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Office

Microsoft to LibreOffice & Co.

Free, open, on every device

Time Needed

20 min

Accessibility

Easy

What you'll need

  • LibreOffice

    Free download at libreoffice.org – choose the version for your operating system

  • Your existing documents

    Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), and PowerPoint (.pptx) files can be opened directly

Some meals you just cook yourself – not because it's complicated, but because there's no reason to pay someone else for it every month. Word processing is that kind of meal: you need a tool that opens, edits, and saves documents. Nothing more. Microsoft charges a subscription for that, uploads your files to the cloud, and locks you into an ecosystem. LibreOffice gives you exactly those tools – free, local, on every operating system.

Switching is easier than you'd expect, and all common Microsoft formats are opened and saved without issues.

Why switch:

  • Completely free — No monthly subscription, no one-off payment, no hidden costs
  • No forced cloud — Your documents stay on your device and don't automatically go to Microsoft
  • Opens all common formats — .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx are read and saved without issues
  • Runs on all operating systems — Windows, macOS, and Linux are all equally supported
  • Open source — The code is public, independently audited, no hidden backdoors

Steps

  1. Download and install LibreOffice

    Visit libreoffice.org and click "Download".

    • Run the installer and follow the installation steps
    • Launch LibreOffice after installation – you'll see the Start Center with Writer, Calc, and Impress

  2. Open your existing documents

    LibreOffice opens Microsoft formats directly, no conversion needed.

    • Drag a .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx file onto the LibreOffice window, or use File → Open
    • Check whether fonts and layouts have been transferred correctly
    • Minor differences with complex formatting are normal – usually fixed in seconds

  3. Set LibreOffice as your default program

    So that Office files open automatically in LibreOffice from now on.

    • Windows: Right-click a .docx file → "Open with" → "Choose another app" → LibreOffice Writer → tick "Always"
    • macOS: Right-click → "Get Info" → "Open with" → LibreOffice Writer → "Change All"
    • Linux: Depending on your desktop environment this is often already configured by default

  4. Set your default save format

    Decide once which format you want to save in going forward.

    • Open Tools → Options → Load/Save → General
    • For maximum independence: set the default format to OpenDocument (.odt, .ods, .odp)
    • For smooth exchange with Microsoft Office users: keep .docx, .xlsx, .pptx

What you gain

Writer, Calc, Impress – and more: LibreOffice includes word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, a vector drawing tool (Draw), and a formula editor – all in one package, no extras needed.

The OpenDocument Format (ODF): Documents saved as .odt truly belong to you – open, standardised, controlled by no corporation. Still readable in 20 years, with any software.

Go further

If you want to go deeper: