Apache OpenOffice vs. Google Sheets

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Apache OpenOffice
Score 10.0 out of 10
N/A
Apache OpenOffice is a free open source office suite that includes six applications: Writer (word processor), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw (diagramming and graphics), Base (database), and Math (formulas).N/A
Google Sheets
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
Google Sheets is the spreadsheet app available on Google Workspace, or standalone, with a free plan for personal use and accessible via mobile apps for iOS and Android.N/A
Pricing
Apache OpenOfficeGoogle Sheets
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Apache OpenOfficeGoogle Sheets
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Apache OpenOfficeGoogle Sheets
Considered Both Products
Apache OpenOffice
Chose Apache OpenOffice
Apache is the free alternative to MS Office and is enough for basic tasks. It doesn't have all the modern functionality that newer versions of MS Office have, like cloud connectivity and that kind of stuff but for a basic office suite it's really good and it costs nothing to own.
Chose Apache OpenOffice
They are very compatible and very similar overall. If you can use the one, you can use the other. Layouts are also not too dissimilar. So, transitioning from one or the other will not be a problem. Ultimately, pricing may be your deciding factor, not functionality, which is …
Chose Apache OpenOffice
MS Office file formats are native to OpenOffice
Chose Apache OpenOffice
Due to costs mainly, not having to use a ultra expensive app like Microsoft instead. On a big company cost saving is a main driver and apache can fulfill everything even with such a low cost. Initially the team was suspicious of it but now they cannot live without it
Chose Apache OpenOffice
Microsoft Office 2016 required licenses which incurred a cost. Upgrade to Office 2019 or higher is also costly. In terms of functionality, the products are both equally capable, with OpenOffice having a slightly less polished user interface.
Chose Apache OpenOffice
Like OpenOffice, LibreOffice is also an open open source software which ships as the default office suite on Linux operating systems. Libre office is more suited for users using Linux as their primary operating system. Plus it requires 2gb space, same as Microsoft office so …
Chose Apache OpenOffice
For some weird reason, a particular Excel template could not convert properly in QuattroPro so we chose OpenOffice.
Chose Apache OpenOffice
Apache OpenOffice is less intense on our computer systems and saves us a ton of financial resources. Since our document creation and editing needs are typical of a small business and not very complex, Apache OpenOffice is sufficient for us. We think that almost any smaller to …
Chose Apache OpenOffice
OpenOffice comes for free and with almost the same functionalities as Microsoft Office. Even if there may be some small incompatibilities, saving 500+ Microsoft Office licenses can be a real incentive for a small company. Together with moving to OpenOffice, as a part of the …
Chose Apache OpenOffice
OpenOffice is great, free, and easy to use. I enjoy some of this other software, and use Google Drive (and applications) frequently, yet I still find daily use for OpenOffice.
Chose Apache OpenOffice
Apache OpenOffice (OO) is less complicated than MS Office. This makes it easier for beginners to learn. On the other hand, it does not seem to have some of the more advanced features that power users like (but that can confuse and frustrate basic users). OO could profit by …
Chose Apache OpenOffice
I selected Apache because it provides the same tools and performance (as well as the Microsoft Office formats) for absolutely no price tag. It is produced by people who care about making a product that works— great updates are made periodically. The interface is very similar …
Chose Apache OpenOffice
The big benefits that OpenOffice gives us is the flexibility, the cost, and the ease of licensing. We do have some Office users, and we keep licenses for them. We looked at Office 365, and that was a good way to work for some people, but the requirement to be constantly …
Chose Apache OpenOffice
The products are certainly equivalent, with OOO having a much better price and better performance than the non-Microsoft offerings.

I've used Lotus Smartsuite (now deprecated), Coral Office, Star Office (a previous version of OOO), and Microsoft Office. Functionality across all …
Chose Apache OpenOffice
Apache OpenOffice may not quite have all the bells and whistles of Microsoft Office, but I chose it for one major reason: it is absolutely free. It is also fully functional as a free software. There is no trial, need to upgrade, or subscription plan. As a small business owner, …
Chose Apache OpenOffice
Microsoft Office 365 and Prezi
Chose Apache OpenOffice
I like the look and feel that Apache open office has. The fact that it is Open Source and not costly is great. It has an easy learning curve for people that are used to using Microsoft Office.
Google Sheets
Chose Google Sheets
Google Sheets is better than smartsheets and excel when it comes to integrating into different applications for automation as well as for team collaboration. While excel is better for analysis and higher level formulas/Marcos when working in a team environment or involving …
Chose Google Sheets
I prefer the look of Google Sheets. I also love that it is easily shared.
Chose Google Sheets
My organization uses Google Sheets instead of Microsoft Excel because we are a Google shop. Sheets permissions are especially easy via existing Google Workspace groups. We're a very collaborative company that values easy browser-based simultaneous document editing and …
Chose Google Sheets
From my experience, Google sheets doesn't compare to excel. It suffices for basic spreadsheet needs but does not compare in terms of functionality. An organizational change led me to the opportunity to use Excel and I'm happy to have made the switch and have not looked back. …
Chose Google Sheets
Microsoft Excel is very similar, I don't have much to say in comparison. I have not tried using formulas in Google Sheets. OneDrive is also very similar but it autosaves so you don't have to worry about saving information or forgetting to save and losing data. It is also …
Chose Google Sheets
In my opinion, based on my own experience, I believe that Google Sheets stands in the second position in my list of spreadsheet software largely because of things such as ease to share and access data, multiple edits simultaneously and keep a track of the real-time changes, …
Chose Google Sheets
Microsoft Excel might be good for large-scale local work, but Google Sheets is so fast and clean. I have also used other systems like Air Table, and Excel online, but honestly Google Sheets is so ubiquitous and easy to use I always start there first. Other software products I …
Chose Google Sheets
Google Sheets is newest of all and is easy to understand. It has better UI or display then rest all. Minimal design helps to focus more on work. In built chat features is one that makes it stand out of league then rest of all. Unlike MS Excel and LibreOffice it is available …
Chose Google Sheets
Microsoft Excel is much more functional and has more functions/capabilities than Google Sheets. It is also faster compared to Google Sheets. On the other side, Google Sheets is better for collaboration and saves you a lot of time. As I usually do not work with big files I …
Chose Google Sheets
We selected it for it's nearly universal integration capabilities to pull data from all the programs in our tech stack for deeper analysis in Tableau. It integrates with Tableau, which is the number one reason we decided to use it. It's a lot more user friendly than Excel, even …
Chose Google Sheets
Microsoft Excel has more in-depth formulas you can use, but overall it can get quite confusing and overwhelming. Google Sheets is more approachable, and easier to learn and collaborate with.
Chose Google Sheets
clearly a win-win situation by using Google sheets, [especially] for remote work and teamwork! Microsoft Excel does not allow any of that unless you have a pay version of it.
Chose Google Sheets
I find Google Sheets much simpler and easier to use than Microsoft Excel. It is free which can make a huge difference if you are on a budget. It is also entirely web-based which makes sharing and collaborating much easier as well as ensuring that there is only one version of …
Chose Google Sheets
Google sheets has a clear advantage. It is more simple to use for daily applications, allows for easier collaboration, and has portability (offline working). It allows for easy sharing and integration with other Google online programs such as Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, …
Chose Google Sheets
I enjoy the ease of access and sharing information with anyone, google sheets is great for that. You can easily send a link in an email or text message which makes it easier than other programs because you have to purchase separately if their software doesn't come included at …
Chose Google Sheets
We originally selected Google Sheets for its easy to use interface and seamless connection throughout using Google for all of our business. We love how all the different google apps connect and make it easy to share things with the team.
Chose Google Sheets
Google Sheets allows for all of the capabilities of Microsoft Excel, but with real-time edits that can create a collaborative experience across teams. By being able to access people's changes in real-time, it makes for an easier work experience, especially in the remote world …
Chose Google Sheets
Google Sheets is very good in performance and can be accessed from anywhere being a cloud application. That is the major differentiator for it. Sharing of documents is not a difficult task anymore and no need to use space from our personal devices. It is very simple to access …
Chose Google Sheets
On Microsoft, we can't edit the documents at the same time with our friends and co-workers, we need to save everything on the computer memory. I find Google Sheets to be a lot superior, by allowing us to save everything up in the cloud, to read, share and edit whatever document …
Chose Google Sheets
The biggest kicker here is that Google Sheets is free. On top of that, it is way easier to share the file with other users who are not within our company, with easy controls over how they can access and what exactly they can do with the file. Also, being able to see who all has …
Chose Google Sheets
I feel Google Sheets is better compared to the many available competitors thanks to its many features and also easy integration with Google products. It is also easy to use and is available online.
Chose Google Sheets
Microsoft Excel and Numbers on Mac. Used the first reiteration of the Windows 365 and was terrible.

It stacks up well against excel due to power of two other Google products 1) Google search and 2) YouTube. If you cannot find an article or video to help you might be …
Chose Google Sheets
The major reason I use Google Sheets over Microsoft Excel and Apple Numbers is for its ability to allow multiple users to access and work on the same spreadsheet at once. This is incredibly more efficient and effective than updating and sending copies upon copies of the same …
Best Alternatives
Apache OpenOfficeGoogle Sheets
Small Businesses
Google Workspace
Google Workspace
Score 9.1 out of 10
Stackby
Stackby
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Google Workspace
Google Workspace
Score 9.1 out of 10
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel
Score 8.7 out of 10
Enterprises
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Score 8.8 out of 10
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel
Score 8.7 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Apache OpenOfficeGoogle Sheets
Likelihood to Recommend
10.0
(0 ratings)
8.9
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(0 ratings)
9.5
(0 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
5.0
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Apache OpenOfficeGoogle Sheets
Likelihood to Recommend
In my opinion, Apache OpenOffice is best suited for writing, editing and proofreading texts in any language. You can also download additional language packages that really take up little space in your PC's storage. Of course, Apache OpenOffice is comprehensive of spreadsheet-/drawing-/database-related softwares and so on, but I primarily use it for writing and editing my own texts. I don't see any scenarios where it is less appropriate, at least so far.
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Google Sheets is a great tool mostly for people in the finance department such as accountants who have to analyze hundreds of transactions. The software makes it easy to organize data and handle some analysis. Also, when it comes to data presentation, Google Sheets offers some of the best features. However, this is not to sat people outside the finance docket cannot benefit from this software. It is a great tool to have when handling data.
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Pros
  • OpenOffice is ideal to have as an application on your PC versus utilizing an online word archive application like Google Docs.
  • OpenOffice can deal with an assortment of document types like [.doc, .rtf, .xml] , making it a fundamental apparatus for the individuals who don't approach Microsoft Word.
  • OpenOffice is a more profound programming than Word and is more open. I know, openness for a record composing programming, I know. In any case, OpenOffice takes into account rapidly evolving edges, typeface, size, and so forth, and I think shows improvement over Word, and in a simpler arrangement.
  • OpenOffice can deal with bookkeeping pages, essential information bases, introductions, and fundamental drawings. It handles the entirety of the typical Microsoft Office instruments inside one application.
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  • It is a cloud-based platform.
  • You can work in the same file simultaneously with your colleagues.
  • It allows you to share files much faster.
  • It allows you to access your Google Sheet files whenever you like and wherever you like if you have stable internet connection.
  • It has great integration with other Google software.
  • Google Sheets is very user-friendly and very intuitive to use.
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Cons
  • Some people used to Microsoft products can feel it's a little bit old in its style
  • I saves documents in its native format, which is incompatible with MS Word or Excel, unless you change that in the preferences tab
  • The UI is not very pretty
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  • Shifting to Sheets after years and years of Excel is like learning to crawl after I've been running for years. Some sort of translator document. Such as if you use XYZ in Excel, the same function can be found here in Sheets
  • Functionality shuts down after 5K or so lines are used. I work in finance. We have hundreds of thousands of transactions we need to analyze.
  • If Big Query is the answer to large amounts of data, it needs to be as easy to use as Sheets is.
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Likelihood to Renew
It is a cheap alternative; however, with Microsoft 365 licenses also dropping significantly, we might opt to go in that direction to maintain uniformity.
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I am not involved in the purchase/selection process, but my organization is a Google shop, and Sheets meets most of our spreadsheet needs and works seamlessly with our other tools. I don't anticipate our switching anytime soon.
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Usability
It's good overall, just the UI it's not the prettiest, feels like an older version of MS office, but gets the job done. Once get the hang of it it's easy to use, besides it has great documentation on how to use it and there are many forums that discuss many related topics.
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Overall the formula functions could improve but there's workarounds for them. Utilzing different formulas or approaches for building out accounting schedules. While collebrating with multiple team members and different departments being able to go in and see where others are on the sheets is helpful. Google Sheets overall is a great product
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Reliability and Availability
No answers on this topic
Like most Google products, Google Sheets rarely has outages or slowness, and when it does, connection is always momentarily restored. I can't recall a time when I've been unable to access Google Sheets but able to access other sites just fine. That said, errors aren't uncommon when handling large data volume. You know what they say about using spreadsheets as databases, but sometimes it's just the most convenient option, especially for smaller or one-off projects, and not being able to store large amounts of data hampers our ability to move quickly with scrappy prototypes or full solutions. It would be great if we could better integrate our data manipulation (Apps Script) with big data in the sheet.
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Performance
No answers on this topic
Again, Google Sheets is no exception to Google's general high speed and reliability, but load times can be slow for larger amounts of data. I've used Sheets with Zapier and have used the Python API, and speed has never been an issue.
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Support Rating
Is there really support? There is a user forum but I do not see much developer input. Support options are limited. The most recent (Sept 2019) version of the product seems to have issues operating under Windows 10, yet there are few recent comments in the community forum, most comments are regarding older versions.
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I have never contacted Google Sheets support, but Google Sheets makes it very easy to report an issue or suggest a feature from Sheets itself (Help > Help Sheets improve), and I've had mostly good experiences with support for other Google products.
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Implementation Rating
We found that it is possible to use Open Office to accomplish everything we need. Some tasks required searching for steps on Google.
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
The big benefits that OpenOffice gives us is the flexibility, the cost, and the ease of licensing. We do have some Office users, and we keep licenses for them. We looked at Office 365, and that was a good way to work for some people, but the requirement to be constantly connected to the internet was difficult for some of our field staff. Same with Google Drive, though that was more popular than Office 365. We don't do a ton of collaborative work, so the lack of online collaboration wasn't a dealbreaker for us, though I can see how 365 or Google Drive would be much more helpful for a team of people working on a single document.
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Microsoft Excel and Numbers on Mac. Used the first reiteration of the Windows 365 and was terrible. It stacks up well against excel due to power of two other Google products 1) Google search and 2) YouTube. If you cannot find an article or video to help you might be disappointed but keep looking.
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Scalability
No answers on this topic
Google Sheets works very well with multiple users. It's convenient to see in real-time who is collaborating in a sheet, down to the specific cell that they're viewing/editing. Linking Sheets across departments is convenient with the IMPORTRANGE function.
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Return on Investment
  • Moving to OpenOffice will save the company the cost of 500+ of Microsoft Office licenses in our company.
  • Because it is cross-platform, we could also save 500+ of Microsoft Windows licenses if we move everyone to Linux.
  • On the negative side, the lack of online collaboration and browser support may be an issue when you use clouds like Box, Workboard etc.
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  • We've used it to prepare quick budgets, presentations for funds that have helped raise money
  • It has helped us quickly analyze raw data, collaboratively.
  • it has helped us work more efficiently by making it easier to work from one sheet and not lose track of versions by passing around attached documents
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ScreenShots