If you’re typing up a document, filling out a spreadsheet or creating a presentation, there’s a good chance you’re using Microsoft Office. It’s still the gold standard of productivity software.
Unfortunately, it’s also expensive. If you have an older version that’s no longer supported, or you have a computer that doesn’t have it, you might be reluctant to spend a bundle to get the latest version. Fortunately, you can get the same power and performance without the hefty price tag.
Allow me to introduce LibreOffice. It’s a free, open-source office suite compatible with Microsoft Office files. Since it’s an open-source software, the program is continually updated, at no charge.
LibreOffice offers six programs that will feel instantly familiar to you if you’ve used Office before. Writer, Calc and Impress are equivalent to Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. They have most of the same features, you just might need to poke around to find some of them.
Even better, LibreOffice can open and edit the documents you made in Office and save new files in Office formats. LibreOffice is compatible with the most popular document formats, not just Office documents.
It’s also compatible with OpenDocument Format (ODF) and you can even sign PDF documents without having to involve your printer.
LibreOffice also includes drawing, database and equation programs, too, plus plenty of extensions and templates you can add to give the program more features.
Download Instructions
To download the program, go to the LibreOffice download page or use one of the yellow links below. Choose your operating system and hit download.
Your download should begin immediately. Because LibreOffice is a user-supported program, the company asks that you consider a donation if you are happy with the project, but it’s not required to download the program.
When the download is complete, open and run the installation file. We recommend using the default installation settings. There is no bloatware or add-on programs to avoid.
Note: This is a free program that is run by donations. It will not try to install bloatware, add-ons or any other extra programs. It will ask you for donations, but it will not prompt you for payment. If you see any third-party programs or it asks for payment, stop the installation. You have clicked on the wrong link.
This is a big program, so it will take a while to install. When the installation is complete you can run LibreOffice from a desktop shortcut.
