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LibreOffice VS Google Docs

Compare LibreOffice VS Google Docs and see what are their differences

LibreOffice logo LibreOffice

Free office suite, open source, and compatible with .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx files. Updated regularly – download for free. Originally based on OpenOffice.org.

Google Docs logo Google Docs

Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.
  • LibreOffice Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-15
  • Google Docs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-16

LibreOffice features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    LibreOffice is completely free to download and use, and as an open-source project, its source code is available for anyone to inspect, modify, and distribute.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    LibreOffice can be used on various operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring broad availability and support.
  • Strong Community Support
    The LibreOffice community offers extensive support through forums, documentation, and regular updates, ensuring continued improvements and user assistance.
  • Compatibility with Multiple File Formats
    LibreOffice supports a wide range of file formats, including Microsoft Office documents, making it easy to work with files created in other office suites.
  • Feature-Rich Suite
    LibreOffice includes powerful tools like Writer (word processor), Calc (spreadsheet), Impress (presentations), Draw (vector graphics), Base (database), and Math (formula editor).

Possible disadvantages of LibreOffice

  • Compatibility Issues
    Although LibreOffice supports many file formats, there might be occasional compatibility issues with complex Microsoft Office documents, leading to formatting problems.
  • User Interface
    Some users find LibreOffice's user interface to be less polished and more dated compared to more modern office suites like Microsoft Office or Google Workspace.
  • Learning Curve
    Switching from another office suite to LibreOffice can involve a learning curve, as users may need to familiarize themselves with different tools and features.
  • Limited Cloud Integration
    LibreOffice offers limited cloud storage and collaboration features compared to other cloud-based office suites like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
  • Performance
    For very large or complex documents, LibreOffice may sometimes lag or perform slower compared to other proprietary office software.

Google Docs features and specs

  • Accessibility
    Google Docs can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, allowing for easy access to documents from anywhere.
  • Collaboration
    Multiple users can work on the same document simultaneously, making real-time collaboration easy and efficient.
  • Auto-Save
    Documents are automatically saved to Google Drive, reducing the risk of data loss due to unexpected issues.
  • Version History
    Allows users to see the revision history of a document and revert to previous versions if necessary.
  • Cost
    Google Docs is free to use, which is advantageous for individuals and organizations looking to cut down on software expenses.
  • Integrations
    Seamlessly integrates with other Google services (Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Drive) and third-party applications.
  • Add-ons
    Offers a variety of add-ons to enhance functionality, such as grammar checkers, templates, and other productivity tools.

Possible disadvantages of Google Docs

  • Internet Dependency
    Requires an internet connection for full functionality, which can be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity or during outages.
  • Limited Offline Access
    Although offline access is available, it requires planning and setup; the experience is not as seamless as online use.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Storing sensitive information on Google’s servers can raise privacy and data security concerns for some users and organizations.
  • Feature Limitations
    While Google Docs provides robust basic functionality, it may lack some advanced features found in other word processing software like Microsoft Word.
  • Formatting Issues
    Some users may experience formatting inconsistencies, especially when exporting documents to other formats or printing.
  • Storage Limitations
    Free accounts are limited to a certain amount of storage space on Google Drive, necessitating payment for additional space should it be required.
  • Performance
    Occasionally, performance may be sluggish with very large documents or during peak usage times.

Analysis of Google Docs

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Google Docs is highly regarded as a versatile and user-friendly word processing tool.

Why this product is good

  • Google Docs is popular due to its real-time collaboration features, ease of accessibility from any device with internet connectivity, and seamless integration with other Google Workspace apps. It is especially valued for its intuitive interface, comprehensive set of editing tools, and automatic saving feature which enhances productivity.

Recommended for

  • Students for note-taking and assignments.
  • Professionals collaborating on documents and reports.
  • Small to large teams working remotely.
  • Freelancers needing reliable word processing software.
  • Anyone looking for a free, cloud-based word processing solution.

LibreOffice videos

Microsoft Office vs LibreOffice | How to Make the Change

More videos:

  • Review - LibreOffice Overview

Google Docs videos

No Google Docs videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to LibreOffice and Google Docs)
Office Suites
100 100%
0% 0
PDF Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Project Management
100 100%
0% 0
PDF Editor
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare LibreOffice and Google Docs

LibreOffice Reviews

Top Alternatives to Microsoft Office Suite
LibreOffice is a powerful open-source office suite that includes Writer, Calc, Impress, and more. With a user-friendly interface and compatibility with Microsoft Office formats, LibreOffice is an excellent alternative for businesses looking to save costs without compromising on functionality.
Source: saaszeal.com
10 Best Visio Alternatives for Cost Effective Diagramming [2022]
LibreOffice is a free and open-source office productivity software suite, a project of The Document Foundation. It was forked in 2010 from OpenOffice.org, an open-sourced version of the earlier StarOffice.

Google Docs Reviews

Top 12 Online Collaboration Tools for Smart Working
Users can share meeting notes or create project briefs collectively with one click. They can also choose from a variety of formats, such as Nifty Docs, Google Docs, Presentation, or Spreadsheet, and sync with their Google Drive! Google Docs, as a crucial component within Google Workspace, facilitates teamwork and accessibility, offering document management capabilities...
Source: niftypm.com
Best 25 Software Documentation Tools 2023
Google Docs allows users to create, edit, share and collaborate on documents in real-time, online and is accessible from any device. It's a powerful and collaborative documentation tool that offers a wide range of features and it is widely used by individuals, teams and organizations.
Source: www.uphint.com
The 11 Best Slite Alternatives in 2022- Free Tools Included!
“Intuitive layout, integration with other Google services/offerings and hosting in the cloud make Google Docs arguably the best way for small teams with far-flung members to generate collaborative documents quickly. Four years ago, using Google Docs to author, edit and review documents was a nonstarter due to missing features found in word processing software. Today, many...
Source: remoteverse.com
EasyContent vs Google Docs
Google Docs require external tools to make it appropriate for collaborative content production. It's often upgraded to GSuite (which consists of multiple apps in one package) or paired with project management platforms like Asana and Trello. This means you'll need to manage multiple apps and platforms, adding overhead to your content production process.
Source: easycontent.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, LibreOffice seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 15 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

LibreOffice mentions (15)

  • If I can add a PDF as an object to a Word file without Acrobat?
    Install LibreOffice (https://libreoffice.org) – free. Then open it in Draw and save as PNG or SVG. The latter will give you a vectorial file. Import those files in Word. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Is libre office free?
    Libre office is open source and free. Ignore the MS store , download it from libreoffice.org. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • What comes to your mind when you hear the words ‘tech abuse’?
    Microsoft Office -- Libreoffice. A customizable free and open source office suite. Source: over 2 years ago
  • An explanation of what we're talking about over here
    First, what is a distro? Distro, is short for distribution. A Linux distribution is basically an operating system, with added software (for example LibreOffice. In Linux there are a lot of distributions. This is because each distribution has a different idea on how things should be done. For example: one distribution uses the GNOME desktop, while the other uses KDE/Plasma, for example. There are a lot of ways in... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Windows Defender problem
    You either buy a license or resort to solutions like this: Https://libreoffice.org. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Google Docs mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Google Docs yet. Tracking of Google Docs recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing LibreOffice and Google Docs, you can also consider the following products

Microsoft 365 - Boost your productivity with reliable access anywhere with services like email, calendar, file sharing, meetings, instant messaging, and Office Online

Adobe Acrobat DC - Make your job easier with Adobe Acrobat DC, the trusted PDF creator. Use Acrobat to convert, edit and sign PDF files at your desk or on the go.

ONLYOFFICE - ONLYOFFICE is a complete office and productivity suite.

Wondershare PDFelement - All-in-one PDF editor

WPS Office - Would you need Office Word, Excel or PowerPoint for Home, business or School? WPS.com would give you right version for you.

Microsoft Word - Microsoft Word is a commercial word document processor for Windows.