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Productivity · head to head

Foxit PDF Editor vs LibreOffice

Foxit PDF Editor logo

Foxit PDF Editor

Productivity

The #1 Alternative to Adobe Acrobat

From
$10.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LibreOffice logo

LibreOffice

Productivity

Free and open-source office suite that runs entirely offline

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only LibreOffice has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Foxit PDF Editor the $209.99 perpetual licence excludes the AI Assistant, Smart Redact, the Document Management System and all cloud features; LibreOffice real-time collaborative editing is far behind Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, and for teams who co-edit this alone usually decides the question
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Foxit PDF Editor and LibreOffice actually diverge.

Attributes where Foxit PDF Editor and LibreOffice differ
AttributeFoxit PDF EditorLibreOffice
Starting price$10.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWindows, macOS, Linux

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Foxit PDF Editor

Nothing recorded that LibreOffice does not also cover.

Only in LibreOffice

  • Full suite
  • Works offline
  • OpenDocument native
  • Microsoft format support
  • No telemetry or AI
  • Extensions and macros

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Foxit PDF Editor

  • Creating, editing and signing PDF documents on Windows, macOS or the webnot LibreOffice
  • Buying a perpetual PDF editor licence instead of a subscriptionnot LibreOffice
  • Sending documents for signature with eSign, at 150 envelopes a year on PDF Editor+not LibreOffice

LibreOffice

  • Organisations where documents cannot leave the premises for policy or statutory reasonsnot Foxit PDF Editor
  • Replacing per-seat office licences at scalenot Foxit PDF Editor
  • Long-term archives needing a format not defined by a single vendornot Foxit PDF Editor
  • Reviving older hardware that current commercial suites strainnot Foxit PDF Editor

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Foxit PDF Editor

  • The $209.99 perpetual licence excludes the AI Assistant, Smart Redact, the Document Management System and all cloud features
  • Mobile apps for iOS and Android start on PDF Editor+ at $159.99 a year, not on the entry subscription
  • The AI Assistant is capped at 20 free credits per month on the entry plan

LibreOffice

  • Real-time collaborative editing is far behind Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, and for teams who co-edit this alone usually decides the question
  • Mobile support is weak, which is disqualifying for a workforce that reviews documents on phones
  • Complex Microsoft Office documents still lose formatting in transit, so exchange-heavy workflows need testing with real files
  • Central policy management, conditional access and audit tooling are thin against the commercial suites
  • Advanced spreadsheet work is where the gap with Excel is widest, and it affects exactly the users least willing to change

Pricing, plan by plan

Foxit PDF Editor

$10.99/month
  • PDF Editor$10.99/month
    • $131.88 per year paid in full
    • Document Management System
    • AI Assistant with 20 free credits per month
  • PDF Editor+$159.99/year
    • Everything in PDF Editor
    • iOS and Android apps
    • AI Smart Redact
  • Foxit PDF Editor 14 perpetual$209.99/one-time
    • One time purchase, no subscription
    • Editing, conversion, OCR, forms and security
    • Excludes AI Assistant, Smart Redact, DMS and cloud features

LibreOffice

Free
  • LibreOfficeFree
    • Full suite
    • Commercial use permitted
    • No per-seat licence

Which should you pick?

Choose Foxit PDF Editor if

Nothing in the data separates Foxit PDF Editor from LibreOffice on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Foxit PDF Editor review

Choose LibreOffice if

  • You need full suite.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want works offline.
LibreOffice review

Questions people ask

Is Foxit PDF Editor or LibreOffice better?
Neither clearly leads. Foxit PDF Editor starts at $10.99/month and LibreOffice at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Foxit PDF Editor or LibreOffice?
LibreOffice has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $10.99/month for Foxit PDF Editor and Free for LibreOffice.
Does Foxit PDF Editor or LibreOffice run on more platforms?
Foxit PDF Editor runs on Web. LibreOffice runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use LibreOffice for free?
Yes. LibreOffice has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Foxit PDF Editor starts at $10.99/month.
What is Foxit PDF Editor best used for?
Foxit PDF Editor is most often used for creating, editing and signing pdf documents on windows, macos or the web, buying a perpetual pdf editor licence instead of a subscription, sending documents for signature with esign, at 150 envelopes a year on pdf editor+. Of those, creating, editing and signing pdf documents on windows, macos or the web and buying a perpetual pdf editor licence instead of a subscription are not what LibreOffice is typically brought in for.
What can Foxit PDF Editor do that LibreOffice cannot?
LibreOffice covers Full suite, Works offline, OpenDocument native, Microsoft format support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Foxit PDF Editor: How much does Foxit PDF Editor cost?

Foxit PDF Editor starts at $10.99 per month, or $131.88 per year paid in full. PDF Editor+ is $159.99 per year. A perpetual licence for Foxit PDF Editor 14 is a one time $209.99.

Source
LibreOffice: Is LibreOffice really free for business use?

Yes. It is open source with no per-seat licence and no restriction on commercial use. The Document Foundation is funded by donations and sponsors.

Foxit PDF Editor: Can I buy Foxit PDF Editor without a subscription?

Yes. Foxit PDF Editor 14 is sold as a one time perpetual licence at $209.99. It covers editing, conversion, OCR, forms and security, but excludes the AI Assistant, Smart Redact, the Document Management System and cloud features.

Source
LibreOffice: Does it have AI features?

No. The 26.8 release states it contains no generative AI, that documents are not transmitted to remote services, and that no component requires network access.

Foxit PDF Editor: Is there a free trial of Foxit PDF Editor?

Yes. Foxit offers a 14 day trial of PDF Editor+ with no credit card required.

Source
LibreOffice: Can it open Microsoft Office files?

Yes, and save back to them. Round-tripping complex documents is imperfect between any two suites, so test with your own files before committing to an exchange-heavy workflow.

LibreOffice: Why do governments use it?

Two reasons: no per-seat cost at scale, and OpenDocument is an ISO standard implemented by more than one vendor, which matters for archives that must stay readable after a vendor relationship ends.

LibreOffice: What is the biggest reason not to use it?

Collaborative editing. If several people work on the same document simultaneously, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are substantially better and that gap is not closing.

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