# LibreOffice Application: The Document Foundation Also called libre office, tdf libreoffice The Document Foundation, Productivity A free office suite forked from OpenOffice.org in 2010. The Windows launcher is soffice.exe. It is not Apache OpenOffice and not Microsoft 365. ## What you need to know LibreOffice is the active OpenOffice.org fork. Apache OpenOffice is the older line. The Document Foundation ships LibreOffice from a 2010 fork. soffice.exe is the Windows launcher. Installing Apache OpenOffice is a different, slower project, not an upgrade path that stays in sync. - **What is it?**: A free office suite from TDF **Same as OpenOffice?**: No. LibreOffice is the active fork **Same as Microsoft 365?**: No. Different vendor and files Feex says If someone said "just install OpenOffice", I would send them to libreoffice.org instead. Apache OpenOffice is the older line. This fork is the one that still ships frequent Windows 64-bit builds. ## What is LibreOffice? LibreOffice is The Document Foundation's office suite. soffice.exe starts Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Math, and Base. Apache OpenOffice is a different project with a different release pace. ## If you have never used it If you want a free desktop office suite that still gets regular Windows builds, this is LibreOffice, not Apache OpenOffice and not Microsoft 365. Download it from libreoffice.org/download. Writer, Calc, and Impress are modules inside one suite. The launcher is soffice.exe. OpenOffice is the older, slower-moving line the project forked from. ## What is it used for? **Writer, Calc, Impress** Documents, sheets, and slides with OpenDocument defaults and Microsoft format import. This is a suite, not a single Word clone. **OOXML round-trip** LibreOffice documents .docx / .xlsx / .pptx export that Apache OpenOffice's comparison page does not match. **Offline work without a 365 account** No Microsoft tenant required. It is still not a substitute for a workplace that mandates desktop Word. ## Who is it for? - People who want a current free suite instead of OpenOffice 4.1 - Users avoiding a Microsoft 365 subscription for home documents - Anyone who should not install Apache OpenOffice thinking it is this fork ## Current status Actively developed. The Document Foundation ships a Latest branch and a previous mature branch. This article is the Windows suite. ## How old is it? LibreOffice forked from OpenOffice.org in 2010 after Oracle's OpenOffice period. The Document Foundation ships current year.month releases. Apache OpenOffice remains on a 4.1 line. They are not interchangeable downloads. ## Versions Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here. Latest branch Previous mature branch ## System requirements Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need. ### Minimum | Operating system | A current 64-bit Windows release The Document Foundation lists for the build you download | | ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | RAM | TDF lists modest RAM for the suite. Large Calc books want more | ## Resource profile - **CPU demand**: Follows what you open inside the app **RAM demand**: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries ## Installed processes These executables belong to this product when it is installed. | soffice.exe | Launcher. Writer, Calc, and Impress run through this suite | | ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | soffice.bin | Worker process behind the launcher | ## Startup components LibreOffice starts when you open a document. Quickstarter is an optional setting, not a Windows service. ## File locations | Typical install | C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program\soffice.exe | | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | ## File formats ODT, ODS, ODP, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, PDF ## Common problems ### People download OpenOffice by habit openoffice.org is Apache OpenOffice. The current fork is libreoffice.org. The installers are not the same. ### A work .docx looks off Complex Word fields can shift. That is format fidelity, not a broken Windows font. Try desktop Word if the file is mandated. ## Getting unstuck ### Confirm the publisher is The Document Foundation About LibreOffice names TDF. Apache OpenOffice names the Apache Software Foundation. Those About boxes are the sibling-swap test. ### Install the 64-bit Windows build from libreoffice.org/download A "Free Office" search ad is the wrong file. TDF's download page is the source. ### Use Safe Mode from the LibreOffice Help menu if profiles break That resets a LibreOffice user profile. It is not Microsoft Office Safe Mode and not Windows Safe Mode. ## Alternatives Microsoft 365, ONLYOFFICE, and Apache OpenOffice overlap. OpenOffice is the older sibling. 365 is the paid Microsoft suite. ## Official help and downloads Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel. | Download | [www.libreoffice.org/download/download/ ](https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download/)Official installer or vendor page | | -------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Help | [documentation.libreoffice.org/ ](https://documentation.libreoffice.org/)Vendor support | | Official site | [www.libreoffice.org/ ](https://www.libreoffice.org/)Start here, not a random exe host | | TDF comparison | [www.libreoffice.org/libreoffice-vs-openoffice/ ](https://www.libreoffice.org/libreoffice-vs-openoffice/)Why this project is not Apache OpenOffice | ## Related hardware A current 64-bit Windows PC with a few GB of RAM runs everyday Writer files. Huge Calc books want more RAM, same idea as Excel. ## Technical details Technical details Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build. ## Related These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link. [Apache OpenOffice: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/openoffice)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager) ## Sources and verification Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research). - [LibreOffice official site ](https://www.libreoffice.org/)· Vendor product page - [LibreOffice help ](https://documentation.libreoffice.org/)· Vendor support - [LibreOffice vs OpenOffice ](https://www.libreoffice.org/libreoffice-vs-openoffice/)· TDF comparison of the two lines - [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark. ## Was this article useful? A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note. Quick facts The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article. - **Developer**: The Document Foundation **Category**: Office suite **Process**: soffice.exe **License**: MPL and other free licenses from The Document Foundation **First released**: 2010 **Official site**: [libreoffice.org](https://www.libreoffice.org/) **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026 --- Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/libreoffice/) [Developer guide](https://feex.it/wiki/developers/) | [API policy](https://feex.it/developers/api-policy/) | [Agent guidance](https://feex.it/wiki/llms.txt)