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How to switch from Google Sheets to LibreOffice Calc

LibreOffice Calc is the desktop spreadsheet in LibreOffice, free and open source. It works offline, keeps your files on your computer and opens the .xlsx files you download from Google Sheets. In exchange, you lose simultaneous editing in the cloud and Google-only functions such as QUERY or IMPORTRANGE, which you will have to replace.

Updated: · 3 min read · How we choose the alternatives

In short

  • You work on your spreadsheets on your own computer, offline and without depending on an account.
  • Common formulas, pivot tables and charts survive the trip through .xlsx.
  • Simultaneous editing with others, Apps Script and Google-only functions do not carry over.

It’s for you if…

  • You mostly work alone and want your files on your own computer.
  • Your sheets use ordinary formulas, filters and pivot tables.
  • You handle data you would rather not upload to the cloud.

Better pick something else if…

  • Several people edit the same sheet at the same time every day: look at CryptPad or ONLYOFFICE.
  • Your work relies on Apps Script, IMPORTRANGE or Google Forms connected to the sheet.
Screenshot of LibreOffice Calc
What LibreOffice Calc looks like. Screenshot: Hérisson grognon · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized

From Google Sheets to LibreOffice Calc: equivalents

Google SheetsLibreOffice Calc
File in the cloud.ods or .xlsx file on your computer
Pivot tablePivot table, in the Data menu
FiltersAutoFilter, in the Data menu
ARRAYFORMULAArray formulas with Ctrl+Shift+Enter
IMPORTRANGEExternal links to other files, in the Sheet menu
Apps ScriptMacros in Basic or Python
Version historySaved versions and backups
Share and edit togetherSend the file, with no simultaneous editing

Step by step

  1. Install LibreOffice

    Download it from the official website and install it. Calc is included, along with Writer and Impress.

  2. Download your sheets

    In Google Sheets, use File > Download > Microsoft Excel (.xlsx). If you have many, Google Takeout downloads your whole Drive at once.

  3. Open them and check the formulas

    Open the .xlsx in Calc. Google-only functions such as QUERY may arrive as an error or as a fixed value that no longer recalculates. Check them one by one.

  4. Replace what does not carry over

    Swap QUERY for pivot tables or filters, and IMPORTRANGE for links to other files. If an Apps Script is essential, rewrite it as a macro.

  5. Choose the format

    If you share with people who use Excel or Sheets, stay on .xlsx. If it is just for you, .ods is the native Calc format and best preserves all its features.

  6. Set up your backups

    Google kept the history for you. In the LibreOffice options, turn on backups when saving, and keep your files in a synced folder.

Files and formats

Calc opens and saves .xlsx, .xls, .ods and .csv. The safest route is to download each sheet as .xlsx, because it keeps every tab: a .csv only saves the active one. Charts nearly always carry over, although they may look different. Google Forms do not travel with the sheet.

What you won’t find

Tips

LibreOffice CalcOpen Source
Go to the official site of LibreOffice CalcSee all alternatives to Google Sheets →

Frequently asked questions

Will my Google Sheets formulas work?

Most will. SUM, IF, VLOOKUP, SUMIF and other common functions carry over without trouble. Google-only ones such as QUERY or IMPORTRANGE do not.

Can I still collaborate with other people?

You can send the file, but you cannot edit it together online. If that is essential, use CryptPad or ONLYOFFICE for that sheet.

Do I need the internet?

No. Calc works offline and your files stay on your computer.

Independent: we have no commercial relationship, sponsorship or affiliation with Google Sheets or with these alternatives, and nobody pays us to recommend them. Links go to their official websites and are not affiliate links; the site is funded only by Google AdSense ads, which don't influence the selection. Learn more.

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