LibreOffice vs ONLYOFFICE: Privacy Comparison
Here we put LibreOffice head-to-head with ONLYOFFICE across the six privacy factors that matter most: their data collection practices, encryption implementation, third-party data sharing, user privacy controls, transparency, and historical track record. While both products address similar requirements, the philosophies they bring to protecting users diverge sharply. Our assessment finds that LibreOffice provides a noticeably better overall privacy experience, although neither service is without trade-offs that deserve a careful, detailed look.
The Short Answer
Before the dimension-by-dimension breakdown, here is the summary our scoring produced. Across the six privacy dimensions we score, LibreOffice finishes ahead of ONLYOFFICE, 44/60 to 38/60. That total reflects a privacy comparison in which one service is consistently the more privacy-respecting choice, even though both cover the same functional ground.
The largest single-dimension gap is in Data Collection, where LibreOffice leads by 1 point -- LibreOffice 9/10 to ONLYOFFICE 8/10. On Data Collection the margin nearly vanishes: LibreOffice 9/10 against ONLYOFFICE 8/10. The full breakdown that follows shows where each point was won or lost.
What Gets Collected
Every privacy assessment starts with data collection. How much a service gathers, stores, and processes about its users is what ultimately drives the privacy risk of using it. LibreOffice takes a leaner approach here, capturing only the data strictly required to make the service work. Its rival pulls in a wider net of information -- behavioral patterns, device identifiers, and usage analytics that go well past what the core features actually need. Our marks were LibreOffice 9/10 and ONLYOFFICE 8/10 in this area. What separates them is not merely how much is gathered but why it is gathered and whether it is truly needed.
Encryption Implementation
Encryption protects user data both in transit and at rest, and the implementation quality varies dramatically between services. LibreOffice implements stronger encryption measures, including more robust protocols for data in transit and better protection for stored data. The specific encryption implementations differ in their coverage (which data is encrypted), their strength (which algorithms and key lengths are used), and whether end-to-end encryption is employed (preventing even the service provider from accessing user content). LibreOffice scored 5/10 while ONLYOFFICE scored 4/10 for encryption.
Sharing Data With Outside Parties
A service's willingness to hand data to outside parties is a make-or-break privacy factor. That covers advertising networks, analytics providers, business partners, and what happens when governments come asking. LibreOffice keeps a tighter lid on who can reach user data. These sharing habits shape security as much as privacy, since every extra party granted access becomes one more way a breach could happen. Scores: LibreOffice 6/10, ONLYOFFICE 5/10.
User Privacy Controls
Individuals only hold real power over their data when a service's privacy controls are available and genuinely effective. The relevant tools include the option to opt out of data collection, ways to download and erase data, granular permission settings, and how readily users can exercise the rights afforded them by applicable privacy regulations. LibreOffice offers more complete and approachable privacy controls. Scores: LibreOffice 7/10, ONLYOFFICE 6/10.
Openness About Data Practices
At its core, transparency is about how clearly a service tells users what happens to their data. That means how understandable the privacy policy is, whether transparency reports exist, how promptly privacy inquiries are addressed, and whether changes to policy are flagged proactively. LibreOffice is the stronger performer on transparency overall. Without clear and accessible privacy communication, informed consent and trust are impossible. Scores: LibreOffice 8/10, ONLYOFFICE 7/10.
What Their History Reveals
Looking at how a service has handled privacy incidents, regulatory actions, and disclosed vulnerabilities over time adds essential context. LibreOffice carries the better historical record on privacy, having faced fewer incidents and dealt with the ones that did come up more responsibly. How a company has acted before is usually the clearest signal of how it will act on privacy going forward. Scores: LibreOffice 9/10, ONLYOFFICE 8/10.
The Final Verdict
Our comprehensive analysis gives LibreOffice a total score of 44/60 and ONLYOFFICE a total score of 38/60. The overall winner for privacy is LibreOffice. While both services serve similar functional needs, the winner demonstrates a more privacy-respecting approach across the dimensions that matter most. That said, no service is perfect, and users should always configure privacy settings actively regardless of which option they choose. We recommend supplementing your choice with additional privacy tools, a VPN, DNS-level ad blocker, and privacy-focused browser, to build a comprehensive privacy posture. If your threat model requires the strongest possible privacy, consider whether an even more privacy-focused alternative exists in this category beyond the two compared here.