App · last scan Nov 2026
LibreOffice Problems & Issues
Free open-source office suite: Writer, Calc, Impress
VERDICT TRY WITH CAUTION
68/100
Try with caution
- signals
- 13
- sources
- 58
- known errors
- 10
// answer first
Should you use LibreOffice?
Try with cautionLibreOffice works for some teams, but users report recurring problems (score 68/100). Most reported issues: LibreOffice crashes or won't open on startup; DOCX files lose formatting in LibreOffice Writer; Excel VBA macros don't work in LibreOffice Calc. Not a good fit for: Teams exchanging complex docx/pptx with Office users; Excel power users with VBA workbooks; Teams needing real-time co-editing. Users most often switch to Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, Apple Keynote.
Top problems
- LibreOffice crashes or won't open on startup
- DOCX files lose formatting in LibreOffice Writer
- Excel VBA macros don't work in LibreOffice Calc
Good for
- Students and home users
- Linux and open-source users
- Privacy-focused users
Avoid if you are
- Teams exchanging complex docx/pptx with Office users
- Excel power users with VBA workbooks
- Teams needing real-time co-editing
Common alternatives: 
Microsoft PowerPoint, 
Google Slides, 
Apple Keynote
score breakdown
- Pricing
- 98Pricing score 98 of 100
- Usability
- 62Usability score 62 of 100
- Performance
- 60Performance score 60 of 100
- Support
- 35Support score 35 of 100
- Reliability
- 62Reliability score 62 of 100
- Onboarding
- 65Onboarding score 65 of 100
- Mobile
- 20Mobile score 20 of 100
- Security
- 80Security score 80 of 100
- Integrations
- 62Integrations score 62 of 100
// score breakdown, 0-100
- Pricing
- 98Pricing score 98 of 100
- Usability
- 62Usability score 62 of 100
- Performance
- 60Performance score 60 of 100
- Support
- 35Support score 35 of 100
- Reliability
- 62Reliability score 62 of 100
- Onboarding
- 65Onboarding score 65 of 100
- Mobile
- 20Mobile score 20 of 100
- Security
- 80Security score 80 of 100
- Integrations
- 62Integrations score 62 of 100
how these scores were set
Unbeatable price and open formats, held back by Microsoft Office file fidelity, no VBA parity, dated UI and no collaboration or mobile editing.
Overview
LibreOffice is a free, open-source office suite from The Document Foundation with Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base and Math. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and is aimed at students, privacy-minded users and teams who want to avoid Microsoft 365 licences.
- company
- The Document Foundation
- founded
- 2010
- hq
- Berlin, Germany
- website
- www.libreoffice.org
LibreOffice Not Working? Common Errors & Fixes
10 entries// step-by-step fixes for the errors users hit most
- E-01LibreOffice Won't Open or Crashes on StartupUsually a corrupted user profile or graphics conflict. Start in safe mode, then reset the profile.
- E-02LibreOffice Messes Up Word DOCX FormattingWriter and Word use different layout engines; install the fonts, turn on compatibility options, or keep the file in Word for final layout.
- E-03LibreOffice Impress PPTX Animations and Fonts Not WorkingImpress drops or alters some PowerPoint animations, transitions and embedded fonts; fix fonts first, then simplify animations.
- E-04LibreOffice Calc VBA Macros Not WorkingCalc supports only part of VBA and can't save it into xlsx. Enable VBA support or rewrite in LibreOffice Basic or Python.
- E-05Why Is LibreOffice So Slow to Start?Slow starts are usually unreachable network printers or drives, a long recent-documents list or graphics settings.
- E-06LibreOffice Calc Slow or Not Responding on Large FilesLarge cell contents, many sheets and Skia rendering are the usual causes of slow or frozen Calc.
- E-07LibreOffice Document Could Not Be Locked ErrorLibreOffice can't write its .~lock file, usually because of permissions, a read-only or synced folder or protected folders.
- E-08LibreOffice Crashing or Not Opening on MacInstall the build that matches your chip (Apple silicon or Intel) and allow it in macOS security settings.
- E-09How to Recover an Unsaved or Corrupt LibreOffice DocumentReopen LibreOffice to get the Document Recovery window, or check the backup and autorecovery folders.
- E-10LibreOffice Writer Crashing With ExtensionsDisable extensions such as LanguageTool; extension conflicts are a recurring crash cause in Writer.
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A hands-on sandbox of how LibreOffice-style tools work, including where users run into trouble. Simplified illustration, not the real LibreOffice app. Nothing is saved.
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Signals & Issues
13 signals · sorted by impact// patterns extracted from real user feedback, not raw reviews
LibreOffice crashes or won't open on startup✓ verified
Launch crashes and hangs on the splash screen are among the most reported problems across Windows, Linux and macOS. Usual culprits are a corrupted user profile, graphics acceleration conflicts and broken extensions; safe mode or a profile reset normally fixes it.
reported 9xnegativevia Other (6)workflow failure
impact8/10LibreOffice Calc is slow or freezes on large spreadsheets✓ verified
Large cell contents, many sheets and 4K scrolling cause lag or 'not responding'. Skia and OpenCL toggles help some users and not others, and fixes vary by version and hardware.
reported 7xnegativevia Other (5)scaling breaks
impact7/10Why is LibreOffice so slow to start?✓ verified
Cold start takes seconds longer than Microsoft Office on many machines. Reports point to unreachable network printers, long recent-document lists, remote files and graphics settings.
reported 7xnegativevia Other (5)scaling breaks
impact5/10
DOCX files lose formatting in LibreOffice Writer✓ verified
Complex Word documents with floating images, text frames, tables and tracked changes often render differently in Writer. Simple documents open fine, but layout drift is the top reason people go back to Word.
reported 9xnegativevia Reddit (6)migration pain
impact8/10Excel VBA macros don't work in LibreOffice Calc✓ verified
Calc can run only part of VBA, and it can't save VBA back into xlsx. Macro-heavy workbooks, userforms and keyboard shortcuts tied to macros often fail, so finance and ops teams stay on Excel.
reported 8xnegativevia Other (5)feature removal
impact8/10PowerPoint files break in LibreOffice Impress✓ verified
Animations, transitions, embedded fonts and custom masters from .pptx files can be dropped or changed in Impress, and saving back to pptx can alter fonts and sizes. Presenters who exchange decks with PowerPoint users hit this repeatedly.
reported 8xnegativevia Other (5)migration pain
impact7/10
LibreOffice interface looks dated✓ verified
The default toolbars feel old next to the Office ribbon. A notebook-bar mode exists, but users coming from Word and OnlyOffice often call the UI clunky.
reported 6xnegativevia Reddit (4)expectation mismatch
impact4/10
LibreOffice crashes on macOS (wrong build or new macOS)✓ verified
Mac users report crashes on open, 'can't be opened' errors, installing the Intel build on Apple silicon, and crashes after macOS or point-release updates. Builds are separate for Intel and Apple silicon.
reported 6xnegativevia Other (4)workflow failure
impact7/10'Document could not be locked' and lock file errors✓ verified
Opening files from cloud-synced folders, email attachments, read-only drives or protected Windows folders triggers lock-file and 'General input/output error' warnings and read-only mode.
reported 6xnegativevia Other (5)workflow failure
impact6/10Fonts missing or substituted when sharing documents✓ verified
Documents open with different fonts when the original isn't installed, and embedded fonts don't always carry through in Impress. Layout shifts follow.
reported 5xnegativevia Other (3)workflow failure
impact5/10
No official LibreOffice for iPhone or Android editing✓ verified
The Document Foundation ships desktop apps only; mobile editing relies on third-party apps like Collabora Office. Phone users get far less than with Google Docs or Microsoft 365.
reported 6xnegativevia Other (3)expectation mismatch
impact5/10
No support line: help is forums and bug reports✓ verified
As free open-source software, LibreOffice has no ticket support. Help comes from ask.libreoffice.org and Bugzilla, and many bugs sit open for years. Paid support exists only through third-party vendors.
reported 6xnegativevia Other (4)support breakdown
impact5/10
Cloud collaboration is missing✓ verified
There is no built-in real-time co-editing like Google Docs or Microsoft 365. It needs Collabora Online or Nextcloud, so teams that live in shared docs find it limited.
reported 6xnegativevia Other (3)expectation mismatch
impact6/10
What Users Love
Completely free, no ads or account
No licence, subscription or telemetry-driven upsell; it's open source under MPL.
Local files, no cloud lock-in
Documents stay on your device in open ODF format, which is good for privacy and archiving.
Opens a huge range of formats
Reads and writes doc/docx, xls/xlsx, ppt/pptx, ODF, PDF export and now Markdown (26.2).
Full suite in one install
Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base and Math; strong for mail merge, long documents and PDF editing.
Highly customizable and scriptable
Toolbars, extensions, Basic/Python macros and command-line conversion for automation.
Runs on old hardware and Linux
Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux), regular releases twice a year.
Pricing Plans
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Local files only
- ✓Writer
- ✓Calc
- ✓Impress
- ✓Draw
- ✓Base
- ✓Math
- ✓PDF export
- ✓Unlimited installs
Limitations: No cloud storage, no built-in real-time collaboration, no official mobile editing apps, no vendor support line, no full VBA support
Features
Core
- Word processor
Writer
- Spreadsheets
Calc
- Presentations
Impress
Collaboration
- Real-time co-editing
Needs Collabora Online or Nextcloud
Compatibility
- Full VBA macros
Partial only; Basic and Python supported
Platforms
- Official mobile editing apps
Export
- PDF export
- Markdown import/export
Added in 26.2
Who Should Use This?
Good Fit
Students and home users
Free and covers essays, budgets and slides.
Linux and open-source users
Default office suite on most distros.
Privacy-focused users
Local files, no account, open formats.
Small offices on a budget
Saves licence cost if documents stay simple.
Neutral
Writers of long documents and academics
Strong styles and citations, but check journal templates.
Avoid
Teams exchanging complex docx/pptx with Office users
Layout drift and animation loss cause rework.
Excel power users with VBA workbooks
Macros and userforms often don't carry over.
Teams needing real-time co-editing
Use Google Docs or Microsoft 365.
Regret Patterns
Common buyer's remorse scenarios reported by users.
A docx looked fine in Writer but arrived broken in Word, or the reverse.
A workbook with VBA lost its buttons when opened in Calc.
Fonts and animations changed in the pptx opened in Impress.
Team members edit copies and merge manually.
Switchers from Word didn't find ribbon features.
When It Breaks Down
Scenarios where this product tends to fail users.
Layout shifts and page counts change.
Animations dropped, fonts replaced.
Macros fail or are lost on save.
Slow saves and freezes.
Lock-file errors and read-only mode.
Won't open or crashes.
Alternatives Users Switch To
Microsoft Word
9x mentionedReference-quality docx rendering for Writer users. Trade-off: not in our database yet, paid.
Microsoft PowerPoint
8x mentionedBest Impress replacement when decks travel to PowerPoint users; no layout or animation loss. Trade-off: paid subscription.
Google Slides
8x mentionedFree browser-based Impress replacement with live collaboration. Trade-off: weaker offline use and fidelity with complex pptx.
Google Docs
8x mentionedFree real-time collaborative writing. Trade-off: cloud only, fewer layout controls.
OnlyOffice
7x mentionedRibbon UI closer to Microsoft Office and better docx fidelity. Trade-off: self-host server is partly paid.
Apple Keynote
5x mentionedFree on Mac and iOS with polished animations. Trade-off: Apple devices only.
WPS Office
5x mentionedFamiliar Office look with free tier. Trade-off: ads, privacy concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions
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