LibreOffice vs Excel/Sheets: A Migration Checklist for Small Businesses

Stop wasting hours rebuilding reports: a practical migration checklist for swapping Microsoft 365 for LibreOffice

Small business owners, operations managers, educators, and freelancers: if licensing fees, privacy concerns, or the desire for an offline-first workflow have you wondering whether LibreOffice can replace Microsoft 365, this guide is for you. Below you will find a step-by-step migration checklist, a compatibility template you can copy into your spreadsheets, and actionable guidance to preserve your spreadsheet workflows without surprises.

The short answer

LibreOffice Calc can handle the majority of everyday spreadsheet work for small businesses, schools, and freelancers. But advanced Excel features — Power Query, complex VBA macros, dynamic arrays combined with custom add-ins, and deep Excel-linked cloud workflows — are the frequent migration blockers. This checklist helps you identify, prioritize, and resolve those issues so you can quantify risk and plan a small, low-cost pilot before committing.

Why migrate now (2026 context)

Two trends made this a crucial moment to reassess your desktop office stack:

• Cost pressure for SMBs continues into 2026 as subscription fees and licensing audits rise. Many small teams are cutting fixed costs.
• Privacy and offline-first workflows gained momentum after several public-sector moves toward open standards in 2024–2025. ODF and LibreOffice are now better supported by server-side editors and secure sync platforms.

Recent improvements to LibreOffice import filters and Calc performance in late 2025 mean fewer formatting surprises than earlier migrations. Still, the biggest friction points remain automation, data connectors, and advanced Excel-only functions. This checklist is written for business decision makers who need a pragmatic migration plan — not a theoretical comparison.

Migration checklist: High-level phases

Use this checklist as an executable project plan. Each item includes the purpose, expected time, and a ready-made verification step.

Phase 0 — Governance & scope (1–3 days)

• Define scope: Decide which users and document types move in phase 1. Verification: documented list of users and a sample of 50 files.
• Set success criteria: e.g., 95% template fidelity, all mission-critical macros either ported or replaced, users trained. Verification: acceptance checklist signed by stakeholders.
• Backup policy: Create immutable backups of all files before conversion. Verification: backup copies available and tested.

Phase 1 — Inventory & risk assessment (3–7 days)

• File inventory: Export a list of spreadsheets with metadata (owner, last modified, size, location). Tools: file server queries, Google Drive/OneDrive export, or manual audit. Verification: CSV inventory file with at least these columns: filename, owner, path, size, last modified, tags.
• Feature scan: For each spreadsheet, flag special features: VBA macros, Power Query / Get & Transform, external data connections, pivot tables, dynamic arrays, XLOOKUP, custom add-ins, charts, and protected ranges. Verification: feature flags in inventory CSV.
• Prioritize: Classify files as Mission-critical, Important, or Archive. Verification: migration priority column in inventory.

Phase 2 — Proof of concept (1–3 weeks)

• Pick 5–10 representative files: Include the most critical and the trickiest examples. Verification: POC spreadsheet pack prepared.
• Convert to ODS and test: Open Excel files in LibreOffice Calc, save as ODS, and run full workflows. Verification: side-by-side comparison and feature gap log.
• Macro assessment: Identify which macros are VBA only and which are simple enough to port to LibreOffice Basic or Python with the UNO API. Verification: migration plan per macro.
• Connectivity test: If workbooks pull from SQL, cloud services, or APIs, test connectors. LibreOffice has no built-in Power Query equivalent; plan for server-side ETL or manual exports. Verification: documented alternative strategy for each connection.

Phase 3 — Migration & conversion (2–8 weeks depending on scale)

• Convert templates first: Migrate shared templates and make the ODS copy the canonical template. Verification: template repository updated.
• Macro migration or replacement: Port high-priority macros, or replace with scripts, Google Apps Scripts (if using Drive), or small desktop apps. Verification: unit tests for each automation.
• Export/Import workflows: Where external partners expect XLSX, maintain export workflow to save periodic XLSX snapshots. Verification: scheduled export scripts in place.

Phase 4 — Pilot rollout and training (1–4 weeks)

• Run a small pilot with 5–20 users using the converted templates. Verification: pilot feedback form and ticket log.
• Deliver training: Short workshops on Calc differences: function names, menus, formula auditing, protection, and saving/exporting. Verification: training attendance and quiz completion.
• Establish support: Designate internal champions and a rapid escalation path for conversion issues. Verification: support SLA document.

Phase 5 — Full migration and decommissioning (2–12 weeks)

• Rollout: Gradually move user groups. Verification: migration completion checklist per group.
• Decommission Microsoft desktop apps only after all critical workflows are validated. Verification: rollback plan tested.
• Ongoing monitoring: Measure issues per 1000 files migrated, time-to-fix, and user satisfaction. Verification: weekly metrics dashboard for first quarter live.

Compatibility checklist template (copy to your spreadsheet)

Paste this structure into a spreadsheet and use it for every file you evaluate. The goal is to standardize decisions so migration is repeatable.

Tip: Add columns for Estimated Migration Time and Business Impact to prioritize work.

Common compatibility issues and practical fixes

1. VBA macros

VBA does not run natively in LibreOffice. The practical options are:

• Port to LibreOffice Basic: For simple macros, this is usually straightforward.
• Use Python and the UNO API: Better for complex logic and external API calls. Python scripts can be more maintainable and are recommended for long-term automation.
• Replace with external ETL: For heavy data transformations, move logic to server-side processes using Python/R/SQL and keep spreadsheets as presentation layers.

2. Power Query / Get & Transform

Calc has no Power Query equivalent. If your workflows rely on queries from databases, CSV ingestion, or combining multiple sources, plan one of these approaches:

• Use a scheduled server-side ETL job to drop cleansed CSVs that Calc opens.
• Use a light-weight local script to assemble data before the spreadsheet refresh.
• Adopt an online collaborative data tool (e.g., a managed database or a service that outputs to CSV/ODS).

3. Advanced Excel functions

Many core functions are supported, but Excel has more recent dynamic array functions and Office-specific functions. Where Calc lacks a function, use one of these strategies:

• Rewrite formulas using core functions available in both apps (e.g., INDEX/MATCH instead of XLOOKUP).
• Break complex formulas into helper columns to simplify porting.
• Embed small scripts for logic that formulas cannot express cleanly.

4. Charts and formatting

Charts usually translate well, but layout may shift. Test printed/PDF outputs because page and print drivers differ.

5. Cloud collaboration and versioning

LibreOffice is primarily desktop-first. For cloud-style collaboration:

• Use Nextcloud, Seafile, or a similar file sync service with desktop clients.
• Consider Collabora Online or a hosted LibreOffice backend for browser editing when collaborative edits are required.
• Keep an ODS master in the repository and export XLSX only when sharing externally.

Automation & integrations: practical tactics

Don’t assume you must sacrifice automation. In 2026, the most practical approach is hybrid: run robust server-side automations and use LibreOffice Calc as the human-friendly presentation layer.

• Server ETL: Use small containerized Python scripts scheduled via cron or a lightweight job runner. These scripts can produce clean ODS/CSV inputs.
• APIs: If you rely on external APIs, build a small script to pull data and drop it where Calc expects it.
• CI for spreadsheets: For mission-critical templates, use a simple test harness that opens the ODS/XLSX via UNO or a headless tool and validates calculated outputs after conversion.

Training and documentation

Migration fails most often because users don’t understand minor differences. Invest in short, role-based documentation:

• Cheat sheet: formula name differences and common Calc equivalents
• How to save as ODS vs XLSX, and when to export XLSX for external partners
• Macro catalog: which macros were ported, replaced, or retired

Small changes in the UI can slow an entire team. Spend time on short training sessions and a one-page cheat sheet — it pays back quickly.

Cost and risk — a simple ROI framing

Estimate your savings conservatively. If you currently pay an annual subscription per user, multiply that by your user count and subtract migration labor. A focused pilot and porting of only mission-critical automations often pay back within 6–18 months for small teams. But always include the cost of training and the possibility of retention of a small number of Microsoft 365 licenses for partners or legacy integrations.

Use cases: who benefits most

Small businesses

Best for teams whose workflows rely on templates, invoices, simple reports, and CSV-based imports. If you avoid heavy VBA and Power Query, savings and data privacy gains can be substantial.

Education

Schools and colleges that need inexpensive, offline-capable tools for labs and exams love LibreOffice. The ODF standard is also favored in public sector procurement.

Freelancers

Individual contractors who need cost-effective, privacy-respecting tools for proposals, invoices, and time tracking will find LibreOffice fully adequate and reliable.

Fast checklist: 10 actions you can do this week

1. Export a list of your top 50 spreadsheets and flag owners.
2. Pick three representative files and open them in LibreOffice Calc to validate basic formatting.
3. Identify all spreadsheets using VBA and mark their owners for follow-up.
4. Create backups of your templates and set ODS as the master copy name convention.
5. Plan a 2-hour training session covering the top 10 Calc differences.
6. Set up a small script to export external data sources to CSV for Calc consumption.
7. Decide which users will retain Microsoft 365 for external collaboration.
8. Document a rollback plan and test it on one template.
9. Install LibreOffice on a test workstation and assign a champion to the pilot.
10. Measure one simple KPI: time to open and run a key report pre- and post-migration.

Final thoughts

LibreOffice is a mature, capable, and cost-effective alternative for many small businesses, schools, and freelancers in 2026. The migration is rarely a drop-in switch — it is a project that needs scope, measurement, and attention to macros and data connectors. But with a disciplined inventory, a short proof of concept, and the compatibility template above, you can reduce risk and realize meaningful savings and privacy gains.

If you want a ready-made, editable compatibility spreadsheet based on the table above, or a migration estimate tailored to your business, we offer a premium migration starter bundle including a template pack, macro audit checklist, and a 2-hour consultancy session to plan your pilot.

Call to action

Ready to evaluate your spreadsheets? Download our compatibility checklist template, run the 3-file POC this week, and book a free 30-minute migration consultation to get a customized plan and cost estimate. Preserve your workflows, minimize downtime, and make the move with confidence.

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