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Author: Italo Vignoli

Celebrating 20 Years of the OASIS Open Document Format (ODF) Standard

A Milestone for Open Document Formats and Digital Sovereignty

Berlin, 1 May 2025 – Today, The Document Foundation joins the open source software and open standards community in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the ratification of the Open Document Format (ODF) as an OASIS standard. Two decades after its approval in 2005, ODF is the only open standard for office documents, promoting digital independence, interoperability and content transparency worldwide.

Originally created as an XML-based format to enable universal access to documents across platforms and software from multiple vendors, ODF has become a technology policy pillar for governments, educational institutions and organisations that choose open, vendor-independent formats to assert their digital sovereignty.

“ODF is much more than a technical specification: it is a symbol of freedom of choice, support for interoperability and protection of users from the commercial strategies of Big Tech,” said Eliane Domingos, Chairwoman of the Document Foundation. “In a world increasingly dominated by proprietary ecosystems, ODF guarantees users complete control over their content, free from restrictions.”

ODF is the native file format of LibreOffice, the most widely used and well-known open source office suite, and is supported by a wide range of other applications. Its relevance – twenty years after its creation – is a testament to the foresight of its creators and the open source community’s commitment to openness and collaboration.

ODF has been adopted as an official standard by ISO (as ISO/IEC 26300) and by many governments on all continents to support digital sovereignty strategies and public procurement policies to ensure persistent and transparent access to content.

To celebrate this milestone, from today The Document Foundation will be publishing a series of presentations and documents on its blog that illustrate the unique features of ODF, tracing its history from the development and standardisation process through the activities of the Technical Committee for the submission of version 1.3 to ISO and the standardisation of version 1.4.

In addition, representatives from the Document Foundation will participate in open source community events to talk about the Open Document Format and highlight its importance to the FOSS ecosystem. The LibreOffice conference will have an entire track dedicated to ODF, coordinated by the OASIS Technical Committee.

Announcing LibreOffice 25.2.3

Latest maintenance release brings improved stability and fixes to the powerful free office suite

Berlin, 30 April 2025 – The Document Foundation is pleased to announce the release of LibreOffice 25.2.3, the third maintenance release of the LibreOffice 25.2 family for Windows (Intel, AMD and ARM), MacOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Linux, which is now available for download at www.libreoffice.org/download [1]. This release includes dozens of bug fixes and compatibility enhancements that further improve the suite’s performance, reliability and interoperability.

LibreOffice 25.2.3 is part of the LibreOffice 25.2 series, which provides a balance of cutting-edge features and production-grade stability. For users requiring a more thoroughly tested version for enterprise environments, the project recommends LibreOffice 24.8.

LibreOffice 25.2.3 is based on the LibreOffice Technology Platform, which enables the development of desktop, mobile and cloud versions – including by companies in the ecosystem – that fully support the two available ISO standards for documents: the open ODF or Open Document Format (ODT, ODS and ODP) and the closed and proprietary Microsoft OOXML (DOCX, XLSX and PPTX).

Products based on LibreOffice technology are available for all major desktop operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS), mobile platforms (Android and iOS) and the cloud.

For enterprise-class deployments, TDF recommends the LibreOffice Enterprise family of applications from ecosystem partners with a wide range of dedicated value-added features and other benefits such as SLAs and security patch backports: www.libreoffice.org/download/libreoffice-in-business/.

English manuals for LibreOffice 25.2 Write, Impress, Draw and Math are available for download at books.libreoffice.org/en/. End users can get first-level technical support from volunteers on the user mailing lists and the Ask LibreOffice website: ask.libreoffice.org.

Downloading LibreOffice

All available versions of LibreOffice can be downloaded from the same website: www.libreoffice.org/download/. LibreOffice users, free software advocates and community members can support The Document Foundation and the LibreOffice project by making a donation: www.libreoffice.org/donate.

[1] Fixes in RC1: wiki.documentfoundation.org/Releases/25.2.3/RC1. Fixes in RC2: wiki.documentfoundation.org/Releases/25.2.3/RC2.

Announcement of LibreOffice 25.2.2 and LibreOffice 24.8.6

Berlin, 27 March 2025 – The Document Foundation announces the availability of LibreOffice 25.2.2, the second minor release of the recently announced LibreOffice 25.2 family [1], and LibreOffice 24.8.6, the sixth minor release of the LibreOffice 24.8 family [2], for Windows (Intel, AMD and ARM), macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Linux. LibreOffice is the best office suite for users who want to retain control over their individual software and documents, thereby protecting their privacy and digital life from the commercial interference and the lock-in strategies of Big Tech. All LibreOffice releases can be downloaded from www.libreoffice.org/download/.

What makes LibreOffice unique is the LibreOffice Technology Platform, the only one on the market that allows the consistent development of desktop, mobile and cloud versions – including those provided by companies in the ecosystem – capable of producing identical and fully interoperable documents based on the two available ISO standards: the open ODF or Open Document Format (ODT, ODS and ODP) and the proprietary Microsoft OOXML (DOCX, XLSX and PPTX). The latter hides a huge number of artificial (and unnecessary) lock-in complexities that create problems for users convinced they are using a standard format. Products based on LibreOffice Technology are available for all major desktop operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS), mobile platforms (Android and iOS) and the cloud.

For enterprise-class deployments, TDF strongly recommends the LibreOffice Enterprise family of applications from ecosystem partners – for desktop, mobile and cloud – with a wide range of dedicated value-added features and other benefits such as SLAs and backports of security patches for several years: www.libreoffice.org/download/libreoffice-in-business/.

English manuals for LibreOffice 25.2 and LibreOffice 24.8.6 can be downloaded from books.libreoffice.org/en/. End users can get first-level technical support from volunteers on the user mailing lists and the Ask LibreOffice website: ask.libreoffice.org.

Download LibreOffice

Both LibreOffice 25.2.2 and LibreOffice 24.8.6 are immediately available from www.libreoffice.org/download/. LibreOffice 25.2.2 is targeted at power and tech-savvy users, while LibreOffice 24.8.6 is targeted to users who don’t need the latest features and prefer a version that has undergone more testing and bug and regression fixes.

LibreOffice is the only office suite designed to meet the actual needs of the user – not just their eyes. It offers a range of interface options to suit different user habits, from traditional to modern, and makes the most of different screen sizes, optimising the space available to put the maximum number of features just a click or two away. It is also the only software for creating documents (that may contain personal or confidential information) that respects the user’s privacy, ensuring that the user can decide if and with whom to share the content they create, thanks to the standard and open format that is not used as a lock-in tool, forcing periodic software updates. All this with a feature set that is comparable to the leading software on the market and far superior to that of any competitor.

LibreOffice users, free software advocates and community members can support The Document Foundation and the LibreOffice project with a donation at www.libreoffice.org/donate.

[1] Fixes in RC1: https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Releases/25.2.2/RC1. Fixes in RC2: https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Releases/25.2.2/RC2.

[2] Fixes in RC1: https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Releases/24.8.6/RC1. Fixes in RC2: https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Releases/24.8.6/RC2.

Celebrating Document Freedom Day

Why Document Freedom Day Matters More Than Ever

Every year, Document Freedom Day reminds us of a simple but powerful idea: we should have control over our own data. Not just where we store it, but how we access it, share it, and keep it usable for years to come. At the heart of that is the concept of open standards, file formats that anyone can read, use, and build on without restrictions.

What’s Document Freedom, Anyway?

Document freedom means being able to create and access digital documents without being locked into a specific company’s software. When you save a file – whether it’s a spreadsheet, a report, or a photo album – you should be able to open it on any system, now or in the future. That’s only possible with open standards like ODF (Open Document Format) or PDF/A.

Proprietary formats can trap your content. Ever tried opening an old project and found that the software doesn’t exist anymore or now requires a subscription? That’s the problem. Your data shouldn’t expire just because a company changed its business model.

Why It Matters

– For individuals, it’s about ownership. You shouldn’t lose access to your writing, photos, or work just because you switch devices or software.
– For organizations, it’s about long-term access and avoiding vendor lock-in.
– For governments, it’s about transparency and accountability. Public records must remain readable and accessible over time.

How You Can Support Document Freedom

– Use software that supports open formats (like LibreOffice or LibreOffice Technology based software).
– Save and share files in open formats like .odt, .ods, or .pdf (not .docx, .xlsx, etc.).
– Push for open standards in your workplace or community projects.
– Spread the word: most people don’t even realize file formats can trap them.

The Bigger Picture

Document freedom is part of a broader movement for digital rights. It’s about giving people real choices and protecting their autonomy in the digital world. As AI, cloud services, and proprietary platforms grow more complex, the risks of losing control over our content also grow. Open standards are a small but essential line of defence.

So today, take a minute to think about the files you create. Are they truly yours to keep?

Happy Document Freedom Day

(this text has been drafted in Italian, my native language, and translated with the help of AI based translation services)

REMINDER: Document Freedom Day @ LibreOffice

Next Wednesday, on March 26, we will celebrate Document Freedom Day 2025. During the day, we will mainly talk about the ISO Open Document Format, which was approved in 2005 by OASIS and in 2006 by ISO. Due to the global scale of the LibreOffice project, our events will be online.

There will be three webinars at 10:30 CET, 15:30 CET and 20:30 CET, with a presentation on the history of ODF and the great importance of the standard document format for digital sovereignty. To listen to the webinars, you can connect to https://jitsi.documentfoundation.org/dfd2025.

We will also be connected for question and answer sessions at 1 p.m. CET and 6 p.m. CET, to delve deeper into the topics of the webinar and to satisfy the curiosity of users, most of whom use a proprietary format without being aware of it, and are therefore victims of Microsoft’s lock-in strategies. These sessions will be in the same video room as the webinars: https://jitsi.documentfoundation.org/dfd2025.

Press Releases

Announcement of LibreOffice 25.8.4

Berlin, 18 December 2025 – LibreOffice 25.8.4, the fourth minor update to the free office suite developed by volunteers for…

Open Document Format

Why open standards are extremely beneficial to end users

Whenever I talk to other technology users — including CTOs, CSOs and ICT managers, who in theory should have a…