The free Office alternative LibreOffice has gained new momentum and is now downloaded by almost a million users a week.In total, an estimated 200 million have now switched from tech giant Microsoft’s closed program.
LibreOffice is a free alternative based on open source software. It has become the most popular open source Office program, overtaking Apache’s OpenOffice, among others. Last week, The Document Foundation, which manages its development, released version 25.2.
Now the number of downloads is approaching one million a week.
– We estimate around 200 million users, but it’s important to note that we respect users’ privacy and don’t track them, so we can’t say for sure Mike Saunders, an alternate board member at The Document Foundation told Computerworld.
The majority of users, 85 percent, use Windows, followed by Mac and Linux. Several Linux distributions come with LibreOffice pre-installed.
There is also a growing interest in free software among companies and authorities, according to Saunders. For example, the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein decided last year to move the entire state’s government computers from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice.
LibreOffice users prefer simpler interfaces and would like to avoid an AI that is “helpful’ by poking its nose into their work” as many are often reminded of “Clippy from the bad old days”.
– We have zero plans to put AI into LibreOffice, says Saunders.
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Did you know your company can save significant IT costs today without compromising on functionality or user-friendliness? Teuton Systems, as one of the first providers in the Nordic region, offers installation of Nextcloud - the world's leading alternative to Microsoft 365.
Nextcloud is a collaboration platform that brings together file management, document editing, calendar, contacts and communication tools in one place. Just like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, it gives employees the ability to work with documents wherever they are, share files with colleagues and have video meetings – but with one crucial difference: you decide where your data is stored and who has access to it.
More than 400,000 organizations worldwide, from the French Ministry of the Interior to Swedish universities, have chosen Nextcloud to maintain control over their information.
Features in Nextcloud
File management that works everywhere: Upload documents, images and files from your computer and access them from your phone, tablet or any other device. When someone updates a document, everyone else sees the change immediately. No emails with “latest version” as an attachment – everyone works with the same file.
Work together in real time: Through integrated office tools, multiple people can edit the same document, spreadsheet or presentation simultaneously directly in the web browser. You see what your colleagues are writing as they write it.
Communicate and organize: Nextcloud Talk offers video meetings, chat and screen sharing without any external services like Zoom or Teams. Shared calendar and contacts make it easy to coordinate meetings and ensure everyone on the team has the same information.
Integration: The system can be connected to existing tools like Active Directory, SharePoint and other business systems. Over 200 add-ons are available to customize the platform according to specific needs.
Open and edit documents directly in the web browser through cutting-edge integration of word processors and other document apps.
Why choose Nextcloud over Google or Microsoft?
1. You decide where your data is stored – and it matters
When you use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, all your files, emails and documents end up on servers in the USA. This means that US authorities can demand access to your data through laws like the US Cloud Act – often without you knowing about it. For a Swedish company, this could mean that sensitive information about customers, employees or trade secrets is suddenly accessible to foreign authorities.
With Nextcloud, you decide where your data is stored. You can either have the system on your own server in your office, or choose a local hosting provider. Either way, everything stays within your country’s borders, which automatically means GDPR compliance without complicated data processing agreements. This is why Swedish government agencies like Försäkringskassan (the Swedish Social Insurance Agency) and Transportstyrelsen (the Swedish Transport Agency) have chosen Nextcloud – they must be able to guarantee that citizens’ information is protected.
2. Skip monthly costs – save thousands of euros
Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 cost money every month for every person in the company. For a company with Microsoft 365 Business Premium and 50 employees, it amounts to approximately €13,500 per year – that’s €67,500 over a five-year period. And prices tend to increase over time.
Nextcloud is open source and completely free to use. The only thing you pay for is the server it runs on and any support services. A server for 50 people costs around €2,000 to purchase, plus around €500 per year for electricity and maintenance. Over five years: €4,500 instead of €67,500 – a saving of over €63,000.
Even if you choose to let an external provider handle the actual server operation, the cost becomes a fraction of what Google or Microsoft charges. And you get unlimited storage based on your hardware – no limit on how much you can store.
Access all company files and documents in your own “cloud” regardless of where you are without dependence on Microsoft, Google and other tech giants.
3. Complete security control
When your files are with Google or Microsoft, it’s their security routines that apply. You can’t control what happens behind the scenes. With Nextcloud, you have full insight and control.
You can, among other things:
Require two-factor authentication for all users
See exactly who opened which files and when
Set rules for what types of files can be uploaded or downloaded
Activate encryption that makes it so not even the system administrator can read the content
Decide that certain files are automatically deleted after a certain time
Since Nextcloud is open source, anyone can review the code for security flaws. This means that problems are discovered and fixed quickly by thousands of developers worldwide. Compare that to closed systems where security problems can lie hidden for years.
Nextcloud is also the first cloud platform to receive Blauer Engel certification (Germany’s official environmental label), which confirms both security and sustainability.
4. Customize the system according to your needs
With Google or Microsoft, you get the apps and features they offer – no more, no less. With Nextcloud, you can add exactly the features your company needs through over 200 available add-ons.
Do you need tools for visual project management? Forms to collect information from customers? Integration with your existing accounting software or customer system? Custom appearance that matches the company’s graphic profile? All of this can be implemented.
If the company grows, Nextcloud scales with it – from five to five hundred users without you needing to change systems or sign new expensive contracts.
5. No lock-in – you decide
Once you’ve put all your data with Google or Microsoft, it’s troublesome to move. It’s designed that way – the more locked in you are, the harder it is to switch. But what happens if they raise prices? Or if their service is down for a whole day? Or if a conflict arises with American interests that choose to limit access to services in Europe?
With Nextcloud, you own your data and can move it when you want, where you want. All data is saved in open standard formats that work everywhere. Want to change hosting provider? Move from the cloud to your own server? Or vice versa? No problem. You’re never locked in.
Keep all company internal meetings and calls with business partners privacy-secure on your own server without outside surveillance with access to meeting rooms, meeting recording, transcription and modern AI functions.
Getting started with Nextcloud
You don’t need to be a technical expert to use Nextcloud. The interface is intuitive and works exactly as you expect – click to open files, drag and drop to upload, share with a link.
For installation and configuration, there are companies that specialize in this. Teuton Systems is a Swedish technology company based in Dalarna, Sweden that works with privacy-promoting technology and open source solutions. They help companies install, configure and maintain Nextcloud. With support in Swedish and English, you get help through the entire process – from planning to ongoing operation.
Technical overview:
Files and storage: Unlimited storage based on your hardware, automatic file versions, password-protected file sharing
Collaboration: Real-time document editing, video conferences, chat, calendar, contacts
Compatibility: Works in web browsers, available as app for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android
Cost: License-free open source, possibility to sign enterprise support on annual basis
Contact: Call Teuton Systems at +46 10 10 11 222 or visit teuton-systems.com to get help getting started and assess whether Nextcloud fits your business.
After an extensive planning process that began in 2020, the Austrian armed forces have now transitioned from Microsoft Office to the open source-based LibreOffice across all 16,000 workstations. The decision was not based on economic considerations but on a pursuit of increased digital sovereignty and independence from external cloud services.
The transition to LibreOffice is the result of a long-term strategy that began five years ago, when it became clear that Microsoft would move its office suite to cloud-based solutions. For an organization like the Austrian armed forces, where security around data handling is of the highest priority, this was a decisive turning point, writes Heise Online.
— It was very important for us to show that we are doing this primarily to strengthen our digital sovereignty, to maintain our independence in terms of ICT infrastructure and to ensure that data is only processed in-house, explains Michael Hillebrand from the armed forces’ Directive 6 for ICT and cybersecurity in an interview with Austrian radio station Ö1.
Long-term planning and in-house development
The decision process began in 2020 and was completed the following year. During 2022, detailed planning commenced in parallel with training internal developers to be able to implement improvements and complementary software development. Already then, employees were given the opportunity to voluntarily start using LibreOffice.
In 2023, the project gained further momentum when a German company was hired for external support and development. At the same time, internal e-learning in LibreOffice was introduced, and the software became mandatory within the first departments.
Contributing to the global user base
The armed forces’ commitment to open source is not merely consuming. The adaptations and improvements required for military purposes have been programmed and integrated into the LibreOffice project. So far, over five person-years of work have been financed for this effort – contributions that all LibreOffice users worldwide can benefit from.
— We are not doing this to save money, Hillebrand emphasizes to ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation). — We are doing this so that the Armed Forces as an organization, which is there to function when everything else is down, can continue to have products that work within our sphere of influence.
In early September, Hillebrand together with his colleague Nikolaus Stocker presented the transition process at LibreOffice Conference 2025.
Extract of the features that the Austrian armed forces programmed for their own use and then contributed to the LibreOffice project. Image: Bundesheer/heise online
From Microsoft dependency to own control
The starting point in 2021 was Microsoft Office 2016 Professional with a large number of VBA and Access solutions deeply embedded in IT workflows. At the same time, the armed forces were already using their own Linux servers with Samba for email and collaboration solutions, rather than Microsoft’s alternatives.
This year, MS Office 2016 has been removed from all military computers. Those who still believe they need Microsoft Office for their duties can, however, apply internally to have the corresponding module from MS Office 2024 LTSC installed.
The transition underscores a growing trend among European government agencies to prioritize digital independence and control over sensitive information over the convenience of commercial cloud services.
Too much public digital infrastructure has been linked to very few foreign actors, explains Danish Digital Minister Caroline Stage about why Denmark is now moving away from Microsoft in favor of free and more cost-effective alternatives.
Denmark’s digital ministry has begun a transition during the summer from Microsoft’s word processor Office 365 to the free alternative LibreOffice, with a complete transition expected to be completed during the fall. They will also abandon Microsoft Windows in favor of Linux.
The change is explained by Denmark’s goal to strengthen its digital sovereignty, as well as ensuring that control over sensitive data and systems remains in national ownership.
With this move, Denmark is following in the footsteps of the neighboring German state of Schleswig-Holstein, which is in the process of converting 30,000 public computers from Microsoft to Linux-based and free solutions.
“It is not about isolation or digital nationalism. We should not turn our backs completely on global technology companies; many of them provide solutions that we benefit from. This applies both today and in the future.
But we must never make ourselves so dependent on so few that we can no longer act freely. Too much public digital infrastructure is currently tied up with very few foreign suppliers. This makes us vulnerable. Also, financially”, says Danish Digital Minister Caroline Stage on LinkedIn about the project, which is reported by Danish newspaper Politiken, among others.
