Apache OpenOffice - Office Suite
Apache OpenOffice is a free, open source office suite with a word processor (Writer), spreadsheet (Calc), presentation tool (Impress), drawing app (Draw), database manager (Base), and equation editor (Math). It opens and saves Microsoft Office formats (DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX) and its native format is ODF (OpenDocument). Maintained by the Apache Software Foundation.
The honest truth about OpenOffice: it has barely changed since 2014. LibreOffice forked from the same codebase in 2010 and has had over 13 major releases since then. OpenOffice has had only minor bug fix updates. If you are choosing between the two today, LibreOffice is the better pick in almost every way - it is more actively developed, has better Microsoft Office compatibility, and gets security fixes faster.
What it does
Writer handles documents, Calc handles spreadsheets, Impress handles presentations. All three open Microsoft Office files, though complex formatting (especially in DOCX and PPTX) does not always translate perfectly. Export to PDF is available in every module (File > Export as PDF). Draw works for basic vector graphics and diagrams. Base is a database frontend similar to MS Access.
Advantages
- Completely free and open source (Apache License)
- Full office suite: word processor, spreadsheet, presentations, drawing, database
- Opens Microsoft Office formats
- PDF export built into every module
Drawbacks
- Barely updated since 2014 - LibreOffice is the actively maintained fork
- Microsoft Office compatibility is worse than LibreOffice's
- Security updates are slow - the project had its security rating downgraded in 2025
- Smaller developer community and fewer features than LibreOffice
Who it is for
OpenOffice still works for basic document editing, but there is no good reason to choose it over LibreOffice, which does everything OpenOffice does and more. If you need a free office suite, install LibreOffice instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OpenOffice free?
What is the difference between OpenOffice and LibreOffice?
Can OpenOffice open Microsoft Office files?
Should I use OpenOffice or LibreOffice?
Can OpenOffice export to PDF?
Features & How-To Guide
| # | Feature | How to use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Text editing (Writer) | File › New › Text Document. Microsoft Word equivalent. Supports DOC/DOCX/ODT. |
| 2 | Spreadsheets (Calc) | File › New › Spreadsheet. Excel equivalent. Supports XLS/XLSX/ODS. |
| 3 | Microsoft Office format support | Opens and saves DOC/DOCX/XLS/XLSX/PPT/PPTX. Compatibility is not perfect with complex documents. |
| 4 | Export to PDF | File › Export as PDF. Available in all modules. |
| 5 | Presentations (Impress) | File › New › Presentation. PowerPoint equivalent. Supports PPT/PPTX/ODP. |
| 6 | Mail merge | Writer › Tools › Mail Merge Wizard. Link a template with data from Calc or Base. |
| 7 | Graphics creation Draw | File › New › Drawing. Vector graphics editor. Export to SVG/PNG/PDF. |
| 8 | Databases (Base) | File › New › Database. MS Access equivalent. Create forms and queries. |
| 9 | Macros and automation | Tools › Macros › Basic Editor. Automate tasks using OpenOffice Basic. |
| 10 | Mathematical equation editor (Math) | Insert › Object › Formula. Create mathematical equations in documents. |
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