Apache OpenOffice vs Obsidian

Apache OpenOffice: what it's good at

Apache OpenOffice is the long-running open-source office suite from which LibreOffice was forked. It remains a familiar, stable option, though most users now find LibreOffice the more actively developed of the two.

• Full word processor, spreadsheet and presentation apps
• Opens legacy OpenOffice and Microsoft formats
• Apache Software Foundation project
• Free for commercial use

Obsidian: what it's good at

Obsidian stores your notes as ordinary Markdown files in a folder on your own disk, then layers linking, backlinks, graph views and a large plugin ecosystem on top. Free for personal use, with no lock-in — your notes remain readable in any text editor.

• Plain Markdown files stored locally
• Bidirectional links and graph view
• Large community plugin ecosystem
• Free for personal use

Which should you choose?

Both are free, so the honest answer is that you can install either and decide for yourself — that is the advantage of free software over a paid trial.

Both run on Windows, macOS, Linux. Only Obsidian supports Android, iOS. If open source matters to you, Apache OpenOffice publishes its source code and Obsidian does not.

We deliberately do not publish a star rating for either. We have no way to verify a rating that would be honest at scale, and an invented one would be worse than none — so we give you the facts and let you decide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Apache OpenOffice better than Obsidian?

Neither is universally better. Apache OpenOffice the original open-source office suite, while Obsidian linked note-taking over plain Markdown files you own. The right pick depends on your platform and workflow.

Are both really free?

Apache OpenOffice is open source and Obsidian is free. Both can be downloaded without paying.

Can I install both?

Yes. Since neither costs anything, installing both and comparing them on your own files is usually the fastest way to decide.