Two different major versions of LibreOffice are available at any time. The latest version is available for users looking for the latest enhancements while the previous version caters to users who prefer stability.
Release schedule
The Document Foundation intends to release new major versions of LibreOffice once every six months and to eventually do so in March and September aligning it with other free software projects.
Release history
Version 3.3
Screenshot of LibreOffice Calc 3.3
LibreOffice 3.3.0 Beta 1, which was based on the beta release of OpenOffice.org 3.3, was made available on 28 September 2010 and was downloaded over 80,000 times. The first stable version of 3.3 was released on 25 January 2011. Because The Document Foundation and most of the software's new and former developers considered LibreOffice a direct continuation of OpenOffice.org, LibreOffice 3.3 continued the OpenOffice.org version numbering.
LibreOffice 3.3 features several functions not found in its OpenOffice.org counterpart, mainly as a result of Sun and then Oracle's requirement of assignment of copyright to themselves. Most of the features found in the 3.3 release were directly adapted from several already-created plugins, as well as the Go-oo fork. Among features unique to LibreOffice are:
SVG image import
Lotus Word Pro and Microsoft Works import filters
Improved WordPerfect import
Dialog box for title pages
Navigator lets one heading be unfolded as usual in a tree view.
"Experimental" mode that allows unfinished features to be tried by users
Some bundled extensions, including Presenter View in Impress
Colour-coded document icons
Load and Save ODF documents in flat XML to make external XSLT processing easier
PPTX chart import feature
AutoCorrections match case of the words that AutoCorrect replaces
Vastly improved RTF export
Embedding of standard PDF fonts
Version 3.4
Redesigned Move/Copy Sheet dialog in Calc
Improved GTK+ theme integration
Version 3.4.0 was released on 3 June 2011. Early versions of v3.4 contained some bugs, including compatibility issues with Microsoft Office, and was therefore only recommended as suitable for early adopters. By 3.4.2, the release was considered suitable for enterprises.
New features and improvements in 3.4 include:
Memory usage improvements
Improvements to Calc, including improved speed and improved compatibility with Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables (formerly called DataPilot in OOo/LO), support for an unlimited number of fields, and a redesigned Move/Copy Sheet dialog
There is now no need to close Writer's style edit dialog to check how a new style looks.
Several thousand lines of German comments were translated into English.
Over 5,000 lines of dead code were removed from Writer, Calc and Impress.
Improved GTK+ theme integration
The Linux version renders fonts via Cairo so that text in LibreOffice is rendered the same as the rest of the desktop.
Reduction of LibreOffice's reliance on Java
Continuing the transition to GNU Make for building LibreOffice
Saving documents in StarOffice file formats was removed
Version 3.5
Impress in LibreOffice 3.5.5
Version 3.5 was released on 14 February 2012. New features include:
Visio .vsd import,
A native PostgreSQL driver.
Java 7 support.
AES encryption support for ODF file encryption.
A .msi Windows Installer,
Improved Office Open XML support.
Introduction of an online update checker. By default, this feature is not fully automated.
Version 3.6
Version 3.6 was released on 8 August 2012. New features include:
Support for color scales and data bars in Calc.
Added word count to status bar.
PDF Export with watermark option.
10 new Impress master pages.
Support for importing Office SmartArt.
Import Filter for Corel Draw documents.
Version 4.0
LibreOffice 4.0.0 Writer with the "GNU - I" Persona and showing a comment set for a text range
Version 4.0 was released on 7 February 2013. New features include:
Import / export support for native RTF math expressions.
Import filter for Microsoft Publisher publications.
Support of all versions of Visio files
Improved XLSX Load Time.
Various DOCX improvements.
CMIS Support.
Support for Firefox Personas.
PDF Import, Presenter Console and Python Scripting Provider are now core features.
Support for comments to text ranges in Writer.
The release plan is defined to (at least) version 4.0.6 in October 2013.
Version 4.1
The first beta of LibreOffice version 4.1 was released on 26 May 2013. New features include:
Images embedded in writer can now be rotated easily in 90 degree increments
Writer textframes now support having a gradient as background
Embedding fonts in documents
Import large HTML documents with more than 64k table cells.
Import / Export of charts into odc. (ODF chart files)
Charts can be exported to vector graphics (e.g. SVG, PDF)
OOXML and RTF bugs and enhancements,
Basic implementation of EMF+ metafiles.
legacy Mac formats support:
Microsoft Word for Mac 1 - 5.1,
Microsoft Works for Mac
Write Now 4.0,
MacWrite Pro 1.5
ClarisWork and AppleWorks
The release is planned for the end of July 2013.
Release history overview
LibreOffice release history overview
Legend:
Old version
Older version, still supported
Current version
Latest preview version
Future release
Branch
Version
Release date
Notes / Major changes
3.x
Old version, no longer supported: 3.3
28 September 2010
Version 3.3.0 Beta 1 was based on the beta release of OpenOffice.org 3.3.
First stable version released on 25 January 2011.
LibreOffice 3.3 continued the OpenOffice.org version numbering.
Introducing functions not present in the OpenOffice.org counterpart, most of them directly adapted from already-created plugins.
Some features unique to LibreOffice are:
SVG image import
New or improved import filters: Lotus Word Pro, Microsoft Works, WordPerfect. PPTX chart import feature
"Experimental" mode that allows unfinished features to be tried by users
Bundled extensions, including Presenter View in Impress
Colour-coded document icons
Load and Save ODF documents in flat XML
AutoCorrections match case of the words that AutoCorrect replaces
Vastly improved RTF export
Embedding of standard PDF fonts
Old version, no longer supported: 3.4
3 June 2011
Early releases only recommended for early adopters due to bugs like compatibility issues with Microsoft Office. By 3.4.2, the release was considered suitable for enterprises.
New features and improvements in 3.4 include:
Memory usage improvements
Speed and MS-Excel-compatibility improvements to Calc, redesigned Move/Copy Sheet dialog
Code cleanup: German comments translated to English, dead code removed
Improved GTK+ theme integration and font rendering in Linux.
Reduction of LibreOffice's dependance on Java
Continuing the transition to GNU Make for building LibreOffice
Old version, no longer supported: 3.5
14 February 2012
New features include:
Visio .vsd import,
A native PostgreSQL driver.
Java 7 support.
AES encryption support for ODF file encryption.
A .msi Windows Installer,
Improved Office Open XML support.
Introduction of an online update checker. By default, this feature is not fully automated.
Older version, yet still supported: 3.6
8 August 2012
New features include:
Support for color scales and data bars in Calc.
Added word count to status bar.
PDF Export with watermark option.
10 new Impress master pages.
Support for importing Office SmartArt.
Import Filter for Corel Draw documents.
4.x
Current stable version: 4.0
7 February 2013
New features include:
Import / export support for native RTF math expressions.
Import filter for Microsoft Publisher publications.
Support of all versions of Visio files
Improved XLSX Load Time.
Various DOCX improvements.
CMIS Support.
Support for Firefox Personas.
PDF Import, Presenter Console and Python Scripting Provider are now core features.
Support for comments to text ranges in Writer.
The release plan is defined to (at least) version 4.0.6 in October 2013.
Future release: 4.1
26 May 2013
New features include:
Improved image rotation
Gradient backgrounds
Embedding fonts in documents
Import large HTML documents with more than 64k table cells.
Import /export of charts to odc (ODF chart files) and export to vector graphic formats
OOXML and RTF bugfixes and enhancements,
Basic implementation of EMF+ metafiles.
Support of several legacy Mac formats.
Final release planned for end of July 2013.