LibreOffice downloads on the rise as users look to avoid subscription costs
a year ago
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- #microsoft-office-alternative
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- LibreOffice, a free open-source alternative to Microsoft Office, is experiencing a surge in downloads, nearing 1 million per week—the highest since 2023.
- The Document Foundation released version 25.2, contributing to increased adoption, while alternatives like Apache OpenOffice decline.
- LibreOffice is estimated to have around 200 million users, though exact numbers are uncertain due to privacy-focused tracking policies.
- Interest spans home users, businesses, and governments, with Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) migrating 30,000 PCs to LibreOffice.
- 85% of LibreOffice users are on Windows, followed by macOS and Linux (often pre-installed in Linux distributions).
- Users prefer LibreOffice for its no-subscription model, straightforward interface, and avoidance of intrusive AI features.
- The Document Foundation has no plans to integrate AI directly but supports responsible AI extensions developed by third parties.
- Gartner notes cost as a key factor for adoption, though specialized maintenance resources may be a drawback.
- LibreOffice remains a desktop-focused solution, contrasting with cloud-centric offerings from Microsoft and Google.