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28.04.2026 12:15

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OnlyOffice vs. LibreOffice: Has the European Alternative Become a Better Choice?

For users looking for an alternative to Microsoft Office, LibreOffice and OnlyOffice have long been at the top of the list. However, recent tests show that OnlyOffice, which comes from Europe, is increasingly threatening LibreOffice's dominance. While LibreOffice bets on tradition and a comprehensive feature set, OnlyOffice bets on modernity, online collaboration, and superior compatibility with Microsoft Office files.

The main difference between the office suites OnlyOffice and LibreOffice is in their philosophy and user interface. LibreOffice maintains a classic look reminiscent of older versions of Office, which many users like because of its familiarity. OnlyOffice uses a modern “ribbon” interface (ribbon UI), which is almost identical to Microsoft’s, which drastically reduces the learning curve for new users.

One of the biggest advantages of OnlyOffice is its native support for DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX formats. While LibreOffice has to convert these files to its ODF format when opening (and vice versa when saving), OnlyOffice works with them directly. This means that formatting issues like shifted images or incorrect tables when sharing files with Word users are almost eliminated. In addition, OnlyOffice excels in the area of real-time collaboration, allowing for simultaneous editing of documents in the cloud, similar to Google Docs, which is much more complicated to set up in LibreOffice.

However, LibreOffice still wins in the area of advanced features and flexibility. For scientists, mathematicians, or spreadsheet power users, LibreOffice offers a depth that OnlyOffice doesn't (yet). It supports a larger number of file formats (even very old or exotic ones) and has a wider range of extensions and plugins. OnlyOffice, on the other hand, is more focused on cleanliness and speed, which means that some of the less frequently used features are hidden or not available at all.

Another important point is installation. OnlyOffice is available as a desktop application, a mobile application, and a web version that companies can host on their own servers for complete data privacy. LibreOffice remains primarily desktop-oriented, while its web version (LibreOffice Online) requires much more technical knowledge to set up. For the average user who just wants to write a letter or manage the family budget, OnlyOffice offers a more fluid and aesthetically pleasing experience.