Does LibreOffice with partner support cost less than Microsoft Office LTSC?
LibreOffice's source code is licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, so the software itself carries no license fee. The cost question is therefore about what you pay around the software: support, migration, template and macro rework, training and help desk time, set against the volume licenses for Office LTSC or the per-user Microsoft 365 Apps subscription you would otherwise renew. Office LTSC is a one-time volume license with its own support window, while Microsoft 365 Apps is a recurring subscription, so the comparison changes depending on which of those you hold today. The answer depends on three variables you can measure before any quote. The first is user count, because support and training costs scale with desktops while migration effort scales with document and template volume. The second is macro and template dependency: LibreOffice uses Basic macros rather than VBA, and the work to port VBA-heavy workbooks can dominate the budget. The third is whether you need an enterprise build. The Document Foundation does not provide technical support, and states that large organizations should use enterprise editions from its ecosystem partners, which offer long-term SLAs and security updates. Community releases such as LibreOffice 26.2, supported until November 30, 2026, suit teams that can absorb their own patching and troubleshooting.
Before you request quotes, ask each partner for a written scope covering the enterprise edition term, the SLA response commitments, the security update period (the LibreOffice enterprise editions are described as covering three to five years), template and macro conversion effort, and training. Ask for the same breakdown from your Microsoft reseller or internal licensing team so the figures can be compared line by line. Confirm current Office LTSC or Microsoft 365 Apps terms directly with Microsoft or your licensing partner, since those terms change. A fixed-scope quote with one-time and recurring costs separated is the most reliable basis for a renewal decision.
Which cost components sit on each side of the comparison
This table sets each cost component of Office LTSC and Microsoft 365 Apps against the matching component of a LibreOffice deployment with partner support, and marks whether each one is one-time or recurring. Read it as a checklist for building a like-for-like quote, since the commercial side is mostly licensing and the self-hosted side is mostly people, packaging and support terms. Most of the difference lies in the recurring rows, so ask for each one in writing.
| Cost component | Commercial side (Office LTSC or Microsoft 365 Apps) | Self-hosted side (LibreOffice and partner services) | One-time or recurring |
|---|---|---|---|
| License or subscription | Office LTSC is bought through volume licensing; Microsoft 365 Apps is paid by subscription per user. Confirm the agreement term and true-up rules with your Microsoft reseller. | LibreOffice is free under the Mozilla Public License 2.0. Cost arises only if you buy an enterprise build from an ecosystem partner. | Office: recurring (subscription) or periodic (volume). LibreOffice: none for the code itself. |
| Enterprise support | Included in the Microsoft agreement or support plan. Confirm the response terms in your contract. | The Document Foundation does not provide technical support. Buy long-term SLAs, support and security updates from an ecosystem partner, with the terms set out in writing. | Recurring, usually annual. Ask the partner for the support term, SLA and supported versions. |
| Client deployment and packaging | Deployment tooling and policies are handled through standard Microsoft channels already in use by most IT teams. | Build an installer package, set default save formats and push configuration centrally. Effort depends on the number of device images and the policy tooling you already run. | One-time for the initial build, then recurring for each new LibreOffice release you test and deploy. |
| Document migration | Little or none for files already in Office formats. | Some converted files need manual reformatting in proportion to complexity. Inventory complex workbooks, pivot tables and conditional formatting before rollout. | One-time, scaled to the document inventory. |
| Macro and template rework | VBA macros run as they are in Office. | LibreOffice uses Basic rather than VBA. Some Excel VBA scripts run if the option is enabled, but other macros and templates need rewriting and retesting. | One-time for the initial rework, with recurring effort for new templates. |
| Training | Users already know the Office interface, so training is usually limited to new features and policy changes. | Users need a short course on LibreOffice menus, save formats and file behavior, and the course often goes to heavy Excel users first. | One-time for most staff, with recurring onboarding for new hires. |
| Help desk | Existing help desk runbooks and vendor support paths cover most questions. | Expect early tickets on formatting, macros and save formats. Route complex cases to the partner's support contract. | Mostly one-time during rollout, then a smaller recurring load. |
| Upgrades and internal skills | Microsoft manages the product lifecycle, and your team mainly plans upgrades. | Your team or partner tests each maintenance release and tracks the supported branch. Confirm who owns patch testing and the support end date for each branch. | Recurring. Drivers are release frequency and how many custom macros you maintain. |
| Outlook and mail dependencies | Outlook is part of Office and stays in the cost base unless you move mail to another client or server. | LibreOffice does not replace Outlook, so mail and calendar need a separate plan. Budget for them as a distinct workstream, not as part of the office suite. | Separate cost line. Recurring if mail is hosted outside the current Exchange or Microsoft 365 setup. |
What moves the LibreOffice cost comparison up or down
The cost gap between Office LTSC and LibreOffice with partner support is set less by the license line than by the work around it. Six factors decide how large the migration, support and help desk costs become, and each one is worth measuring before a quote is requested.
User count and device spread
Support load and packaging effort scale with the number of desktops, operating system builds and hardware models, not only with the number of seats. Count devices by OS version, locked-down images and remote workers, since each variant needs its own test and deployment path. Ask any partner to price packaging per device profile, and note that Office LTSC licenses are paid per device or per user, so the license line may shrink while the rollout line grows.
VBA macros and Excel templates
LibreOffice uses Basic macros rather than VBA, and LibreOffice Help notes that Microsoft Office VBA macros are kept when a file is edited in LibreOffice and run again in Office, while some Excel VBA scripts can run if an option is enabled. Inventory macros and Excel-heavy templates by owner and by business function. Each macro that depends on Office object models is a rework item with its own test cycle, and that work is usually the largest variable line in the estimate.
File complexity and formatting
LibreOffice Help says converted Microsoft Office files need some manual reformatting in proportion to their complexity. Features such as AutoShapes, revision marks, OLE objects, pivot tables, conditional formatting and some formulas may not convert cleanly. Sample real documents from each department, sort them by these features, and budget rework time for the most complex group rather than the average file.
Required support level and SLA
The Document Foundation does not provide technical support and recommends that large organizations use LibreOffice Enterprise versions from ecosystem partners, which offer long-term SLAs and technical support. Decide whether the business needs a response commitment, security update guarantees and a supported release branch. Ask vendors which LibreOffice branch they will support, how long, and whether support covers custom macros and templates.
Outlook and calendar dependency
LibreOffice does not replace Outlook, so mail, calendar and contact workflows stay on a separate system. If Outlook remains on many desktops, the Office license line may not go away, and the savings apply only to the document applications. Confirm which users need Outlook, whether shared calendars depend on Exchange, and whether a groupware platform is part of the same project.
Staff skills for packaging and policy
Packaging LibreOffice for silent deployment, setting default save formats under Load/Save options and enforcing settings through policy all need skills your team may not hold today. Count the hours for staff who already know these tasks and the hours a partner would bill for the first deployment. Ask for training scope, handover documents and a plan for updating packages between LibreOffice releases.
How to build the Office and LibreOffice cost model with your numbers
This sequence turns vague licensing concerns into a three to five year model that separates one-time migration costs from recurring licences, support and staff time, so the decision rests on your own agreement and user base.
Count users and devices by Office edition
Start with a device and user inventory from your management tools, such as Active Directory, Intune or your endpoint manager. Record how many people use Office LTSC 2021, Office LTSC 2024, Microsoft 365 Apps and any unlicensed or shared installations, and note which devices are desktops, laptops, thin clients or virtual desktops. Separate heavy Excel and macro users from light users, because they drive both migration effort and the share of seats that may need to stay on Office. The step is done when every active seat maps to one edition and one user group, and the totals reconcile with your licence statements.
Inventory macros, templates and file types
Ask application owners, finance, HR and legal teams to list the VBA macros, add-ins, document templates, Excel models with pivot tables or conditional formatting, and the file types exchanged with outside parties. Sample a representative set of files and test them in LibreOffice, because conversion effort depends on how complex each file is rather than how many there are. The output is a register that marks each item as convert, rework, keep in Office or retire, with an owner for each entry.
Price each commercial option from your agreement
Confirm Office LTSC 2024 and Microsoft 365 Apps terms with your Microsoft reseller or the agreement under which you buy, including support entitlements, upgrade rights, the subscription or perpetual nature of each licence, and any tie to other Microsoft services. Record the per-seat cost, renewal dates and any true-up or audit conditions from your own documents, not from list prices. Model Office LTSC 2021 end of support as a separate item if it affects your fleet. The step is done when each option has a written cost line tied to a contract reference.
Request written enterprise support scope from partners
The Document Foundation states that it does not provide technical support and recommends that large organizations use enterprise versions from its ecosystem partners, which offer long-term SLAs, technical support and custom features. Ask each candidate partner in writing which versions they support, how long each branch is maintained, what response times and security update commitments they offer, which features are included, and what is excluded. Ask for pricing based on your seat count and deployment model, and for a separate quote for migration and training if these are not included. The step is done when you hold comparable written scopes from at least two sources.
Estimate migration and training effort from a pilot
Run a pilot with a small group of heavy Excel users and a few document-heavy teams. Track the hours spent reworking macros, templates and formatting, and record the conversion issues LibreOffice reports for your files, such as AutoShapes, revision marks, OLE objects or pivot tables. Use the pilot results to estimate effort for the full population, separating one-time packaging, migration and training from ongoing exceptions. The step is done when you have measured effort per file type and per user group, and you can state which assumptions came from the pilot rather than from a vendor.
Add help desk and skills time
Estimate the recurring help desk load during and after rollout, including questions about format differences, default save settings, macro behavior and printing. Add time for internal staff who will maintain the packaging, policy deployment and partner relationship, and for any training that must be repeated for new joiners. Compare these figures with the Office support work they replace. The step is done when each recurring activity has a named owner, an estimated monthly effort from your own service desk data, and a line in the model.
Model three to five years with one-time and recurring costs
Build a spreadsheet over three to five years with separate sections for one-time costs (pilot, migration, template rework, training materials, packaging, and any document conversion) and recurring costs (licences or subscriptions, partner support, help desk time, and staff time). Show both the Office scenario and the LibreOffice scenario side by side, and include a scenario for keeping a retained set of Office licences for users who still need them. Run sensitivity checks on seat count, pilot effort and renewal price. The model is complete when a finance reviewer can trace every line to a source document, and the total is stated in a form suitable for a quote request.
Where teams underestimate LibreOffice migration and support costs
The costs teams most often miss on the LibreOffice side are not the software itself but the document conversion work that follows a switch. LibreOffice Help states that converted Microsoft Office files need some manual reformatting in proportion to their complexity, and it lists features that may not convert cleanly, including AutoShapes, revision marks, OLE objects, pivot tables, conditional formatting and some formulas. Before budgeting, run a sample of your real files through a conversion test and count how many need hand repair in each category. Finance workbooks with pivot tables and conditional rules, and contracts with tracked changes, usually carry the most rework. Ask any partner quoting the work to scope this review as a named deliverable, not as an allowance inside a general migration fee.
Retained Office licenses are the second cost that teams underestimate. LibreOffice does not replace Outlook, so every user who depends on Outlook calendars, mail rules, or Office-only features will still need a Microsoft license or an alternative mail client, and that cost recurs for as long as those users remain. Macro inventories also affect this decision: LibreOffice uses Basic macros rather than VBA, keeps Office VBA macros when a file is edited in LibreOffice, and can run some Excel VBA scripts only if that option is enabled. Each macro that must run unchanged in both environments needs a named owner and a test, so list them early and decide which ones are retired, rewritten or kept on Office.
Parallel running is the third cost, and it is easy to leave out of a comparison. During a transition, some teams work in Office for certain files and LibreOffice for others, and help desk staff must support both defaults, both sets of templates, and both save formats. The LibreOffice Help guidance on default save formats under Load/Save options is useful here, because the default choice determines how many files change format over time. Ask partners to price the period of dual support, the training for each wave of users, and the help desk handling of format complaints, and confirm with them which enterprise edition, support terms and update commitments apply to your deployment.
Common questions on Office LTSC and LibreOffice costs
Does LibreOffice cost money to use?
No, LibreOffice itself is free to download and use. Its source code is licensed under the Mozilla Public License v2.0, and The Document Foundation develops it with a community of contributors. What costs money is support. The Document Foundation states that it does not provide technical support, and it recommends that schools, institutions and large organizations use enterprise versions from ecosystem partners, which offer long-term SLAs, technical support and custom features. Budget for that support as a separate, recurring line item, and ask each partner exactly what their subscription covers.
How long does a migration from Office to LibreOffice take?
The duration depends on the number of desktops, the volume of macros and templates, and how heavily staff rely on complex Excel workbooks. LibreOffice Help notes that converted Microsoft Office files need manual reformatting in proportion to their complexity, and it lists features that may not convert cleanly, such as AutoShapes, revision marks, OLE objects, pivot tables, conditional formatting and some formulas. Start with an inventory of those features across your document estate. A pilot group of heavy users will show you the real rework before you commit to a schedule.
Can our internal IT team migrate to LibreOffice without outside help?
Often yes for a small, well-documented estate, but the work is broader than installing software. The team must inventory VBA macros, decide on ODF or Microsoft formats as the default save format, rework templates, package the software and set policy, and train users. LibreOffice uses Basic macros rather than VBA, so macros that depend on VBA need review and testing. Consider an outside partner for the parts your team has not done before, such as macro conversion or a large Excel-heavy rollout, and ask for the scope in writing.
What should partner support for LibreOffice cover?
Ask the partner to state its coverage in the contract. A useful scope includes the enterprise build and its release cycle, long-term SLAs and response times, security updates, technical support for Writer, Calc and Impress, and guidance on the Microsoft format settings used across the organization. Also ask who handles escalations, how custom features are delivered and how upgrades are tested before they reach users. The LibreOffice in business page is a good starting point for identifying enterprise builds and their providers.
What happens when LibreOffice 26.2 support ends on November 30, 2026?
According to The Document Foundation, production users can stay on LibreOffice 26.2 until its support ends on November 30, 2026, and it pointed large deployments to enterprise editions with SLAs and security updates for three to five years. Before that date, decide whether your organization will move to a later branch, such as the 26.8 family, or remain on an enterprise build that your partner maintains. Plan the test cycle for any upgrade, including macro and template checks, because the choice affects every desktop image you deploy.
Will Outlook users keep Outlook if we switch to LibreOffice?
Yes, LibreOffice does not replace Outlook. LibreOffice covers Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base and Math, so mail and calendar stay on whatever client and server you already use. Outlook licensing is separate from the Office suite decision in most cases, so confirm with your Microsoft agreement whether the Outlook component is covered under your current licenses. If you also plan to replace Exchange, that is a separate project with its own cost base.
What should we ask for in a LibreOffice quote?
Ask for a written scope that lists the number of desktops and users, the Microsoft formats in use, the macro and template inventory, and the pilot group. Request separate line items for the enterprise subscription or support term, migration and template rework, packaging and policy deployment, training and the help desk hours you expect during rollout. Ask which costs are one-time and which recur each year, what drives the price up, such as additional macro work or a larger user count, and how the quote changes if the upgrade date moves. Compare these items with your current Office LTSC or Microsoft 365 Apps costs, using the figures from your own agreement.
Do we need to remove all Office licenses when we move to LibreOffice?
Not necessarily. Many organizations keep a small number of Office licenses for staff whose workflows still depend on Excel-specific features or on documents shared with external parties who require Office formats. LibreOffice can open and save docx, xlsx and pptx files, but converted files may need manual adjustment. Identify those users during the pilot, count the licenses they need and make the retention decision a documented part of the rollout plan.
How the cost lines connect across a migration
The business case works best when each migration phase is costed on its own, because some spend is one-time and some recurs for as long as the desktops stay in service. Start with an inventory of installed Office versions, users, add-ins, VBA macros, templates and file formats in use. Most of the first-phase cost is internal staff time for discovery, plus any licensed tooling you use to scan for macros. Ask whether the inventory will be done by your own team or by a partner under a fixed scope, and get that split written down before the pilot is priced.
The pilot with heavy Excel users is where the largest unknowns sit. Workbooks that depend on pivot tables, conditional formatting, complex formulas or VBA are the ones LibreOffice Help flags as needing manual reformatting in proportion to their complexity, so budget for analyst time to test and rework them rather than assuming a clean conversion. Packaging and policy deployment come next: the cost is mostly engineering time to build the LibreOffice image, set the default save format under Load/Save options and document the settings, and it is largely one-time unless you need ongoing repackaging for each release. Confirm with the vendor or partner which LibreOffice branch and enterprise build will be supported, since the Document Foundation states it does not provide technical support itself.
Training and help desk time are often the largest recurring lines, and they should be shown separately from the migration project. Training is usually a one-time spend per user group, but the help desk line continues through the first months and then falls, so ask for a quote that states the expected ticket volume, the support hours covered and who answers first-line questions. The retained Office licenses line should be costed as a recurring item from the start, because a limited set of Office licenses will likely stay for users who depend on Outlook or niche macros. Presenting one-time migration spend beside this recurring support and license cost lets finance see the break-even point without mixing the two.
How DeployOpen scopes a fixed-price LibreOffice rollout
DeployOpen plans and implements self-hosted open-source platforms inside your own infrastructure, and most engagements are fixed-scope with deliverables agreed in writing before work starts. For a Microsoft Office LTSC replacement, that means defining which desktops, templates, macros and document types are in scope, then building the rollout around them.
How we scope
- Inventory installed Office versions, licensing terms and the desktops that would move to LibreOffice.
- Catalog VBA macros, templates, add-ins and document types so the written scope names each one.
- Agree in writing which Outlook and Office dependencies stay on Microsoft licenses and which move.
How we build
- Package LibreOffice for deployment and set Microsoft formats such as docx, xlsx and pptx as defaults where policy requires.
- Test converted templates and heavy Excel workbooks, recording formatting and macro differences document by document.
- Set up the enterprise build, update channel and policy configuration inside your own environment.
How we hand over
- Deliver the conversion inventory, test results and a known-issues register tied to the written scope.
- Document the packaging, policy settings and rollback steps so your IT team can repeat them.
- Run training material and pilot feedback sessions agreed in the scope, with handover sign-off.
How we support
- Offer ongoing support, upgrades and testing as a retainer after handover, priced separately from the build.
- Help you confirm enterprise support terms with the LibreOffice ecosystem partner you choose.
- Track each new LibreOffice maintenance release against your pinned branch before it reaches users.
