Migrate from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice

Migrate from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice: what the move involves

LibreOffice can replace Writer, Calc and Impress for most users, but it does not replace Outlook. If your reason for leaving Microsoft Office is a renewal, a licensing change or a push toward open document standards, the desktop applications are the realistic candidate, while mail, calendar and contacts need a separate decision. LibreOffice includes Writer for word processing, Calc for spreadsheets, Impress for presentations, Draw, Base and Math, and it can open and save docx, xlsx and pptx files. The move is usually led by IT or platform engineering, with power users from finance, legal and operations helping to test their own files. Plan for a staged rollout rather than a single cutover, and confirm early which teams depend on Outlook features that stay in Microsoft's stack.

Effort and risk concentrate in three places: VBA macros, templates and heavy Excel workbooks. LibreOffice uses Basic macros rather than VBA, so macro inventory is the first task. Microsoft VBA macros are preserved when a file is edited in LibreOffice and run again in Office, and LibreOffice can run some Excel VBA scripts if that option is enabled, but you should test each one instead of assuming it works. LibreOffice Help notes that converted files need manual reformatting in proportion to their complexity, and it lists AutoShapes, revision marks, OLE objects, pivot tables, conditional formatting and some formulas as features that may not convert cleanly. Build a register of workbooks that use these features and assign a named owner to each one before choosing a rollout wave.

Work in a pilot group of heavy Excel users first, and measure what breaks: formula results, pivot refreshes, printed layouts and macro behavior. Decide early whether the default save format will be ODF or a Microsoft format, since that choice affects exchange with external parties who still send Office files. Ask any enterprise support provider to confirm which LibreOffice release train it covers, its support window and how it handles security updates before you commit. Keep a small number of Office licenses for teams whose workbooks fail the pilot, and document who holds them and why.

Which Office capabilities move to LibreOffice cleanly and which need rework

This table maps the main Office capabilities to their LibreOffice equivalents and marks each as clean, needs rework or gap. Read the status column first, then check the notes for the conversion limits that affect your own documents and macros. The main takeaway is that document editing moves well for most users, while macros, Outlook and complex Excel models need inventory and testing before cutover.

Capability	LibreOffice equivalent	Status	What to check
Word documents (.docx)	Writer, saving in Microsoft format by default	Needs rework	Open, save and reformat a sample set. Revision marks, AutoShapes and OLE objects may not convert cleanly.
Excel workbooks (.xlsx)	Calc	Needs rework	Pivot tables, conditional formatting and some formulas may need manual rebuilding. Test every workbook that feeds finance or reporting.
PowerPoint decks (.pptx)	Impress	Needs rework	AutoShapes, embedded OLE objects and custom layouts often need manual cleanup. Check branded templates first.
VBA macros	Basic macros, with some Excel VBA support if enabled	Gap	LibreOffice does not run VBA natively. Macros are kept in files and run in Office, but each one needs a review and possible rewrite in Basic.
Templates and Load/Save defaults	Writer, Calc and Impress templates, set through Load/Save options	Needs rework	Set Microsoft formats as the default save format through policy. Rebuild corporate templates and test them on the target build.
Outlook email and calendar	No direct replacement in LibreOffice	Gap	LibreOffice is an office suite, not a mail client. Plan a separate groupware choice, such as OX App Suite or openDesk, before retiring Outlook.
Enterprise support and long-term updates	LibreOffice Enterprise builds from ecosystem partners	Clean	The Document Foundation does not provide technical support. Confirm SLAs and security update terms with the partner before purchase.

The migration sequence from inventory to decommission

This sequence moves a desktop Office estate to LibreOffice in controlled stages, so each department proves its files, macros and templates work before the next group moves. Each phase produces a written record that the next phase depends on, and licenses are retired only after the inventory shows nothing still needs them.

Inventory macros, templates, add-ins and file types
The IT lead and a delegate from each department list the VBA macros, Word and Excel templates, Outlook and Office add-ins, and file types in active use, grouped by department and by owner. Ask each department which files are business critical, which are shared with outside parties and which have not been opened in a long time. The output is a single register with one row per macro, template or add-in, a risk rating and a named business owner. The step is done when every department has signed off its own rows.
Choose the default save format
The IT lead, with input from legal, records management and the department owners, decides whether LibreOffice saves new documents in ODF or in Microsoft formats such as docx, xlsx and pptx by default. LibreOffice lets administrators set a Microsoft format as the default under Load/Save options, so the decision can be enforced across the estate. Confirm with external partners and regulators which formats they accept before deciding. The output is a written format standard with the exceptions list, approved by the records owner.
Pilot with heavy Excel users
Select a small group of the heaviest Excel users, such as finance and planning analysts, and move their real workbooks through LibreOffice Calc. Compare pivot tables, conditional formatting, formulas and any VBA-driven workbooks against the originals, because LibreOffice Help notes these may not convert cleanly and some reformatting depends on complexity. Record each failure with the workbook name and the fix. The output is a pilot report that lists which workbooks need rework, which need a permanent Office license and which are cleared for the next wave.
Rework templates and macros
Using the pilot report, the template owners rebuild the templates that failed conversion, and developers decide the fate of each VBA macro. LibreOffice uses Basic macros rather than VBA, so macros are either kept in VBA for users who still run Office, ported to LibreOffice Basic, or retired. Confirm whether LibreOffice can run the specific Excel VBA scripts you have, since this depends on an option that must be enabled. The output is a tested template library and a macro decision log signed off by each owner.
Package and deploy through policy
The desktop engineering team builds a standard LibreOffice installation package, applies the default format and other settings through policy, and removes or restricts Office where the register shows it is no longer needed. Test the package on the standard device image and on any managed Mac or Linux devices in scope. Plan deployment to a pilot ring first, then to wider groups. The output is a tested package, a documented configuration baseline and a deployment log for each device group.
Train users and prepare the help desk
Training covers the differences users will notice most, including menus, save formats, template locations, and how to open files that contain Office-specific features. The help desk receives the known-issues list from the pilot, a triage guide and an escalation path to the engineers who own macros and templates. Confirm with the chosen support provider what response it offers, since The Document Foundation does not provide technical support and enterprise builds with SLAs are sold by ecosystem partners. The output is a trained user group, a help desk runbook and a tested escalation route.
Run LibreOffice and Office in parallel
For a defined period, departments can open and edit files in either LibreOffice or Office while the register tracks every file that moves or stays. Monitor conversion problems, support tickets and any documents that are exchanged with outside parties and returned in a different format. Confirm the length of the parallel run with the business owners rather than setting it in advance. The output is a parallel-run dashboard showing tickets by category, open defects and the list of departments ready for cutover.
Cut over and retire licenses only where unused
Each department moves to LibreOffice as its exit criteria are met, and the default application is switched in policy. Office licenses are removed only for users and devices where the register shows no remaining need, and a small set of licenses is kept for named workbooks, macros or partner exchanges that still depend on Office. Review license counts with the procurement team, because volume licenses and subscriptions have different exit terms. The output is a closed register, a license reconciliation and a decommission record that shows which seats were retired and which were kept, with the reason for each.

How VBA macros and templates survive the move

The key point is that LibreOffice does not run VBA. It uses its own Basic dialect, so a Word or Excel macro cannot be moved across unchanged. The good news is that LibreOffice keeps the original VBA code inside a file it edits and saves, and Office will run that code again when the document is opened in Microsoft Office. Users can therefore keep working in LibreOffice without destroying macros their colleagues still depend on. Where the Excel option for running VBA scripts is enabled in LibreOffice, some Excel macros will also execute there, but that is a compatibility aid, not a guarantee. Confirm each macro's behavior in LibreOffice before anyone relies on it.

Expect manual rewriting wherever a macro touches Office-specific objects, such as Outlook integration, ribbon customizations, user forms, or event handlers that depend on the Office object model. Those are the parts to rebuild as LibreOffice Basic macros, Python scripts, or simply as retired workflows. Triage the macro inventory by business value: rank each macro by how many users run it, how often, and what breaks if it fails. Retire macros nobody has used in a long period, rewrite the high-value ones, and leave low-value, rarely run macros in their original VBA form so Office users keep them. Record the owner of each decision, since the people who wrote these macros are often no longer on the team.

Templates need their own test pass. Pick a set of representative documents for each template family, open them in LibreOffice, then check page breaks, styles, headers, footers, fields, and form controls against the Office originals. Converted files may need manual reformatting in proportion to their complexity, and features such as AutoShapes, revision marks, OLE objects, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and some formulas may not convert cleanly. Repeat the comparison in Office after a round trip, because a file that looks correct in LibreOffice can still shift when reopened in Word or Excel. Confirm the results with the finance, legal, or reporting owners who sign off on those outputs.

Which documents, settings and integrations need a plan

Most Office rollouts stall on the files and integrations nobody listed, not on the editor itself. The cards below cover the categories that need an owner, a test and a decision before the first desktop changes. Each one connects to the same question: what still works after conversion, and what must stay with another platform.

Document libraries and file shares

Start by mapping where documents live, which formats they use and how many files each share holds. LibreOffice opens and saves docx, xlsx and pptx, but LibreOffice Help says converted files need manual reformatting in proportion to their complexity. Sample files from each department, then open and re-save them in LibreOffice to see what changes. Confirm which team owns the reformatting work and whether legacy .doc or .xls files must be kept as they are.

Templates and add-ins

Corporate templates, letterheads and Word or Excel add-ins often carry styles, content controls and ribbon customizations that drive regulated output. Check which templates are used for contracts, client letters or statutory reports, and test each one in LibreOffice before you approve it. Add-ins that depend on the Office object model usually do not carry over, so confirm whether a replacement exists or whether that workflow stays on Office licenses.

Macro-driven workbooks linked to other systems

Excel workbooks with VBA macros that pull from databases, ERP exports or internal web services are the highest-risk category. 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 if that option is enabled. Inventory every macro, record its data sources and owners, and test each one for behavior, not only for whether it opens. Confirm which workbooks must stay in Excel.

Outlook and calendar dependencies

LibreOffice does not replace Outlook, so mail merge sources, calendar invitations, contact sync and Outlook-based document links stay with the mail platform. Check which documents are opened from Outlook attachments, which mail merges read address books, and which meeting workflows depend on Outlook add-ins. Decide whether those workflows move to a separate groupware platform or remain on Outlook, and document the interface between the two.

Print and PDF workflows

Print drivers, default paper sizes, PDF export settings and digital signature steps often live in local Office settings or in scripts that call Word or Excel directly. Confirm how each department prints, which PDFs go to clients or regulators, and whether signed or tagged PDFs are required. Test printing on the same printers and page sizes used in production, because layout differences from converted files show up most often in printed output.

What drives the cost and duration of a LibreOffice rollout

This table lists the factors that raise or lower the cost and length of moving from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice, with the one-time and recurring effects of each. Use it to see which parts of your estate need an inventory before you request a quote, and which quote lines to compare across bids.

Driver	Why it changes cost or effort	One-time or recurring	What to ask for in a quote
VBA macros in use	Each macro must be inventoried, then rewritten in LibreOffice Basic, kept as-is where it still runs, or retired. Heavy Excel VBA is the largest unknown.	One-time for analysis and rework; recurring if macros change	Macro inventory by owner and business use, rewrite estimate per macro, and a plan for scripts that will not run
Number of templates and document styles	Corporate templates, letterheads and style sets need manual reformatting because converted files often need some manual work.	One-time	Template count, style mapping approach, and who signs off each converted template
Excel pivot tables, conditional formatting and AutoShapes	LibreOffice Help lists these as features that may not convert cleanly, so affected workbooks and decks need checking and fixing by hand.	One-time, with spot checks later	Count of affected workbooks and presentations, and a test method for each feature
Desktop count and packaging targets	Each device image, installer package and policy setting adds testing and deployment work. Mixed operating systems add more test cases.	One-time build; recurring for each LibreOffice update	Number of device types, package format, and how policy deployment is tested before rollout
Update and release cadence	Stable and older branches receive different maintenance releases, so each upgrade needs compatibility testing.	Recurring	Named release branch, update schedule, and who tests each maintenance release
Training scope and help desk time	Power users, occasional users and help desk staff need different material. Ticket volume after cutover usually drives the recurring load.	Training is one-time; help desk time recurs during and after rollout	Training hours per role, materials ownership, and help desk ticket estimates for the first months
Choice of enterprise support	Community builds carry no technical support from The Document Foundation. Enterprise builds from ecosystem partners add SLAs, support and security updates.	Recurring subscription or support fee	Support hours, response targets, security update terms and the length of long-term support
Office licenses kept for specific users	Keeping some Office licenses for Outlook or hard-to-convert files means paying for two desktop suites during transition.	Recurring until the licenses are retired	License count kept, reason for each, and a review date to retire them

How the migration differs by estate size and starting point

An office with a small number of documents, few or no macros and a simple file share is the least complex starting point. The work is mostly a standard install, a default save format decision and a short round of user guidance. Because the document volume is low, a single pilot group can usually confirm the main workflows before the wider rollout, and the help desk load tends to stay manageable.

Macro inventory first: Confirm in a short audit whether any VBA macros exist at all, since many small offices find none or only one or two.
Default format decision: Set a Microsoft format such as docx, xlsx or pptx as the default save format under Load/Save options so that files exchanged with outside parties keep working.
Template check: Open the company letterhead, invoice and proposal templates in LibreOffice and correct layout drift before users rely on them.
Short pilot: Run two or three weeks with a small group, then widen the rollout if the pilot finds no blocking issues.
Retained licenses: Decide whether any user still needs Outlook, and keep those licenses if so, since LibreOffice does not replace Outlook.

Before you start, confirm with your IT provider which Office version is installed on each machine and whether any line-of-business add-in depends on it.

What usually goes wrong and how to prevent it

Most LibreOffice rollouts that stall do so for predictable reasons, and they tend to surface after the pilot looks successful. The cards below cover the failures we see most often in Office-to-LibreOffice migrations, each with a prevention step that can be checked before users are moved.

Unmapped macros break reports

VBA macros that drive month-end reports, reconciliations or invoice templates do not run in LibreOffice, which uses Basic macros rather than VBA. LibreOffice keeps Office VBA macros when a file is edited there and can run some Excel VBA scripts if that option is enabled, but that is not the same as a working report. Inventory every macro-enabled workbook and template, record its owner and run schedule, and test each one against the finance calendar before cutover.

Formatting drift in converted files

Converted documents often look right on screen and still shift in pagination, tables, charts or conditional formatting. LibreOffice's own guidance says converted files need manual reformatting in proportion to their complexity, and names AutoShapes, revision marks, OLE objects, pivot tables and conditional formatting as features that may not convert cleanly. Sample the most complex files from each department, compare them side by side in Office and LibreOffice, and set a sign-off rule for client-facing output.

Users saving in the wrong format

When LibreOffice saves to ODF by default, users who send files to customers, regulators or other Office users may send formats the recipient cannot open cleanly. Set a Microsoft format such as docx, xlsx or pptx as the default save format under Load/Save options, and push that setting through the policy deployment rather than relying on training alone. Check the setting on a sample of managed desktops after the first wave.

Outlook dependencies found late

LibreOffice does not replace Outlook, so calendar invitations, mail merge from contacts, add-ins for signing or approvals, and macros that call Outlook can fail after the switch. These dependencies are often invisible to the project team because they sit in individual workflows. Ask each department to list the Outlook and Exchange touchpoints of its Office files, and decide in advance which mail client, add-in or mail merge source each workflow will use.

No support route after cutover

The Document Foundation does not provide technical support, and LibreOffice's own guidance points large organizations to enterprise builds from ecosystem partners that offer SLAs, technical support and security updates. Teams that cut over on the community release often have no owner for a broken macro or a patch decision at month-end. Before cutover, confirm who answers a Severity 1 ticket, which build is deployed, how security updates arrive and who tests them. The LibreOffice 26.2 branch is supported until November 30, 2026, so the update path needs an owner before then.

Training gaps in daily use

Staff who know Word and Excel well will still look for ribbon commands, shortcuts and template locations that are named differently in LibreOffice. The gap shows up as lost time, duplicate files and help desk tickets during the first weeks. Build short role-based guides from the pilot group's real tasks, provide a named floor contact for each department, and track the most frequent help desk questions so the guides are corrected in the first month.

Questions buyers ask before moving Office to LibreOffice

What does a move from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice cost?

The cost is mostly labor and change management, not software. LibreOffice itself is free to download and is licensed under the Mozilla Public License v2.0. The recurring and one-time costs come from inventorying macros and templates, rework of documents that do not convert cleanly, pilot testing, packaging and policy deployment, training, help desk time, and an enterprise build with support if you want one. Office licenses you retire reduce recurring spend, but you may keep some for specific users. Ask any provider for a written scope that lists each of these items separately, so you can compare the one-time work against the recurring support line.

How long does a migration from Office to LibreOffice take?

The timeline depends on how many documents, macros and templates you have, how complex they are, and how many users depend on Excel features that do not convert cleanly. LibreOffice Help notes that converted Microsoft Office files need manual reformatting in proportion to their complexity, and it lists features such as AutoShapes, revision marks, OLE objects, pivot tables, conditional formatting and some formulas as likely to need attention. A pilot with heavy Excel users usually reveals the real effort early. Ask for a timeline tied to an inventory and a pilot, not to a headcount estimate made before anyone has looked at your files.

What does our team need to provide for the migration?

Your team needs to supply knowledge of how documents, templates and macros are used day to day, plus access to the file shares or document stores involved. Expect to name owners for critical templates, Excel workbooks that feed finance or operations, and any VBA macros. Someone also needs to decide the default save format, either ODF or a Microsoft format, and approve the pilot group. Your help desk should be ready to handle new questions during rollout. A written scope should state these responsibilities so that delays are not hidden in the provider's or your own queue.

Can our own IT team run the migration without outside help?

Yes, if you have people with the time and skills to inventory macros, test converted files and package LibreOffice for policy deployment. The work is well defined: LibreOffice can open and save docx, xlsx and pptx files, and administrators can set a Microsoft format as the default save format under Load/Save options. The harder parts are the Excel-heavy and macro-heavy workflows, where testing takes real judgment. Many organizations keep in-house ownership of the rollout and bring in outside help for specific gaps, such as macro rework or a structured pilot. DeployOpen plans and implements these engagements under a fixed written scope, so you can decide which parts to keep in house.

Will LibreOffice keep our Office files editable?

LibreOffice can open and save Microsoft Office formats, including docx, xlsx and pptx, so existing files stay editable in the suite. Fidelity varies by document. Complex layouts, Excel pivot tables, conditional formatting and some formulas may change, which is why sampling real files during the pilot matters. LibreOffice keeps Office VBA macros when a file is edited in LibreOffice and runs them again in Office, and it can run some Excel VBA scripts when that option is enabled. Macros written for Office are not otherwise portable, so plan for rework of the ones your business depends on.

Who supports LibreOffice if The Document Foundation does not provide technical support?

The Document Foundation states that it does not provide technical support, and it recommends that schools, institutions and large organizations use LibreOffice Enterprise versions from its ecosystem partners. Those enterprise builds offer long-term service level agreements, technical support and custom features. The Document Foundation's blog also points large deployments to enterprise editions with security updates for three to five years. Community releases remain free, and production users can stay on an earlier branch while they plan upgrades. Confirm with any partner which version they support, what the support window is, and how they handle security fixes before you commit.

Should we keep a few Microsoft Office licenses after the move?

Usually yes, for a small group that depends on features or workflows that do not convert cleanly, or that exchange files with outside parties who rely on Office-specific behavior. LibreOffice does not replace Outlook, so mail and calendar need a separate plan. Keeping targeted licenses lets you retire the bulk of desktop spend while protecting critical workflows. Review the licensing terms for your current Office LTSC or Microsoft 365 Apps agreement before removing any licenses, and confirm with your Microsoft account team which entitlements apply to your organization.

How DeployOpen scopes and runs a LibreOffice migration

DeployOpen plans, implements, packages, documents and supports self-hosted open-source platforms inside the client's own infrastructure, and a LibreOffice rollout is scoped the same way. The work is usually fixed-scope: the inventory of macros, templates and document types, the chosen default save format, the pilot group, the packaging method and the training plan are agreed in writing before any desktop is touched, together with the deliverables and timelines for each. Where a Microsoft Office license is kept for a small group, the scope names those users and the reason, so the remaining estate is not left in an unclear state.

Delivery follows the sequence in the rollout plan. DeployOpen can build the installation packages and policy settings that set the default format under Load/Save options, prepare the Basic macro conversions where a VBA macro does not carry over, and document the reformatting work that LibreOffice Help says converted files may need. Each step produces evidence the client keeps: test results from the pilot, the packaging record, configuration exports and the training material. These artifacts are what the client's own change board, security reviewers or compliance assessors will ask to see. DeployOpen does not issue audit reports or certifications, and the client should confirm with its assessor which evidence it needs.

Ongoing support is available as a retainer and covers patch intake, package updates for each new LibreOffice release, help desk runbooks and periodic review of the document estate. Pricing is not published. To get a quote, send DeployOpen the number of desktops, the document and macro inventory, and the groups that need Excel-heavy or Outlook-dependent workflows, and it will return a written scope with fixed deliverables. Ask the vendor in that scope whether the LibreOffice build you choose is the community release or an enterprise build from an ecosystem partner, since the Document Foundation does not provide technical support itself.

Migrate from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice