If you haven’t looked in a while, the two suites look similar on the surface but live in very different worlds now.
The quick snapshot
Apache OpenOffice – Free, open-source. Last major release is 4.1.16 (late 2025). Includes Writer, Calc, Impress, Base, Draw and Math. Light on resources, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
xMicrosoft Office – Now sold two ways:
- Microsoft 365 – Subscription, web + desktop + mobile, with OneDrive and constant updates
- Office LTSC 2025 / Office 2024 – One-time purchase aimed at enterprises who want long-term stability without subscription changes, with five years of mainstream support. Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and Access (Windows only)
Market reality: 9 out of 10 firms just give staff the installed version of Office, with only 6% offering a non-Microsoft alternative. In the office suites market, Microsoft holds around 16.39% tracked market share vs 0.07% for Apache OpenOffice.
1. Cost and Licensing
No contest if price is everything.
- OpenOffice: Free, no activation, no account needed. No licensing costs or activation steps, just download and install.
- Microsoft: Microsoft 365 is £/monthly or yearly, Office LTSC/2024 is a one-time purchase (enterprise/volume license) but significantly more expensive.
If budget is the sole concern, OpenOffice wins. If corporate compliance and guaranteed patch schedules matter more, LTSC holds the edge.
2. What You Actually Get
| Feature | Microsoft Office (365 / LTSC 2025) | Apache OpenOffice |
|---|---|---|
| Apps | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access (Windows only) | Writer, Calc, Impress, Base, Draw, Math |
| Updates | 365 = constant, LTSC = security updates only, no surprise UI changes | Very infrequent |
| Interface | Modern Ribbon UI, familiar to long-time users | Traditional menu-and-toolbar interface; lighter but less modern |
Microsoft’s Ribbon is still what most employers and colleges expect you to know. OpenOffice feels like Office 2003 – some people prefer that, but it shows its age.
3. File Compatibility – The Deal Breaker
This is where 2026 matters most.
- Microsoft: Top-tier compatibility with DOCX, XLSX, PPTX – including advanced formatting, macros and embedded objects.
- OpenOffice: Reads and writes Microsoft formats but may have issues with complex layouts, styles, or macro-enabled files.
Independent testing in August 2026 found OpenOffice 4.1.16 managed to open only one of four modern DOCX templates fully, the remaining three threw input/output errors, and even the one that did open looked totally wrong with missing, misaligned elements. The review concluded: difficult setup, visual glitches and subpar support for Microsoft documents all preclude use in the current era.
If you ever exchange files with work, clients, or government forms, expect formatting breakage in OpenOffice.
4. Performance, Security and Collaboration
Performance: OpenOffice is low-resource and good for older machines, while Microsoft is higher – optimized for modern hardware.
Security: Microsoft LTSC offers guaranteed five years of security patches directly from Microsoft. OpenOffice has limited development and slower security patch cycles – a potential risk if you handle sensitive data. Development pace has slowed dramatically.
Collaboration: Microsoft 365 has real-time co-authoring, OneDrive, Teams integration. OpenOffice has essentially none – no native cloud, no simultaneous editing, no mobile apps.
5. So Who Should Use What?
Stick with Microsoft Office if you:
- Work with others who use Word/Excel daily
- Need macros, PivotTables, advanced PowerPoint transitions, or Outlook
- Need guaranteed security updates and enterprise support
OpenOffice still makes sense if you:
- Are cost-conscious with light to moderate document needs
- Are on an old PC or Linux box where you want something offline and lightweight
- Work mostly in ODF or PDF and rarely exchange complex.docx files
The Elephant in the Room: LibreOffice
Most people who left Microsoft Office for free didn’t stay on OpenOffice. Its fork, LibreOffice, is now the actively developed alternative with frequent updates, new features and security patches, and excellent Office format compatibility – better than OpenOffice.
If you want free, most tech sites in 2026 will point you to LibreOffice first. OpenOffice in 2026 is described as a relic from a better time – still functional, but increasingly outpaced by other free alternatives.