Microsoft, Libre, Open Office & Co
Microsoft Office or would you rather have Open Office and Libre Office? Many private individuals but also companies ask themselves these questions. In this blog post I compare the various market leaders among office programs and tell you the advantages and disadvantages.
You have surely heard of Microsoft. They offer not only the Windows operating system with the current version Windows 11, but also office packages, operating systems and even consoles. In the past, documents were created exclusively with Word, spreadsheets with Excel and presentations with PowerPoint.
Microsoft had to give up this monopoly to freeware office programs. In comparison, they all have their advantages and disadvantages. But anyone who only writes a letter or creates spreadsheets or presentations now and then will hardly notice the details. Especially in the basic functions, all competitors are moving in step.
In recent years Microsoft has been switching its Office products to so-called subscription models. They are practically pushing you to purchase the annual licence for Office 365. Libre Office and Open Office, on the other hand, are free of charge.
Open Office
Open Office was released in 2002. It offers programs for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and drawing. A database program and formula editor are also included. It offers similar functions to Microsoft Office. Open Office and Libre Office have improved the import and export function. This means documents can be edited more easily in Microsoft Office, and vice versa.
Libre Office package
Libre Office was released in 2011. The download package contains programs for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and drawing. A data management system and a formula editor are also available. Technically, Libre Office and Open Office are on the same level, but Open Office runs more stably and copes better with larger files than Libre Office. Nevertheless, Libre Office is developing strongly. This is clearly noticeable after every update. One disadvantage for companies is probably the Outlook program, which is missing from the free office packages. Here you have to fall back on Thunderbird. The Mozilla Foundation offers the program as freeware.
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office was presented by Bill Gates at the COMDEX trade fair in Las Vegas in 1988. Compared to the free products, Microsoft Office appears more professional. Companies in particular use it exclusively. Since the 2013 Office package, files from Libre Office and Open Office have also been fully supported. Visually in particular, Microsoft Office stands out very strongly from its freeware competitors. The templates, the speed and the stability with large files also speak for Microsoft Office. As mentioned above, Microsoft offers subscriptions for its products. As an example: Office 365 Business Premium currently costs €10.50 per month on an annual subscription for up to 15 devices. This package contains all the common Office applications. But also Outlook with an Exchange account + 50 GB of email storage, as well as 1 TB of cloud storage on OneDrive. The permanent licence Home & Student 2019 is available for €150. Home & Business for €300, which includes Outlook.
Comparison:
| Microsoft Office | Libre Office | Open Office | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advantages: |
| ||
| Disadvantages: | |||
| Templates | ★★★★★ | ★★★ ☆☆ | ★★ ☆☆☆ |
| Looks | ★★★★★ | ★★★ ☆☆ | ★★ ☆☆☆ |
| Usability & functions | ★★★★★ | ★★★★ ☆ | ★★★★ ☆ |
| Cost: | ★ ☆☆☆☆ €100 to 230 | ★★★★★ Free of charge | ★★★★★ Free of charge |
| Overall rating: | ★★★★★ | ★★★★ ☆ | ★★★ ☆☆ |
The best office package
Libre Office is a good alternative to Microsoft Office. The program’s potential grows with every version. Since version 5.3 there has been a “ribbon interface” similar to that of Microsoft Office. This is particularly interesting for those switching over. The file formats are the same for all products, so that only minimal display problems still occur. When it comes to the PDF import function, which allows editing, the freeware programs have to pass; only Microsoft Office has this function. Anyone who does not want to do without such features and values the quality of the program and templates and ease of use is advised at this point to invest money in Microsoft’s Office programs. Everyone else is advised to go for Open Office or Libre Office.