a suite of programs with different functionalities, including a word processor, sheets and database makers, presentation and slides software, even a drawing program. All of these are fairly standard and don't require intensive learning to start using, which is a great perk. A feature I like about OpenOffice is that you can create custom templates, and many people offer their own templates online for other users to check and modify, which makes it easy to start new projects based on what others have built before. It is also relatively easy to save the files in formats that can be opened in other programs, so that you can send them to colleagues who may not have OpenOffice in a way that they can still use and modify them. Cons The visual style of the programs can seem a bit crude, and sometimes it can bug out or take really long times to load. It can also have some formatting problems when taken to other applications (tables or figures might move around and it can be difficult to correct for these modifications in other softwares). Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Volunteer Coordinator Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Awesome! The same as Microsoft Products!" September 26, 2018 5.0 I use this software just like I would Microsoft to help write letters collect data and keep me accountable. This software has been a huge help, especially when I did not have the budget for Microsoft and have been true to open office ever since. Pros Need I say more, this is by far the best product out there. I started using open office several years ago when I didn't have the budget for Microsoft office, excel, word, etc. This software is free and is identical to Microsoft. The best part is when you are ready to save it gives you an option that converts it to a Microsoft formst so it can be opened anywhere on any computer. This is definitely by far an amazing program that allows you to accomplish so much from writing letters, to data sheets like excel, to creating presentations. It does pretty much the same thing but all for free, how can you ask for more? Cons There really is no cons to this program, as it does so much for a free application. Review Source Rica Mae D. Documented-Information Officer Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "OpenOffice Review" July 28, 2021 5.0 Pros I liked the fact that the product is an open source software and is very easy to setup and use. OpenOffice did a fine job handling every office tools that any company needs to have. It is free and always will be Cons The downside of the product same as other open source document tool is that sometimes content on OpenOffice is not really working with MS Office, you must modify the contents you made just for it to become the same Alternatives considered [LibreOffice](https://www.capterra.com/p/158981/LibreOffice/) Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Web Developer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The proof that Opensource can be also great" November 10, 2019 5.0 OpenOffice has replaced the big proprietary suite that most Windows users were forced to use and pay. OpenOffice is a versatile, simple, light and professional alternative for offices and single users alike. Pros OpenOffice is drop-dead simple, light and efficient. Long are gone the days where I had to use expensive suites from proprietary software. As soon as I installed the OpenOffice suite I knew I wasn't coming back. To start with the software is as easy as to download the package installer from their site, run it and you will be done in no time. No spyware and sketchy offers, no subscriptions, just the tools you need. OpenOffice isn't as resource intensive as it's major competitor, so you can run it in machines with less powerful setups and still it will load quickly. I appreciate that Apache has made such a contribution, a simple, easy to use and fully compatible software for free. Cons Often I have to play a bit with the .csv encoding screen to see the file properly, but it's not really a big issue. It's often annoying the prompt window asking you to save in ".ods" format instead of the default .doc that it's better known, easier to identify and best if you are collaborating with people that use different tools. Review Source MI Munema I. Customer Trainer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "If you don't need all the bells and whistles, go for this" July 27, 2021 4.0 Pros I remember coming across OpenOffice several years ago and thought I would give it a try as it seemed a valuable "agnostic" solution that worked on Mac, PC, and Linux machines alike and it was free to download, install and use. Generally, what I liked about OpenOffice was the fact that it provided most of the main features of the various Word, Excel, etc. True, the user interface may not have been as good as that of such tools but, overall, OpenOffice met its goals of letting users leverage the core features needed for writing, creating tables, etc. I would say that if you don't need advanced features but mainly the basics, OpenOffice could be the one "digital office tool" for you. Cons There are a few things I am not a fan of when it comes to OpenOffice. The firsts one is the fact that, unlike some of the other tools, it doesn't have a mobile app. This means that you will always be dependent on working from your computer, always. Next is the fact that it does come with a "ceiling" meaning that you might find yourself in need of something else at some point in the future because you may feel as if you have outgrown OpenOffice as a platform. Also, keep in mind that it has been discontinued so you may find versions still available for you to use but may be outdated. Review Source PA Paola A. manager E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "an alternative to Office for free" August 27, 2023 4.0 it's a good alternative and i have it installed in all my computers Pros i like that it's free to use and you don't need any subscription Cons some functions are not as developed as in office Review Source Thilina D. Junior Executive Insurance Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A Decent Alternative for your Office need" August 4, 2022 4.0 Pros Apache Openoffice is Free, that's the best part about it. You don't need to concern yourself with licensing Cons Its User Interface is a bit lackluster If you are coming from more popular office products. Takes time to get used to it Review Source Matthew A. Administrative Aide Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My Go-To Office Suite at Home" November 26, 2018 4.0 I selected 10 on the "likely to recommend" scale because I have already recommended this amazing, free resource to dozens of people. Pros 1\. It's free. 2. It does basically everything MS Office can, for free. 3. Each new iteration becomes more user-friendly and incorporates greater options and functionality, for free. 4. The software is open-source, contributing to a more collaborative and equitable internet... for Free. Cons OO can be somewhat clunkier than Office, especially in trying to use more advanced functions in some of the sub-apps, and some advanced functions that MS products have just are not there (but that's very few!). I also dislike that everyone who struggles to turn out nice documents in WordPad doesn't already know about OpenOffice. Review Source Nathaly B. Personal docente Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I use it in all aspects related to my work, it is easy to use, effective and free " February 19, 2018 5.0 I have done very complex works in an easy way, I have had very colorful and efficient presentations, as well as, I have done many graphics in Calc, when I have had doubts I have received technical support and I have expanded my opportunities by downloading the extensions, it is an office suite very complete and wonderful Pros It allows me to fulfill my work tasks efficiently and with good appearance, it exports my PDF documents very easily, it has many work templates, it does not take up much space on my hard drive, it has many extensions that I can download when I need it and It is always in constant update and I do not have to pay the license Cons It occupies a lot of RAM so it was a bit slow, the compatibility of text files with respect to Microsoft Word shows weaknesses Review Source MO Meriem O. Data analysis Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Your essential Software " April 25, 2023 4.0 The software is almost perfect, it helps to manage a whole company, easy to understand. Secure, and practical for both large and small companies. Pros The easiest Software ever, I used to work on it everyday. Cons the data to be entered is unlimited so all the responsibility was on my shoulder plus the automatic correction is not available. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Staff Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Apache OpenOffice is a pretty good alternative to MS Office " September 25, 2022 5.0 Pros Best part of using OpenOffice is that it's support to multiple languages at a same time. My work sometimes needs me to work on multiple language at a time, while other open Office tools work on one language, with Apache OpenOffice, we can work on multiple languages at same time. Also it's look and feel is sleek and simple making it easier to use. Cons One of the major drawback is that we cannot save files with MS office based extension .docx and .xlsx . So if you are going to create files which needs to be opened on MS office, OpenOffice is not for you. But you can open already saved files with this extension easily using Apache OpenOffice. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Diagram](https://www.capterra.com/diagram-software/)[Productivity](https://www.capterra.com/productivity-software/) ## 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.