LibreOffice downloads on the rise as users look to avoid subscription costs
www.computerworld.com
The free open-source Microsoft Office alternative is being downloaded by nearly 1 million users a week.

Interest in LibreOffice, the open-source alternative to Microsoft Office, is on the rise, with weekly downloads of its software package close to 1 million a week. That’s the highest download number since 2023.

“We estimate around 200 million [LibreOffice] users, but it’s important to note that we respect users’ privacy and don’t track them, so we can’t say for sure,” said Mike Saunders, an open-source advocate and a deputy to the board of directors at The Document Foundation.

LibreOffice users typically want a straightforward interface, Saunders said. “They don’t want subscriptions, and they don’t want AI being ‘helpful’ by poking its nose into their work — it reminds them of Clippy from the bad old days,” he said.

There are genuine use cases for generative AI tools, but many users prefer to opt-in to it and choose when and where to enable it. “We have zero plans to put AI into LibreOffice. But we understand the value of some AI tools and are encouraging developers to create … extensions that use AI in a responsible way,” Saunders said.

    • Lfrith@lemmy.caEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      Syncthing has been so helpful in making me move away from cloud based options. And to think only reason I found out about it and gave it a shot was because I was trying to figure out how to easily sync my non Steam game save files between my Desktop and my Steam Deck. It’s been invaluable since then.

  • takis@lemm.eeEnglish
    1·
    2 months ago

    I must be one of them. In the last couple of weeks I’m transitioning my apps and services to open source and EU based. I switched from Windows to CachyOS, switched my emails, switched browser, degoogled my phone, deleted FB and X and many more.

    It feels so refreshing and free.

  • ccguys@lemmy.caEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    I’ve been using LibreOffice for years and it is fantastic – although I have always had problems importing PowerPoints. Xcel and Word documents are fine, but PowerPoint is always a mess.

    • Admetus@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      1·
      2 months ago

      PowerPoints suffer from lack of smart objects, and in the case of using Linux, font conversion. But it’s just that we’ve got to persevere with it. 😅

  • Peffse@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    I’m afraid to find out how many people are still downloading OpenOffice, thinking it’s the same software they heard about back in 2010.

  • Sentient Loom@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    Nice. Maybe now Microsoft will respond by offering non-subscription options inventing a new proprietary industry-standard file format so their bloated ransomware remains mandatory.

    • cactopuses@lemm.eeEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      Fortunately platforms like docs are providing sufficient competition that I don’t think they’d be able to lock it down as effectively as they once could.