The spreadsheets they are essential for any type of office work. Microsoft Office, the most used suite, has one of the star programs in this area: Excel. Surely we have all heard of it at some time, and, in addition, most of us surely have even used it too. However, it is not the only program that we can use for this purpose. And there are great alternatives that will make us think that Excel is not as good a program as we think. And one of the best is Calc, the LibreOffice spreadsheet.
LibreOffice is a totally free and open source office suite developed from OpenOffice code with the intention of directly facing the Microsoft suite. And, of course, it is succeeding. This suite has a word processor (Writer), the spreadsheet program (Calc) and a software for slide shows (Impress), as well as other tools that can help us in the day to day of our house or office.
Normally we tend to think that free programs are inferior to paid programs, commercial, and controlled by a computer giant. But is this really so?
Differences between Excel and Calc
Surely the first thing that catches our attention about Calc is its Interface. If we are used to using the Microsoft suite, it will seem somewhat older, like “old”. But it is an intentional feature, since it mimics the look of Office 2003 instead of going for a “Ribbon” style interface (although they are working on it too). The classic interface, although a bit more chaotic, allowed us to have all the functions and tools at hand. But the important thing is always inside. Let’s see other differences in detail.
Excel vs Calc
Excel
| Features | Compare two files | Page Styles | Check writing | Export as XHTML | Export everything to PDF | OpenFormula standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 476 (22 exclusive) | No | No | No | No | No | Partial |
Calc
| Features | Compare two files | Page Styles | Check writing | Export as XHTML | Export everything to PDF | OpenFormula standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 508 (29 exclusive) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
As we can see, neither program is perfect. Both share many functions and features, but each has its own strengths. For example, in the case of Calc, it has more functions (both full and its own) and more flexibility when using them (such as being able to change the language). But Excel has more unique features designed, above all, to professional and business use. Both programs meet the minimum to be able to work at home, although it is true that, for a much more advanced use, Calc is a little behind (although it is gradually improving).
Can LibreOffice replace Office?
This is the question that many of us ask ourselves. Is there any way that The Document Foundation suite could end up dethroning Office? The truth is that it is complicated, especially in professional settings. However, on the desktop, for home use, the truth is that LibreOffice programs are much more affordable, and easier to use, than Microsoft’s. They focus on the important, leaving aside everything superfluous.
If you don’t already use it, it’s very easy to download and install LibreOffice on Windows and macOS. Also, most distros Linux They already bet on it as the default suite, which saves us even more work.
