Open Source Office Apps: Calligra Suite vs LibreOffice
Is one of these open source office tools clearly better than the other?
Matt Hartley April 16, 2012

For home and enterprise users alike, software like LibreOffice has made desktop Linux a whole lot easier. A reliable office suite is a key part of using a modern computer for most people. Given that important, it’s worth noting that a new Koffice fork has been developed. It’s called Calligra Suite.

Unlike LibreOffice, which doesn't reflect the styles of one desktop environment over another, Calligra Suite is based on Qt and was definitely designed with the KDE user in mind.

In this article, I'll be comparing LibreOffice with the Calligra Suite. I'll be examining the layout of the application features, along with the functionality provided.

Is one better than the other?

Application list compared

Based on a default installation, LibreOffice provides you with several must-have applications. These applications include Writer, Impress, Calc, Draw and Base. LibreOffice Math is also included, but it won't be included in this comparison. With a default installation of Calligra Suite, you end up with Words, Stage, Tables, and Flow.

Right away, I noticed that Calligra Suite was missing a Base-like application from its suite. Not being overly familiar with the old revision of KOffice, this could be by design.

After digging a bit deeper, however, it looks like Calligra Suite will offer a database program called Kexi. And while Calligra Suite is said to be in a stable release condition, it's the first stable release for the software. Therefore, I think it's safe to expect some kind of ongoing evolution with the software with new releases.

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