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Microsoft 365 vs LibreOffice: Offline Features Decoded

Discover how Germany's LibreOffice and US's Microsoft 365 compare in offline usability, catering to your need for uninterrupted productivity.

Last updated: February 19, 2026โ€ขReviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to LibreOffice?

What You Gain

Gain open-source flexibility and full GDPR compliance

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Lose advanced AI tools and real-time collaboration

Microsoft 365 has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy is key; stay if you need advanced features

At a Glance

Data Location
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธUS

US data laws

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ชDE

GDPR protected

Pricing

Microsoft 365

Contact

LibreOffice

free

Migration
Medium difficulty~Several hours to a few days, depending on the volume of data and complexity of documents

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaMicrosoft 365LibreOffice
Server Location
US, EU, and other global locationsEU
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
Enterprise only
Data Portability
Full exportFull export

CLOUD Act Notice

Microsoft 365 is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. LibreOffice is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
Microsoft 365 logo

Microsoft 365

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

Microsoft

VS
Switching to
LibreOffice logo

LibreOffice

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช

LibreOffice

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

EU-Based
Open Source
Self-Hostable
Source Available
GDPR Compliant

Reasons to Switch

  • โœ“Open source: Customize LibreOffice to fit your needs
  • โœ“No subscription fees: LibreOffice is free to use
  • โœ“GDPR compliant: Data stored on EU servers
  • โœ“Supports MS formats: Open and edit .docx, .xlsx files

Things to Consider

  • !No AI tools: Lacks AI writing assistance
  • !Learning curve: Different interface from MS 365
  • !Limited cloud features: No integrated cloud storage
Migration difficulty:
Medium
~Several hours to a few days, depending on the volume of data and complexity of documents

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium
Time Estimate
~Several hours to a few days, depending on the volume of data and complexity of documents

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create LibreOffice account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from Microsoft 365

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Note: Switching from Microsoft 365 to LibreOffice may require adjustments in workflow and familiarity with different software interfaces.

Other alternatives to Microsoft 365

Ready to make the switch?

Start using LibreOffice today and take control of your data privacy.