Browser-based tools are a huge part of how many of us work and collaborate on documents. Services like Google Docs or Office 365 make real-time collaboration simple and accessible from anywhere. And while there are some open-source alternatives to these tools, a familiar name may soon return. LibreOffice’s long-dormant web app is on its way back, and the timing could not be more perfect.
What is LibreOffice Online?
Wait, LibreOffice has a web app?!
LibreOffice Online is the browser-based version of the popular open-source office suite, LibreOffice. Instead of needing to install the app on every computer, the software runs on a server and you and other users can access it through any web browser on any machine.
It includes the core apps that make up the LibreOffice experience on the desktop, with Writer for text documents, Calc for spreadsheets, and Impress for presentations. And this means that it also retains the program’s biggest strengths, including its wide-ranging support for Microsoft Office file formats. Documents created in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint can normally be opened with few or no issues, something that isn’t true of other major Office alternatives.
What it isn’t is a complete, ready-made replacement for the Google or Microsoft services. It’s designed to be self-hosted rather than a public cloud service, so you won’t be able to just sign up and use it, but that’s kind of the point. Whether you host it on your own hardware or use it in conjunction with a service like Nextcloud, you get to choose.
LibreOffice Online is coming back
Work is starting back up
The original goal behind LibreOffice Online was to create a major web-based alternative to the likes of Google Docs that businesses or individual users could host, without having to rely on a proprietary cloud platform. However, the project stalled and was eventually paused back in 2022.
It struggled to gain traction and remained a rather niche app, and was also hit by internal struggles. The commercial app Collabora Online is the current go-to web-oriented office suite based on LibreOffice. It shared code and developers with LibreOffice Online, leading to potential conflicts of interest. As Neowin reports, debate around the project’s direction has continued.
It isn’t clear yet how long it will take for LibreOffice Online to be up and functioning once more. The Document Foundation, the organization behind LibreOffice, is encouraging developers to get involved but is discouraging its use at production level until it is deemed sufficiently safe and usable.
TDF is keen to avoid situations where an unsuitable version is deployed at scale, so when used in what would be likely to imply an enterprise situation—more than 10 concurrent documents and/or more than 20 connections—LibreOffice Online will display a prominent “not supported” warning and a link to this page, while continuing to function.
Enthusiasts and devs, on the other hand, are encouraged to give it a try.
4 Open-Source Writing Apps That Can Replace Microsoft Word
There are other options out there that are just as good as Word.
The time is right
Why the world is ready for LibreOffice Online
It feels as though the time is right for the return of LibreOffice Online, as the thinking around software infrastructure has changed since it first appeared.
Interest in open-source and self-hosting has grown a lot in recent years. Although the cloud brings tremendous benefits and convenience, many organizations and individuals are starting to want more control over where and how their data is stored, instead of relying totally on third-party providers.
Cloud platforms are often designed to create long-term dependence. Once a company’s workflows and collaboration tools are tied to a particular platform, it can be hard to switch away. And data sovereignty is also something that more people are becoming aware of, whether it’s the reliance on huge companies in general, especially for sensitive data, or, for those outside of America, the dominance of US-based providers at a time of political uncertainty.
And this isn’t just about businesses. Many individual users are rejecting Big Tech in favor of self-hosted alternatives to everyday services, or even embracing Linux as a way of taking back control over their privacy.
Self-hosting gives that control, prevents the lock-in, and even lets you audit the code so you know exactly what you’re getting.
But, of course, it comes with trade-offs. Running your own services requires servers, technical know-how, and ongoing maintenance. While you might be able to use LibreOffice Online inside a Docker container at some point, for many individuals and small teams, a hosted cloud platform will be hard to beat.
- OS
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Windows, macOS, iPhone, iPad, Android
- Brand
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Microsoft
Microsoft 365 includes access to Office apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on up to five devices, 1 TB of OneDrive storage, and more.
A second chance for LibreOffice on the web
It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that LibreOffice has chosen now to restart its Online app. Interest in open infrastructure, data sovereignty, and self-hosted software is far stronger than it was when the project first appeared.
It won’t replace the likes of Google Docs any time soon. But for any individuals or institutions that want a little more control over their documents and collaboration tools without handing their data over to a third party, a new LibreOffice web app could be the way to go.
