LibreOffice
| File:LibreOffice Logo Flat.svg LibreOffice logo | |
| Company type | Free and open-source software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Office software suite |
| Founded | September 28, 2010 |
| Founder | The Document Foundation |
| Headquarters | Worldwide |
Area served | Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD, others) |
Key people | The Document Foundation |
| Products | Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, Math |
| Owner | The Document Foundation |
| Website | www |
LibreOffice () represents a free and open-source office productivity software suite maintained by The Document Foundation (TDF). Launched in 2010 as a fork from OpenOffice.org, which itself evolved from StarOffice, the suite comprises tools for word processing (Writer), spreadsheet creation (Calc), presentation design (Impress), vector graphic editing (Draw), database handling (Base), and formula composition (Math). It natively supports the OpenDocument format while ensuring compatibility with prominent file types, including those used by Microsoft Office.
The software operates across Windows, macOS, and serves as the default office suite in numerous Linux distributions, with community-supported versions available for other operating systems. The ecosystem partner, Collabora, utilizes LibreOffice as the foundational codebase for its web-based suite known as Collabora Online, alongside applications tailored for platforms not officially covered by LibreOffice, such as Android, ChromeOS, iOS, and iPadOS.
TDF primarily targets individual users with LibreOffice, advising organizations to acquire software and technical support through partners like Collabora. The majority of development efforts stem from these commercial contributors who cater to enterprise clients. This approach has led to increased development activity compared to Apache OpenOffice, which has faced challenges since 2015 in sustaining contributor involvement and delivering timely security patches.
First unveiled on 28 September 2010, LibreOffice's initial stable version was released in January 2011. It achieved approximately 7.5 million downloads within its first year, growing to over 120 million by 2015, excluding installations bundled with Linux distributions. By 2018, TDF estimated an active user base of roughly 200 million. The suite supports 120 different languages.
LibreOffice Components Included
| Component | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Writer | A Word processor program comparable to Microsoft Word, featuring support for various file formats and offering WYSIWYG editing capabilities. | |
| Calc | A Spreadsheet application similar to Microsoft Excel, equipped with charting, formula functions, and data analysis tools. | |
| Impress | A tool for creating presentations, analogous to Microsoft PowerPoint. | |
| Draw | A Vector graphics editor akin to Microsoft Visio, also capable of basic image manipulation and PDF editing. | |
| Math | An editor designed for composing mathematical formulas. | |
| Base | A database management program resembling Microsoft Access, supporting both local and external data sources. | |
Operating Systems and Processor Architectures
LibreOffice functions as cross-platform software, with official support for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Beyond these, additional versions are available for other operating systems and hardware platforms, maintained either by commercial entities such as Collabora or by community contributors. These include BSD variants (FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD) and OpenIndiana.
Previous iterations and related products like StarOffice provided compatibility with systems such as Solaris running on SPARC processors, but these platforms are no longer supported.
The scope of development has also extended to mobile devices through two applications released by The Document Foundation: Impress Remote, which enables presentation control on Android, iOS, and iPadOS, and a document viewer designed for Android. Additionally, Collabora supplies officially supported mobile apps that allow editing on Android, iOS, and iPadOS.
| Platform | Supported Architectures | Availability | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android | ARM64 | Yes | Collabora Office |
| BSD[lower-alpha 1] | ARM, IA-32, x86-64, others | Yes | Community-maintained port |
| ChromeOS[lower-alpha 2] | ARM, ARM64, IA-32, x86-64 | Yes | Collabora Office |
| iOS/iPadOS | ARM64 | Yes | Collabora Office |
| Linux | ARM64, IA-32, x86-64, ppc64le | Yes | LibreOffice, Collabora Office, community port |
| macOS | ARM64,[lower-alpha 3] x86-64 | Yes | LibreOffice, Collabora Office |
| OpenIndiana | x86-64 | Yes | Community-maintained port |
| Windows | ARM64,[lower-alpha 4] IA-32 (deprecated),x86-64 | Yes | LibreOffice, Collabora Office |
Additional Information
LibreOffice Online
LibreOffice Online represents the browser-based edition of the LibreOffice suite, allowing users to view and edit documents directly within web browsers by leveraging the HTML5 <canvas> element. Its development commenced in 2011 with contributions from both Collabora and IceWarp. A demonstration preview was presented in 2015, followed by the launch of the Collabora Online Development Edition (CODE) in December that year. The initial source code release aligned with LibreOffice version 5.3 in February 2017.
The Document Foundation (TDF) does not provide a hosted cloud service comparable to offerings like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 due to substantial operational expenses. Instead, deployment is managed by third-party organizations such as Collabora and CIB. Collabora introduced its first enterprise-grade release, Collabora Online 1.0, in July 2016 and collaborated with Nextcloud to integrate CODE for its user base. In 2019, CIB launched "LibreOffice Online powered by CIB," broadening the commercial ecosystem. TDF remains receptive to the idea of a publicly accessible LibreOffice Online platform operated by a nonprofit entity.
Supported file formats
By default, LibreOffice utilizes the OpenDocument Format (ODF), recognized as an ISO/IEC international standard. The software is capable of importing and exporting a wide array of file types, including those native to Microsoft Office, through dedicated filters. Additionally, it can generate PDF files, featuring support for editable "hybrid PDFs" that embed ODF content within them.
... [table continues with similar entries] ... ... [table continues with similar entries] ... }User interface and customization
LibreOffice presents several user interface options, including a classic menu-and-toolbar setup alongside a "Notebookbar" mode that emulates the ribbon style found in Microsoft Office. The suite offers multiple icon themes tailored to different desktop environments—for example, Colibre for Windows and Elementary for GNOME—ensuring seamless integration with native UI frameworks such as GTK on Linux for a unified look and feel.
Advanced typography is supported through technologies like OpenType, Graphite, and Apple Advanced Typography. On Linux platforms, text rendering relies on the Cairo graphics library, while complex text shaping is managed by the HarfBuzz engine. Multimedia playback within presentations on Linux is facilitated by the GStreamer framework, enabling audio and video support.
For automation and extensibility, LibreOffice supports scripting languages including LibreOffice Basic, Python, Java, and C++. This allows users to create macros and connect with external applications. LibreOffice Basic—bearing resemblance to Microsoft's Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)—is predominantly used to automate workflows in Writer, Calc, and Base components.
Licensing
The licensing model for LibreOffice combines dual licenses under the LGPL version 3 (or newer) and the MPL 2.0, offering adaptability for future license revisions. The development team continues to rebase inherited legacy code from OpenOffice.org to maintain compliance with licensing requirements.
Background
LibreOffice traces its roots back to OpenOffice.org, an open-source office suite derived from StarOffice, a proprietary productivity package created by the German firm Star Division beginning in 1985. In August 1999, Sun Microsystems acquired Star Division for , reportedly as a cost-saving measure compared to licensing Microsoft Office for its workforce of 42,000. By July 2000, Sun announced plans to release StarOffice's source code under an open-source license, branding the project OpenOffice.org to avoid trademark issues. The source code became publicly available in October 2000, followed by a preview release in October 2001 and the official launch of OpenOffice.org version 1.0 in May 2002.
Initially, Sun intended for OpenOffice.org to be overseen by an autonomous foundation; however, concerns emerged regarding Sun’s ongoing control and slow integration of external contributions. In 2003, the Linux software firm Ximian began maintaining a patch collection named ooo-build, led by Michael Meeks, aimed at simplifying OpenOffice.org builds on Linux and incorporating community-driven improvements that Sun had not accepted. After Novell acquired Ximian in 2007, it introduced the Go-oo fork of OpenOffice.org, which included these patches and embraced more permissive contribution policies—many of which later influenced LibreOffice. Despite these efforts, unease about corporate dominance over the project continued.
The early 2010 acquisition of Sun by Oracle Corporation intensified contributor apprehensions due to Oracle’s track record with other open-source initiatives and its legal dispute with Google over Java usage in Android. Oracle’s discontinuation of OpenSolaris and reduction of developer involvement in OpenOffice.org further heightened worries. These developments spurred discussions about splitting from OpenOffice.org, ultimately leading to LibreOffice’s creation as a community-led alternative free from corporate control.
The Document Foundation and LibreOffice
On 28 September 2010, members of the OpenOffice.org community established The Document Foundation (TDF), an independent entity designed to continue development under a more transparent governance framework. Concurrently, TDF launched a fork named LibreOffice.
TDF extended an invitation to Oracle Corporation, then managing OpenOffice.org, to join the foundation and contribute the trademark; Oracle declined this offer. As a result, TDF permanently adopted the LibreOffice brand. Key contributors such as Novell, Red Hat, Canonical, and Google redirected their support toward LibreOffice.
In April 2011, Oracle announced it would halt commercial development on OpenOffice.org and shift it to a community-driven model. Two months later, Oracle transferred the codebase and trademarks to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF), where the project was rebranded as Apache OpenOffice.
Meanwhile, LibreOffice experienced rapid growth under TDF’s management, integrating features from Go-oo and other community patches. It became the default office suite across numerous Linux distributions while also expanding its presence on Windows and macOS. LibreOffice continues to receive frequent updates that introduce new functionalities and address security vulnerabilities. According to TDF, most development is carried out by ecosystem partners like Collabora, which provide enterprise-grade support and services related to LibreOffice.
This commercial backing model has contributed to greater development momentum compared with Apache OpenOffice, which has faced challenges attracting contributors and issuing timely security patches since 2015.
In a 2011 interview, Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth criticized TDF for rejecting Oracle's Contributor License Agreement, suggesting this decision weakened OpenOffice.org. Former Sun Microsystems executive Simon Phipps responded that Oracle’s cessation of development was purely a business decision unrelated to LibreOffice’s formation. Today, LibreOffice is widely recognized as the most actively developed and broadly adopted successor to OpenOffice.org.
Versions
Beginning with version 4.2.2 released in March 2014, LibreOffice has provided two primary release lines alongside ongoing development builds:
- Fresh – represents the newest major release, featuring the latest functionalities but possibly less stable.
- Still – the preceding major release, enhanced with additional bug fixes and recommended for users who prioritize reliability.
From January 2024 onward, starting with version 24.2.0, LibreOffice transitioned to a calendar-based versioning system formatted as year.month.patch, which directly corresponds to the release date.
Release schedule
LibreOffice adheres to a time-driven release strategy, issuing significant updates approximately every six months in February and August. These release dates are coordinated with other open-source projects and typically precede major Linux distribution updates by at least one month.
Regular minor updates address security vulnerabilities and bug fixes for both Fresh and Still branches. The Fresh channel receives patches every four to six weeks until it transitions into the next Still version upon the subsequent Fresh release; Still versions are maintained with updates every six to seven weeks. Each version is supported until roughly nine months post-release before reaching end-of-life status.
Enterprise and derivative versions
Commercial LibreOffice variants backed by service-level agreements are available through partners such as Collabora. Since version 7.1, the primary open-source edition has been aimed at "home users, students, and non-profits," differentiating it from enterprise-targeted releases. The Document Foundation encourages organizations to adopt commercially supported editions to ensure continued development funding and warns that enterprise use of the community edition can overextend volunteer resources.
Notable enterprise and derivative iterations of LibreOffice include:
- Collabora Office and Collabora Online – business-oriented editions supporting desktop, mobile, and online platforms; offering long-term maintenance, professional support, tailored features, and SLAs.
- EuroOffice – produced by MultiRacio, includes Hungarian language enhancements and localized extensions.
- NDC ODF Application Tools – developed by Taiwan's National Development Council to promote OpenDocument Format (ODF) compliance within government agencies.
- NeoOffice – a macOS-specific fork integrating LibreOffice code since 2017; discontinued in 2024.
- OxOffice – focuses on improved Chinese language support; initially based on OpenOffice.org before migrating to LibreOffice foundations.
- OffiDocs – created by Estonia’s OffiDocs Group, delivering LibreOffice-based applications accessible via web browsers and mobile devices.
- ZetaOffice – developed by Allotropia as a commercial enterprise solution available as desktop software with long-term support alongside a WebAssembly-powered web variant.
During the 2020s, the number of commercial collaborators diminished. In June 2023, Red Hat announced it would no longer maintain LibreOffice packages in future Red Hat Enterprise Linux releases; maintenance responsibilities were transferred to Fedora LibreOffice Special Interest Group within Fedora Linux. In 2021, CIB separated its LibreOffice development and support activities into Allotropia. Later in May 2025, Collabora acquired Allotropia to merge ZetaOffice and WebAssembly technologies into its Collabora Office and Collabora Online product lines.
Release history
| Format | Extension | Category | Read | Write | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AbiWord | ABW, ZABW | Document | |||
| Adobe Flash | SWF | Graphics, multimedia | Writing capabilities discontinued following the end of Adobe Flash Player support. | ||
| Adobe PageMaker | PMD, PM3, PM4, PM5, PM6, P65 | Document, DTP | |||
| AppleWorks | CWK | Document | Previously known as ClarisWorks. | ||
| Adobe Swatch Exchange | ASE | Color palette | |||
| Adobe FreeHand | AGD, FHD | Graphics / Vector | |||
| Apple Keynote | KTH, KEY | Presentation | |||
| Apple Numbers | numbers | Spreadsheet | |||
| Apple Pages | pages | Document | |||
| AportisDoc (Palm) | PDB | Document | Java required for operation. | ||
| AutoCAD DXF | DXF | Graphics / CAD | |||
| Microsoft 365 | DOCX, XLSX, PPTX | Multiple formats |
| Version | Release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Template:Version | 28 September 2010 | First launch derived from OpenOffice.org and ooo-build codebases. |
| Template:Version | 25 January 2011 | Introduced exclusive LibreOffice functionalities:
|
| Template:Version | 3 June 2011 | Enhancements included:
|
| Template:Version | 14 February 2012 | New additions:
|
| Template:Version | 8 August 2012 | This was the last release compatible with Windows 2000.
Features included:
|
| Template:Version | 7 February 2013 | Introduced capabilities such as:
|
| Template:Version | 25 July 2013 | Added features encompassed:
|
| Template:Version | 30 January 2014 | Key enhancements:
|
| Template:Version | 30 July 2014 | Major updates included:
|
| Template:Version | 29 January 2015 | 'Significant updates:
|
| Template:Version | 5 August 2015 | 'Module-specific highlights:
15 new basic equation colors
Import from MacDraft (v1) and ClarisDraw
Preservation of invisible content when emailing; Time-Stamp Protocol support in PDF export; MS Works text encoding dialog; Adobe Swatch Exchange palette compatibility; searchable Expert Configuration interface |
| Template:Version | 10 February 2016 | 'Enhancements:
|
| Template:Version | 3 August 2016 | 'New features:
|
| Template:Version | 1 February 2017 | 'Noteworthy changes:
Discontinued Type 1 font support. Writer: Quick page jump dialog added, table styles introduced, new arrow drawing tools implemented Calc: New fraction formatting options, median function available in pivot tables, option to merge non-empty cells Impress: Support for linked images via Photo Album extension, master slide properties panel added Draw: New arrowhead styles including Crow's foot notation Base: Firebird database engine upgraded to version 3.0.0 Text Layout: Adoption of cross-platform engine using HarfBuzz for consistent text layout across operating systems Filters & GUI improvements including updated icon sets and redesigned extension manager Online version: Initial source code release of LibreOffice Online |
| o|24.2|}
31 January 2024 |
'Business-centric updates:
Writer: Line breaking compatible with MS Word standards, collapsible nested sections added, enhanced comment threading system, floating multi-page tables supported. Calc: Search field integrated into functions sidebar, scientific number format compatibility. Impress & Draw: Small caps formatting available in Impress; multi-page TIFF file import supported in Draw. Math: Support introduced for Arabic mathematical notation. Core: Dark mode experience improved across all platforms. Better OOXML SVG extension support along with ODF Wholesome Encryption enhancements. New Armenian locale included. | |
| o|24.8|}
22 August 2024 |
'Latest release features:
Writer: Enhanced resizing capabilities for comment panels and improved hyperlink management interfaces. Calc: Added new spreadsheet functions alongside pivot table enhancements. Impress: Live slideshow updates enabled with quicker PPTX file imports. Draw: Support for tiling patterns introduced along with improved layer tab highlighting. Base: Strengthened database connectivity featuring Firebird stability improvements and MS Access OLEDB support. New chart types such as "Pie-of-Pie" and "Bar-of-Pie" introduced. Accessibility features expanded along with a novel password-based ODF encryption method. Improved preservation of font styles and highlight colors. | |
| c|25.2|}
6 February 2025 |
'Upcoming planned enhancements:
Finalized support scheduled for Windows 7/8.1 platforms. Writer: Refined interfaces for comment navigation and tracked changes. Calc: Solver tool improvements along with better handling of duplicate records. Impress: Soft edge and glow effects added plus enhanced SVG text rendering. Support extended to ODF 1.4 export and Visio (.vstx) file import. Automatic document signing using default digital certificate introduced. macOS Quick Look integration implemented. User interface upgrades including touch zoom on Windows systems and improved Sidebar controls. | |
| Template:Version | September 2025 (planned) | Expected developments:
Enhanced touchpad accessibility featuring zoom gestures. UI and icon themes automatically adapting to dark mode settings. Streamlined style and formatting tools within Writer including better nested section management. Calc enhancements comprising new pivot table layouts and conditional formatting refinements. Presentation and drawing tools upgraded with improved text auto-scaling and PDF annotation capabilities. Expanded file format compatibility including ZIP64 DOCX files support. Quality-of-life improvements such as the addition of a Page Number Wizard and multi-word spell checking. |
Users and deployments
Between 2011 and 2018, the number of LibreOffice users grew significantly, rising from an estimated 25 million to around 200 million. In 2011, The Document Foundation indicated that there were 10 million users who accessed the software through downloads or CD-ROMs, predominantly on Windows platforms, alongside an additional 15 million Linux users from fresh or upgraded installations. By 2013, the user count had climbed to 75 million, reaching 100 million in 2015 and 120 million in 2016. By 2018, active users were estimated at roughly 200 million, with students comprising about one-quarter of this figure and Linux users accounting for approximately 10%. For comparison, Microsoft Office's user base was estimated at 1.2 billion during the same year.
See also
- Comparison of office suites
- List of free and open-source software packages
- List of office suites
- OpenDocument file format
External links
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