LibreOffice
LibreOffice, the free desktop office suite (Writer, Calc, Impress and more). This GitHub repo is a read-only mirror; development happens on Gerrit.
4.6k GitHub stars · GPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Free Open-Source Alternatives to Microsoft Office & Word
You can replace Word, Excel and PowerPoint without a Microsoft 365 subscription. LibreOffice and ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors install on your computer and open .docx, .xlsx and .pptx files; ONLYOFFICE Docs, Collabora Online and CryptPad run in the browser on your own server for shared editing. Complex Word layouts and Excel macros may not convert perfectly, so test your own files first.
Category: Office documents · GitHub data as of Oct 29, 2026 · FAQ · Cost & self-hosting
Microsoft Office price change: Business Basic $6.00 → $7.00 and Business Standard $12.50 → $14.00 per user per month. Microsoft 365 E3 $36 → $39, E5 $57 → $60, F1 $2.25 → $3.00, F3 $8 → $10. Business Premium stays $22. (effective Jul 1, 2026, details and sources)
| Project | What it is | License | GitHub stars | Last release | Runs as | Hosted plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LibreOffice Active GPL-3.0 | LibreOffice, the free desktop office suite (Writer, Calc, Impress and more). This GitHub repo is a read-only mirror; development happens on Gerrit. | GPL-3.0 | 4.6k | Oct 27, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
| ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors Active AGPL-3.0 | A free desktop office suite for documents, spreadsheets, presentations and PDFs, built for Microsoft Office file compatibility. | AGPL-3.0 | 5.7k | Oct 22, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
| ONLYOFFICE Docs Active AGPL-3.0 | An online office suite for text documents, spreadsheets, presentations and PDFs, compatible with Microsoft Office files. | AGPL-3.0 | 7.1k | Oct 22, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Yes, from the project |
| Collabora Online Active Mixed or custom | A LibreOffice-based office suite that runs in the browser, often paired with Nextcloud or another file platform. Development happens on Gerrit; GitHub hosts its issue tracker. | Mixed or custom | 3.4k | Oct 23, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Not confirmed |
| Calligra Active GPL-2.0 | KDE's office and graphics suite, with a word processor, spreadsheets and presentations. The GitHub repo mirrors KDE's own servers. | GPL-2.0 | 210 | Oct 8, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
| CryptPad Active AGPL-3.0 | Collaborative office suite, end-to-end encrypted and open-source. | AGPL-3.0 | 8.0k | Oct 21, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Yes, from the project |
Are they still maintained?
6 of 6 Microsoft Office alternatives here had a code push or release in the last 180 days (checked Oct 29, 2026).
- LibreOffice: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors: active, last activity Oct 22, 2026 (7 days ago)
- ONLYOFFICE Docs: active, last activity Oct 26, 2026 (3 days ago)
- Collabora Online: active, last activity Oct 27, 2026 (2 days ago)
- Calligra: active, last activity Oct 26, 2026 (2 days ago)
- CryptPad: active, last activity Oct 28, 2026 (1 days ago)
See every project in the "Is it still maintained?" tracker →
What switching from Microsoft Office costs
Microsoft Office: current plans and prices are on Microsoft Office's pricing page. Its most recent price change we track took effect on Jul 1, 2026 (see the price tracker).
| Alternative | How you run it | Software cost | What you pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| LibreOffice | Desktop app | $0 (GPL-3.0) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
| ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors | Desktop app | $0 (AGPL-3.0) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
| ONLYOFFICE Docs | Your server, or the project's hosted plan | $0 (AGPL-3.0) | A server you rent (or own), or the project's paid hosted plan. |
| Collabora Online | Your server | $0 (Mixed or custom, check terms) | A server you rent or own, plus your time for updates and backups. |
| Calligra | Desktop app | $0 (GPL-2.0) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
| CryptPad | Your server, or the project's hosted plan | $0 (AGPL-3.0) | A server you rent (or own), or the project's paid hosted plan. |
Self-hosting basics: ONLYOFFICE Docs, Collabora Online and CryptPad need a server, which can be a small cloud server or a spare machine at home. For a sense of scale, DigitalOcean's price list shows a 1 GiB server at $6/month and 2 GiB at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size, and budget time for updates and backups.
Don't want to run a server? ONLYOFFICE Docs and CryptPad offer a hosted plan run by the project itself. Prices change, so check each project's site.
Nothing to host: LibreOffice, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors and Calligra run on your own computer.
License check: Collabora Online does not use a single standard open-source license that GitHub can detect. Read the license before using it in a business.
The options in more detail
ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors
A free desktop office suite for documents, spreadsheets, presentations and PDFs, built for Microsoft Office file compatibility.
5.7k GitHub stars · AGPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 22, 2026 · GitHub · Website
ONLYOFFICE Docs
An online office suite for text documents, spreadsheets, presentations and PDFs, compatible with Microsoft Office files.
7.1k GitHub stars · AGPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 26, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Collabora Online
A LibreOffice-based office suite that runs in the browser, often paired with Nextcloud or another file platform. Development happens on Gerrit; GitHub hosts its issue tracker.
3.4k GitHub stars · Mixed or custom · last code push Oct 27, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Calligra
KDE's office and graphics suite, with a word processor, spreadsheets and presentations. The GitHub repo mirrors KDE's own servers.
210 GitHub stars · GPL-2.0 · last code push Oct 26, 2026 · GitHub · Website
CryptPad
Collaborative office suite, end-to-end encrypted and open-source.
8.0k GitHub stars · AGPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 28, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Microsoft Office alternatives: common questions
What is the best open-source alternative to Microsoft Office?
For most people replacing Word, Excel and PowerPoint on one computer, LibreOffice is the most complete free suite. ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors is a good pick if you mostly swap .docx, .xlsx and .pptx files with Microsoft Office users. For shared editing in the browser on your own server, look at ONLYOFFICE Docs, Collabora Online or CryptPad. (The LibreOffice and Collabora GitHub repos are mirrors or issue trackers, so their star counts understate how widely they are used.)
Is there a self-hosted Microsoft Office alternative?
Yes. ONLYOFFICE Docs, Collabora Online and CryptPad run on a server you control, so your data stays with you. If you'd rather not run a server, ONLYOFFICE Docs and CryptPad also offer a hosted plan from the people who make them.
Is there a free alternative to Microsoft Office?
Yes. Every project on this page can be downloaded and used at no cost from its public repository. LibreOffice, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors and Calligra install on your own device, so they cost nothing to run. Server apps are free software, but you pay for the server they run on. Check the license of Collabora Online before using it in a business.
Are these Microsoft Office alternatives still maintained?
As of Oct 29, 2026, 6 of 6 had a code push or release in the last 180 days. None are flagged as inactive or archived. We re-check every project weekly.
How much does it cost to switch from Microsoft Office?
The software itself is free. Desktop and device apps (LibreOffice, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors and Calligra) cost nothing to run. For server apps, the main cost is hosting: as a reference point, DigitalOcean lists a 1 GiB server at $6/month and a 2 GiB server at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size. The hidden cost is time: moving your data and, for self-hosted apps, keeping up with updates and backups.
Are all of these really open source?
Not all under a standard license. Collabora Online: GitHub could not identify a single standard license for this repository (often a mix of open-source and commercial parts). Read the LICENSE file before using it. The others use OSI-approved open-source licenses.
Related swaps
Know a project we missed, or maintain one listed here? Tell us. Maintainers can add a live status badge to their README.
Get new open-source swaps by email
One short email a week: newly listed projects, big releases, and projects that went quiet. No spam.