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LibreOffice, the free and open-source replacement for Microsoft Office, has joined the ‘End of 10’ project to move Windows 10 PCs to Linux. LibreOffice and desktop Linux can “offer a powerful, privacy-friendly and future-proof alternative” to Microsoft’s software, according to the LibreOffice team.
End of 10 is a project organized by the broader Linux community to help people with Windows 10 PCs move to desktop Linux, as the end-of-life date for Windows 10 gradually approaches. There are many PCs that can’t be (officially) updated to Windows 11, and a lot of people who just don’t want to do it, so the End of 10 project is coordinating resources and in-person events to help people transition to Linux and Linux-compatible software.
LibreOffice and its parent organization, The Document Foundation, have now joined the End of 10 effort. The team said in a blog post, “There is a better option that puts control back in the hands of users, institutions, and public bodies: Linux and LibreOffice. Together, these two programmes offer a powerful, privacy-friendly and future-proof alternative to the Windows + Microsoft 365 ecosystem.”
LibreOffice already has similar word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing, and database tools as Microsoft Office, compatible with open document formats and Microsoft Office files. The team says replacing Office is “not as difficult as it seems,” and mentioned that many people and organizations have already done it.
The team also said in the blog post, “Microsoft is forcing users’ hands, but it is also opening a door. Now is the time to challenge your assumptions and take back control of how your personal computers work, how long they last, and most importantly, how your content is managed.”
LibreOffice is definitely the best free and open-source alternative to Microsoft Office, especially when you switch to the tabbed interface, but it’s not a direct replacement for everyone. Some Office documents will appear broken in LibreOffice, and there aren’t iPhone/iPad and Android versions. You can try out LibreOffice without switching to Linux, though, so testing it alongside Office on a Windows or Mac computer is easy.
It’s worth noting that you don’t have to give up Office entirely if you switch to Linux. You can still use the Office web apps for free in OneDrive, which aren’t feature-complete with the Windows and Mac versions, but may have better compatibility with Office files than LibreOffice. Older versions of Office can also run in the Wine compatibility layer. As a last resort, you could also set up a lightweight Windows 10 VM in Linux just for Office, since security updates for Office apps on Windows 10 will continue until October 2028.
You can check out the End of 10 website for local resources on switching to Linux. LibreOffice is available for free on Windows 7 and later, desktop Linux, and macOS 10.15 and later.
Source: LibreOffice
