1 yr. ago • 81%

FOSS Microsoft Office for Linux

Looking for an alternative to Microsoft Office for the Linux.

I've already tried:

LibreOffice (It doesn't have the same experience as Microsoft's apps.)
OnlyOffice Desktop Editors (I like it)

What else would you recommend?

72 comments

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125
- An underrated feature of LibreOffice is the ability to insert the original document inside a PDF when exporting. If you reopen that PDF in LibreOffice, it will grab the embedded copy for editing instead of trying to guess how to convert the PDF into its original.
  
  Hybrid PDF
  
  44
  
  That's monstrous. When I send a PDF I don't want it to be editable, if I wanted an editable format I'd use an editable format. Exporting to PDF is supposed to be a digital equivalent to printing.
  
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Once you get used to libreoffice ms office will feel like a gimmicky toy

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- You haven't used LibreOffice's pivot tables have you?
  
  10
  
  Nope I use python for that 😹
  
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- Sorry I don't have a good recommendation
  
  -9
  
  Edit your comments, don't reply to yourself
  
  8
  
  I don't either.
  
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Stick with LibreOffice , you'll get used and it is most likely the best alternative.

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- This.
  
  0
  
  That?
  
  -2
You can easily change LibreOffice to have a tabbed layout like MSOffice (view > user interface). The only thing to note is that LibreOffice has great documentation, but it can be a bit difficult to follow with a different layout.

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Nothing has exactly the same experience as MS. I don't think there is a clone project for it.

The two you listed are your best options.

Does LibreOffice have any issues that prevent you using it? If not, it's probably that your expectations are set by your comfort and familiarity with Office and that is the problem you need to solve.

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- Microsoft has a history of being sue happy against people that have tried to ape MS's cash cows in the past, so you won't find a clone project
  
  1
You could always do in-browser Office if nothing else works. Or g-suite

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- I can't speak for the whole suite, but Excel sucks in the browser. The browser version do not have all the same features as desktop. I only use Office if I'm forced to and use LibreOffice or Latex otherwise
  
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  I am currently forced to use Excel online for work. Such a frustrating experience. And I can't even edit it offline, because the conversion between two languages and two versions doesn't work properly.
  
  Libreoffice has it's problems too, but it feels much more 'friendly' somehow.
  
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- Over my dead body...
  
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Honestly, if your willing to learn to use LibreOffice, it's way more powerful than OnlyOffice. It took me a minute to get used to it too, but once you do, it's pretty awesome. And if your worried about UI, you can change some of those things in the settings, like you can make it have a MS-style ribbon at the top. If I were you, I'd spend two weeks trying LO, I think you'll get used to it pretty quick

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- LibreOffice, it’s way more powerful than OnlyOffice
  
  How so? More features? If so, some people just use a small handful in MSOffice, and just want those for their office clone. Maybe OOP is willibg to sacrifice feature-completeness for a similar UI.
  
  In fact, based on their negative assessment of LibreOffice for not being enough like Microsoft, I'm willing to be that's the case.
  
  4
- much prefer the ribbons for the UI. it's much more convenient imo and I was lost otherwise. glad libreoffice had that as customisation options!
  
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@mypasswordis1234
OnlyOffice is good. Very similar to MS office

10
- I found onlyoffice to have the best compatibility with documents imported from/exported to MS Office. For most people, their coworkers/teachers/professors or whatever will be using MS office, and if the formatting is borked everytime you move the file between libreoffice and ms office users, it gets old fast. That was my experience with libre office and why I ended up on onlyoffice. Of all the suites i've tried it has the best compatibility between itself and ms office for formatting.
  
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  @TheSun
  Good to know. Thanks for that insight
  
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I think you'll be pretty disappointed with anything else that's available. Of those two I'd say stick with OnlyOffice.

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honestly, I've only clicked on this post because of your username

"Foss Microsoft Office for Linux actually it isn't in Opensource"

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- Look at my username, then at my displayname 😉
  
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5
- At that point, just use their browser based products.
  
  They have extensive "telemetry" either way.
  
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- That would also help fund further development of wine and proton.
  
  4
Is there a reason a few are being developed rather than focussing on one? Are there key differences/use cases for each of them?

LibreOffice vs. OpenOffice vs. OnlyOffice

I remember once reading that one of them (or some other FOSS alternative) was bad for privacy/FOSS, but I can't find that anymore

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- https://www.pcworld.com/article/423300/why-you-should-ditch-openoffice-and-use-the-free-libreoffice-suite.html
  
  11
  
  Basically the only commits to OpenOffice now are things a full project lint would catch. There are some security updates here and there. Last I looked it’s basically one dev fixing spacing.
  
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- Forkers gonna fork. OnlyOffice seemed like it was going after Google Docs, but with a MSOffice look and feel. The live sharing and editing worked well when I tested it.
  
  9
  
  Ah I see. So LibreOffice for local stuff, then OnlyOffice for the google docs type of work
  
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- I remember once reading that one of them (or some other FOSS alternative) was bad for privacy/FOSS, but I can't find that anymore
  
  Not sure if you're thinking of WPS Office (formerly known as Kingsoft Office). It's development is funded by the Chinese government, but although Kingsoft claim that the Linux version is developed by the community, they haven't really published the source code anywhere, so it's considered a high-risk software.
  
  2
  
  It's bloatware and adware imo.
  
  2
  
  I see, that might be it!
  
  1
- Why did Linus start developing Linux when he could have just contributed to FreeBSD which already existed?
  
  2
  
  No, it didn't. FreeBSD didn't exist until 1993. 386BSD wasn't until 1992. Linus has said that if a free, unencumbered BSD for PCs existed in 1991, he indeed would not have made Linux.
  
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- Open Office has been dead for a while now. Libre Office is the only active one. And Only Office for the MS clone with fewer features.
  
  1
A lot of people seem to be fervently recommending LibreOffice, but is everyone using windows and/or in light mode? Because dark mode support is horrible, and changing settings inside the App doesnt do anything, you need to force themes via commandline from the outside if you want any of the symbols/icons to be legible. Im just using they default integrated Plasma 5.27 dark mode, not even a custom theme or anything. So trying to use LO has been nothing but a hassle, I would even accept having to use light mode permanently in LO, but that isnt even an Option as the setting does nothing. Sorry for the rant but I just has to mention my experience as its been so bizarre.

2
Libre office was alright but tabbed layout was buggy, entering stuff in excel was delayed by 0.5s everytime, the math formula program required some esoteric knowledge, and libredraw messed up pdfs which foxit otherwise opened with precision. I stick to Microsoft office 2007 which does exactly what I expect.

1
I don't use these kinds of tools in private unless I have to, and when I do, I found that OnlyOffice has better compatability with .docx-files. I recently had to make some changes and format a .docx-file, and after struggling to make it look correct in LibreOffice*, it did not show up correctly in Word. Output was more or less the same in OnlyOffice as in Word, and after redoing it in OnlyOffice, it looked almost completely correct in Word.

This is, however, always a problem with these kinds of programs in my opinion.
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Between the two I recommend OnlyOffice because it has better export compatibility,, a PDF editor, seamless interchange between their desktop, mobile, and web versions, and a nicer UI. You'd only need LibreOffice if you're doing very advanced document formatting or very niche scientific or financial formulas. LibreOffice has been around for a lot longer than OnlyOffice so its got more edge use cases figured out. Onlyoffice is more modern and IMO feels like a smoother experience with the UI.

-2
There is WPS office (from Kingsoft based in China).

-3
- WPS Office is just spyware
  https://www.wps.com/privacy-policy/
  
  7
- Yeah, the experience is nice but OP asks for a FOSS alternative and that isn't.
  
  IMO the closest to MS Office in both UX and UI is OnlyOffice. Also you'll have nice compatibility with MS Office documents.
  
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I recommend installing Windows 8.1 in VirtualBox, and putting MS Office 2013/16 in it. You can get both these MS products at massgrave.dev with safe activation methods. If you can get by with MS Office 2007, use in Windows XP in VirtualBox like I do.

I figured out years ago that fighting with these FOSS alternatives is not a wise battle to pick. MS Office is one of those few necessary evils you need to work with others.

-3
- Any reason why you recommended Win 8.1 in particular?
  
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  It is the latest version of Windows that is not crippled on a HDD. Windows 10 seems to be artificially intentionally crippled for I/O if it detects a HDD, which is why it is only tolerable on SSDs. Windows 8.1 was also the fastest ever Windows to run on a HDD, faster than 7 or XP. It also conveniently happens to allow to run newer Office versions.
  
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- "if you have a problem then don't have a problem"
  
  Thank you
  
  But in any case, we shouldn't expect not-ms-office to act exactly as ms-office
  
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OpenOffice

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- Open office is a worse form of Libre office
  
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  I know, that's why I use LibreOffice. ~~OnlyOffice~~ OpenOffice was the only thing I could think of
  
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- Isn't OpenOffice deprecated or mostly abandoned? I'm sure it will works, though.
  
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  I don't think anyone should use it, no. It is technically an option, though
  
  3
  
  Yeah it's mostly abandoned. There was a thread about it recently. I will edit in a link.
  
  Edit: I got lazy and stopped looking and also forgot to edit.
  
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